FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge!

 I am so excited to be offering a 5 day FREE clean eating challenge to help you get started on your goals! It only takes a spark to get the fire going!! Consider this your spark. You will receive a menu, recipes, accountability and support! There are currently over 50 participants who are excited and starting their journey just like you! Whether you are in great shape and want some new ideas or are tired of grabbing the hamburger helper out of the cabinet for dinner...this is for you!

To join simply comment below "I'm in" and I'll send you a facebook request to join our secret group and further instructions on how to get started!

“You're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So... get on your way!”

Dr. Seuss

Join Me in a Color Run!!!

Oh my goodness! I already posted tonight but I can't help but share this too! Click HERE for detailed race information. It's a 5k run or walk. But let's not do it alone! Let's do it as a team. If you register by the 14th as part of our team your cost will be only $26. We must have at least 4 to be a team and get the discount so make sure you let me know ASAP by messaging me on facebook or emailing me at Jollygirl22@gmail.com. I will give you our team name and discount code for registering!! One more thing, 2 children for every adult registered can run for FREE!! I know my son will be running with me! The more on our team the better. LET'S DO THIS!!!

Every Once in a While....

Every once in a while, with the help of my husband, I do something proactive and not just reactive. I seem to be one of those people that walk around with my head in the clouds, knowing the tires need to be replaced on my car, knowing I will not have time to make dinner Tuesday night, knowing that I seriously need to go to the dentist BEFORE I'm in need of a root canal. Nonetheless, nine times out of ten, I do wait until I'm on the side of the road with a flat tire that cannot be repaired only replaced, do pick up fast food after soccer Tuesday night, or do have to call the dentist when my tooth ache is so bad I can't possibly stand it another minute. I do wish I would take action sometimes instead of let life happen. I am a work in progress....still.

So every once in awhile, on a Sunday afternoon, (btw, Sundays are by far my favorite day of the week) Doug fires up the grill. Usually what happens is he grills the meal I had planned for that day and then says, "Are you sure there isn't anything else I can throw on the grill while the coals are still hot? I hate for all of this to go to waste (speaking of the hot coals)." And sometimes, on really great awesome days, I DO have something else to throw on the grill. And I get so excited!!

Last time this happened we had bone-in chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken breasts. So they all got cooked. We used an amazing blackening seasoning we learned from a friend on the chicken breast. Visit the Yummy Eats tab to get the recipe. We used a little butter, salt and pepper for the chicken with bone in. We really just wanted it to have a grilled chicken taste. Nothing exciting. Just simple.

I take some of the chicken and freeze it, then leave some in the refrigerator for the week. It can be used in salads, by itself. We eat it cold or hot. We put it in wraps with hummus, red bell pepper, feta cheese and spinach. There are so many things you can do!

Tonight we are having baked potatoes (mine is a sweet potato), yellow squash, zucchini and carrots, and left over grilled chicken. I loved only having to make the sides tonight!

Saturday Motivation!

It is so true! My confidence level has grown so much since last January. I feel so much better in my skin! I'm certainly far from where I want to be but every day that I make good food choices, or push play on my workout is one step closer to where I want to be!

True Story. Can you relate?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what foods are, where they come from, especially the fast food variety. Until last year when I did my first real spiritual fast did I finally overcome the fast food addiction that I had in my life. I'm not kidding. I truly feel like it was a true addiction. One I created. One that I created out of convenience. Yet, one that I began to crave. For my job I do a lot of driving around locally. Which means I drive past A TON of fast food restaurants. I can tell you what combo number I would order at each of them. Those that I didn't frequent as much would frustrate me because it meant that I had to really look at the menu and not just order out of memory. Then maybe I just needed a little afternoon pick me up because I was feeling tired (duh) I would swing into McDonald's (who does have the best tasting fries) and pick up a large fry and a medium coke. Why not? I wasn't overweight. I would burn it off (in theory). And then I would wonder why I could never get rid of my troubled tummy area. And I would feel bloated all the time. And I was tired, every afternoon. Can anyone relate?

Probably the saddest part was I was passing on this bad habit to my kids!! UGH!! They asked for it a lot. But kids are resilient and they learn really fast! I started out with talking to them about the fast and what I was giving up. I told them that they could really help me by not asking to get fast food. Guess what! It worked!! Even if they forgot and asked one would, sometimes not so kindly, remind the other not to ask me.

