Motivation to Move.

The key to a healthy life is to make sure you are taking care of yourself fully. Stop trying to take shortcuts and stop selling yourself short. You are capable of a fulfilled, happy, beautiful life but you can’t reach your full potential if you are cheating yourself on the way.

What do I mean by that? Well let’s unpack this…

• Positive Mindset

• Self-Care

• Healthier Eating Choices

• Move for 30 Minutes, Daily

• Love Yourself

These are 5 things I am constantly preaching about when it comes to taking care of yourself and learning how to live a healthy lifestyle for life. I talk about it on my social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) as well as the countless blogs I have written. These 5 areas are so important to your health and wellness. I mean, IMPORTANT. You can’t do one and not the other.

So today, let’s dive dep into bullet point #4 -move for 30 minutes, daily. Notice how I didn’t say get to the gym, workout for an hour or two, take a break then go run 5 miles. No, no, and no. Who has time for all of that? Let me tell you, NOT ME. But it is vital that you are moving for 30 minutes, at least, every single day. It can literally be anything.

Go for walk.
Go on a hike.
Ride your bicycle.
Have a dance party.
Do some yoga.
Stretch.
Swim.

These are just a few ways you can move your body and trust me, I could go on but I’ll stop right there with those. There are countless ways to get moving, you just gotta stop making excuses for yourself and just get moving. You have to stop with the…

”I don’t have time”
”I am too exhausted”
”Ugh, I hate working out”
”I couldn’t make it through * insert specific activity *”
”I am way too out of shape for that”

STOP. STOP. STOP.

Those are excuses and we are done making excuses for ourselves.
You have the time, I promise. You have time to binge watch Netflix, you got time to move.
You have the energy. It’s the self-doubt of starting that makes you feel exhausted. Push through.
It’s not a workout when you are doing something you actually like. Figure it out.
You can make it through. Stop trying to start big and take baby steps.
You are never to out of shape to get up and move. Ever. Also, refer to previous advice -start small.

My motivation/advice to get you moving today and every day from here on out is that tough love. You have to want a healthier, happier life for yourself. You have to stop with the negative self-talk. You have to stop with the excuses.

What you need to do is start. Start today. Start where you are. Start now.
Remind yourself of your goals and why you are doing this.
Have your people hold you accountable.
Push through and stay determined even in difficult moments.
Most importantly, always remember, you are stronger than your strongest excuse.

You have to want this for yourself and nobody else. You have to want better. You have to do better. We will all face weak moments, bad moments, and all the in-between but let me tell you those moments don’t define us. What does define us? The moments we choose to persevere and overcome.

This is your moment.
This is your now.
This is your motivation to get moving.
Now, GO. You totally got this.

Change Your Habits, Fuel Your Body.

Change your habits.
Fuel your body.

Changing habits can be hard.
Breaking bad habits can be even more of a challenge.

So let’s get right down to it because we all know where I am headed with today’s blog…eating is a tricky subject and can be difficult to address. Choosing healthier options can be tough.

BUT I get asked all the time, “How do you stay so consistent with your eating?”…
”What’s your secret?”…”I always crave the bad things”…”I just can’t give up eating my favorite junk foods”. So let’s talk about it! Let’s dive deeper into the subject of eating.

Hey, I am not perfect. I love me some junk food. And don’t get me started on the goodness of pizza. If I could eat pizza every day, I would. But that just doesn’t fit with my lifestyle anymore. I want to fuel my body in the best possible way and if I expect my body to perform at its best then I have to be mindful of what I am fueling it with.

Yes, living healthy isn’t all about working out and eating salads. That’s not where I want you to think this is headed. You can still enjoy your favorite foods but how you enjoy those foods may need to be adjusted. We can’t expect to eat pizza, candy, fast food, etc. every day and expect our bodies and mind to function properly and at their best. We need to nourish our bodies with nutrient rich foods. You have to incorporate your daily dose of water, fruits, and vegetables. Blah, blah, blah…boring, I know. We’ve heard it all before. Hear me out though.

When I decided it was time for a change it was hard. Make a meal at home or Taco Tuesday at Rosa’s? LOL, I know you get me. We’ve all been there.

I realized I could not make changes by just going cold turkey and vowing never to eat unhealthy foods again. That’s not realistic, at least for me. So, I decided to start small. I started researching. I researched healthy meal ideas, how much water I should be drinking, the normal amount of fruits and veggies I should be eating. I educated myself on what my body needed (not wanted) and put a plan into action. I wrote out my goals and how I would (fingers crossed) accomplish those goals.

My first goal…cut out soda. Yes, I used to be a HUGE soda drinker. Hello Sonic Happy Hour! Haha. I started replacing my soda with flavored water and regular water. Once I got into the habit of choosing just water and meeting my daily intake goal, I moved onto limiting my fast food intake. I created goals for myself every 2 weeks. The first 2 week I could only eat out 3x a week. The next 2 weeks only 1x a week to where eventually I wasn’t really eating out at all. And the cycled continued with all of my goals.

Here’s the thing, you have to set goals for yourself and you have to be committed through it all. Even in the weak moments when you give in and you feel like you’ve failed, you keep going. It wasn’t easy for me. Told myself I would only eat out 3x a week and I found myself having my 5th fast food meal, it happens. But what did I do? I forgave myself, I kept going, and eventually what seemed impossible became possible. It became a new lifestyle for me because I never gave up on myself or my health. I didn’t shame myself for not sticking with my goals. I worked through every moment and asked myself how I could do and choose wiser for next time. You can still have your favorite foods, I know I still do but I have reached a point where I control how much and when.

Life is about choices. You can absolutely choose better, do better, and be better. But it all begins when you decide to start. To start living for a healthier you. Healthier doesn’t mean “skinny”. Healthier doesn’t mean “I need to workout for 5 hours every day and have a salad for every meal”.

Healthier means loving yourself, flaws and all. Healthier means choosing nutrient rich foods that fuel you. Healthier means creating new habits. It won’t be easy but you have to start somewhere. And choosing healthier options doesn’t have to be boring…I have so many delicious recipes that are more than what you are thinking healthy is. I eat my carbs and enjoy my cheese but I enjoy those things in moderation and in healthy ways (for ideas go check out my recipes page).

Set goals. Be realistic about those goals. And remember, eating to fuel your body, mind, and spirit doesn’t have to be boring or hard. Do your research. Stop looking to other’s for validation. Figure out what’s best for you.

YOU TOTALLY GOT THIS.

Reflecting On Thirty.

How am I already another year older? How did my 30th year on this earth go by so fast? How am I 31 already? What, what, what?

2020. It was the year of the great pandemic. The year of quarantine. The year I turned the big 3-0.
The year I looked to with much anticipation and dread. Where I was isn’t where I imagined my life to be.

I was alone when it felt like everyone else had their person.
Starting over at a new job while figuring out quarantine life.
No kids when I felt everyone else was experiencing the joy of parenthood.
*side note before someone goes crazy on me -not saying parenthood is easy but I can only imagine the journey and joy parenthood brings to one’s life. Anyways, moving on…

These are the 3 main things that were big for me.
They were big to me because I had a timeline of my life planned out.
And when that timeline didn’t happen exactly as planned let me tell you, I WAS NOT HAPPY.

We all have things that are big to us but small to others.
We all reflect on life at a certain point and think, ‘this is it?’
We all have our moments.
And that’s okay. These moments are valid.

For me, mine was turning 30. It was my time of reflection. It was my ‘this is it?’ moment. I didn’t imagine I would be single, living alone, no kids, and starting completely over in life. But it happens and what I know now is that life happens and every moment serves a purpose.

There is reason and meaning behind every single moment and how we choose to look and act on these moments determines our next steps. Determines our future. What path do I choose? Where do I go from here?

• Do I choose negativity and defeat?

• Do I choose to move forward and make the most of what I have?

Spoiler Alert…

I choose the latter. I choose to move forward with determination and make the most of what God had given me in that exact moment. After all, I know God is always working in my favor and He had something to tell me in that moment that went beyond my doubts and fears.

And I say this with certainty and confidence (now) because fast forward a year later, I am exactly where I prayed I wanted to be (well, mostly lol). Was I this certain and confident living it out to this moment? Uhm, NO. I am not here to say I didn’t ssttrrruuugggllleeeee because I, one thousand percent, did. But if there is one thing I was during that time of growth…I was determined.

I continued to work on myself, grow in my journey, and most importantly, pray.
I didn’t give up on God and His plans for me (even if it looked a bit different than expected).
I didn’t give up working on myself through therapy and self-love.
I didn’t give up on my journey and the goodness I knew was to come.