After the first week, maybe 2 weeks, I could finally drive past a McDonald's and not want to pull in for fries and a coke. (I never really did like their burgers or nuggets but of course would eat them anyway out of convenience). When I realized this was happening I was SO happy. I felt SO accomplished in this!!

I have since learned all of the ugly details about why McDonald's fries taste so good (chemicals and all) and why they all look the same. I love his ideas on cooking at home! This video is about 20 minutes long but well worth it!

 And have also since passed that on to my kids who also no longer ask me for McDonald's.

Now that's my personal story. Maybe your bad habit isn't fast food. Maybe it's dessert every night at 11pm before you go to bed. I don't know, whatever it is. If you want to break the habit YOU CAN! I truly believe a bad habit can be broken in 21 days. At least that's what worked for me!

Disclaimer: If you see me in line at chick-fil-a or Zaxby's do not judge! There are still times that I don't plan ahead and need to feed the kids something quick. But it seems (and I haven't done the research but I plan on it) that the chicken that comes from these two places are somewhat "real" compared to other chains.

Today's Message

If you visit my spiritual fitness page you can listen to the entire message I heard at church today. I just wanted to share a few thoughts about how it spoke to me this morning. It was JUST what I needed. Since this blog is about my fitness journey I find it only appropriate to share my raw feelings with you as well. I guess you could say the title was "What to do when you don't know what to do." Starting this blog and really digging in to this fitness world completely intimidates me. There are SO many blogs, so many different opinions on how one should eat, work out, what works what doesn't. So of course the doubt creeps in. No one will want to read this. Why would someone look at your blog vs the other 10,000 blogs you can find about fitness? You know you've started a blog before and didn't follow through with it. I can provide you with negative self talk all day long.

But then Psalm 56:3 was shared. "But when I am afraid I will put my trust in you." That's all I needed to hear. Aren't we all fearful about something in our life? Don't we worry about things that we shouldn't worry about? The message was about fasting and that some things we are praying for will only come through prayer AND fasting. I'll let you know what I learn from this when it is complete. 

Just know this. You have what it takes to complete your goal! Don't give up! Even if you mess up a day or a week or you have a month that is not in sync with your goals, START OVER!! As our pastor said today, maybe our prayer every morning should be Psalm 56:3, "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."

What Motivates You?

I can honestly speak from my own experience when it comes to motivation so I'll tell you what motivates me! Then I would love for you to share what motivates you!

One thing that always motivates me is new work out clothes! I love them! And I might be becoming a little obsessed with looking at them. I don't consider myself a fashionista but I do like to look cute. Now when I run at 5:45 in the morning I don't necessarily care if I match. At all. Ask my BFF! I basically want to be warm, or cool depending on the temp. I also absolutely dress in layers because I hate to get overheated. I don't like hats but I like ear covers. That usually comes off by the end anyway. So if you see me at 6 am running down the popular road where runners in Pensacola frequent I might look crazy running in a tank top in 40 degrees. But I didn't start out that way. 

I also like music to work out to! Especially running. What are your favorite running songs? I go back and forth between upbeat worship, Royals, Black-eyed peas. But I realized on my last run that I need some new tunes so suggestions are welcome!

Stepping on the scale motivates me! But don't do this too often because it could easily "de-motivate" you! I was weighing myself daily and have recently jumped off that wagon. For real Judy. I really did! I'm using measurements and trying to stick with measuring arms, tummy, legs, hips and chest each Saturday! I do feel like stepping on the scale weekly is good. Just not daily.

Shopping for clothes. This can make me want to never eat again, or it can make me happy. Depends on the store, the clothing, whether or not I wore spanx that day, etc. I have learned what stores make me feel thin and that's where I shop. And I repeat, if you aren't already a size 0 do not, I repeat DO NOT shop in a "juniors" store. And make sure your significant others know this as well. Juniors sizes do not equal ladies sizes! 

I also like to read other blogs, look at pinterest and visit a fun class I find in the local area. I once went to an aerial class at Pure Pilates and loved it! Now that they are in Pensacola I plan on doing another! So google a new and exciting fitness class in your area and give it a shot. Take a friend and wear a new outfit! You will feel like a million bucks!