I love my job and, I am continuing to grow and learn every single day. My job has lit a new passion inside of me for teaching and I have the opportunity to continue my education and knowledge in what I love to do -teach and make a difference in every single child I encounter. What more could I ask for?!

And what do you know, I found the perfect human for me that challenges me to better every single day, in the best possible way, and helps me not take life so seriously. He manages to make me smile even in trying moments and while we may not be perfect (nobody is), we definitely are perfect for each other. God gave me someone not to complete me but to compliment me. He’s my person and I thank God for every single relationship that didn’t work out before him, and for teaching me to be patient in the wait because it sure was worth the wait.

While I may not have everything I want in this exact moment I have everything I need and for that I am grateful.

The same can be true for you. If you are experiencing your ‘this is it?’ moment just know the best is yet to come. I promise. Don’t give up. Stay hopeful. Stay determined.

If you aren’t experiencing ‘this is it?’ moment and life is perfect, well hats off to you and keep rocking it.

But for most of us, I think we can agree that life isn’t what we expected it to be. What we had planned didn’t exactly go as planned. Am I right?!

Through all the highs, lows, failures, successes, happy moments, sad moments, and all the in between, life has a funny way of working out exactly as it should. So, as I reflect on another year of life I am truly grateful for where God has me in life. I encourage you to do the same. Find your light, push through, and never give up the good fight.

Life will, no doubt, always have its difficulties and struggles but it is how we come out on the other side that matters most. So here’s to another year around the sun. I am ready to see what 31 has in store for me.

Hello 2021.

2020 was a year of change, growth, and blessings.
2021 will be a year of continued change, growth, and blessings.

I can’t sit here and say 2020 was completely terrible. 2020 brought many things with it.
It was a year of good and bad, mixed together to bring a year of strength and growth.
Strength from the inside to overcome hardships and celebrate victories.
Growth to continue to evolve into who God has created me to be.

Life in 2020 was no walk in the park. I faced a career change which brought about personal change.
In the middle of a career change came a pandemic that challenged me in more ways than one.

I faced living completely alone and it got really lonely some days.
I lost my grandfather, who I am still deeply hurting for.
I missed not being able to say goodbye to my students at the end of the school year.
I felt a heavy weight of depression and anxiety from the unknown.

But in the middle of the chaos and uncertainty…

I completed a 100 day workout challenge.
I focused on what I was fueling my body with.
I changed who I surrounded myself with (kind of had to with a pandemic and all).
I talked and prayed more with God, creating a deeper relationship with Him.
I worked on myself through intense journaling and therapy (via Zoom, of course).
I learned to completely love myself right where I was.

So no, 2020 wasn’t all that bad.

Entering into a new year I am completely confident that I will continue to grow in all areas of life, find success, and even be humbled by some failures. All of these moments propels us into where we are going.

If there is one thing I have learned it is to embrace every part of life as it is. Embrace the happy, sad, good, and bad. Each moment is a moment to learn, grow, and be better than before. Be present in the now. Stop dwelling on the past and look forward to what the future has to offer you.

I’m not saying I don’t have worries, fears or doubts. I absolutely do. But I don’t let those worries, fears or doubts control my life. I don’t let those moments hold me back. I continue to push ahead and give my all.

I encourage you to change your outlook on what last year brought to you and what this year has to offer.

We can look back on 2020 and talk about how terrible it was, how we are so glad it’s over and how it will be a year we never talk about again. Or we can look back on 2020 with an open heart and understand while there may have been some bad moments there were good moments too. And I promise you there was good in there.

We can sit here in 2021 and wonder if this year will be like the last. Or we can build off of what we know and continue to forge ahead with positivity and faith.

I will continue to put my best foot forward. I will continue to be better every day.
I will continue to give my all in everything that I do. I will continue to chase after my dreams.
I will continue to show love, grace, and mercy to myself and those around me.
I will continue to show up every single day, even when I don’t want to.

Last year may not have been what you expected, wanted or needed.
I don’t think it was what anybody expected, wanted or needed.
And that’s okay.

This year has the potential to be all that you want it to be.
You only need to show up, be great, give your best and do your best.
Continue to have faith in the unknown and never give up.

So, here’s to 2021. We’ve got this friends.

Healing

Healing. Healing my brokenness. Healing myself. Healing from the inside out.

When you go through domestic violence it changes you.
It changes how you think, who you are, what you do.
You become somebody you swore you’d never become.
You wonder if you’ll ever get your smile back.
You question your worth and what you have to offer this world.
You question if anyone could ever love you and cherish you.

What does healing even mean?
How long will healing take?
Am I forever going to be healing and broken?
How will I know if I am healed?

These are questions I have asked myself countless times.
If I am being honest, I still ask myself these questions at times.
While I know I have come a long way, I still feel I have a ways to go.
After all, healing takes time. It’s a process. It’s a journey and it’s a hard one.
It doesn’t happen overnight and I am giving myself grace and time with it.
It’s important for me to.

What has healing looked like for me?
It has looked messy, scary, ugly and beautiful -all at the same time.

I’ve let myself cry endless tears.
Tears of sadness for not doing better, not knowing better.
Tears of angry for allowing someone to treat me that way.
Tears of frustration for having to start over -literally rock bottom.

I’ve gone through countless therapy sessions.
I worked through why I allowed such treatment.
I worked through being let down.
I worked through my insecurities.
I worked through my demons.

I’ve allowed myself to start from the bottom at the age of 27.
I lived with my parents for a year -their unconditional love got me through the darkest of moments.
I worked as much as a I could while going back to school.
I slowly started seeing a future for myself where I didn’t have to be scared.
I started to take those small steps forward to get back out on my own again.

I’ve started to allow myself to just be me.
I started sharing my story.
I started becoming stronger.
I found my voice again.
I found happiness and joy in life.
I found me.

While I will never fully get back who I was before all the bad shit happened to me, I can say I really like this new me. I wouldn’t want that old me back. She was a special girl who was broken and lost her light. But this new girl, she’s ready to conquer the world. She has a new light within her ready to shine brighter than before.

I’m ready to embrace this next chapter I have worked so hard for. I have found confidence in who I am. I have found a new smile to share with the world. I have taken steps to better my future. I am ready to give my all to someone again. I am ready to be loved and cherished the right way. I know my worth. I know my heart. I know what I want for myself. I know my future is bright.

I am not saying I have all the answers. We all heal differently. Every situation is different. But my hope for you is that you never give up. Don’t stop fighting for happier, healthier days. At rock bottom? It happens. Hear me when I say this, you are NOT alone. You are strong and more than capable. Don’t be scared to leave and never look back. Your future is waiting for you and it’s going to be amazing. You’re going to have to work for it but trust me, it will be worth it.

I still have my moments of insecurity, doubts and fears. We all do. But the difference between then and now? I am not going to let those insecurities, doubts or fears stop me from living a beautiful life. I am going to continue to heal, work hard, love hard and be me because at the end of the day, I am a survivor not a victim. And this life will be everything I make of it.

Creating Healthy Habits.

“What are ways I can better myself?”
”How can I finally reach my goals?”
”Is it even possible?”
”Why does it feel like I am getting nowhere?”

Oh sweet friend, anything is possible including your dreams, goals and ambitions. Nothing is too big, too much or too distant for you to reach, achieve and maintain. I promise you that.

You start by creating healthy habits; habits that you stick with even when they seem redundant and time-consuming. And guess what? This may not be what you want to hear. This may not be what you came looking for but…creating healthy habits is NOT easy. Nothing worth having comes easy. You are going to have to put in some serious time, commitment and effort into making your life the most it can be. The most it should be. The most you deserve.

Every morning I wake up at 6:00 am (I know, WHAT THE HECK and also, healthy habit #1 being created here so keep reading). It was hard at first -not pushing snooze and saying, “forget it” and going back to bed. I did this on more than one occasion. But it soon started becoming a habit and I soon started seeing the benefits of waking up early. I felt more productive throughout the day and I was better able to prioritize my life. Who doesn’t want to get it all together and not feel rushed throughout the day?!

After waking up, I sit down with my cup of coffee and write down 5 things I am grateful for. It can be from the day before, it can be from just that morning or it can be whatever. There are no rules for this healthy habit #2. Starting your day with a grateful mind and heart can make a world of difference for you mind, body and spirit. You start to see the good in every day and your body begins to relax and ease into the day, knowing you have a life to be grateful for. No excuses either, every single morning.

Now that I have a grateful mind and heart, I create a positive intention for the day (hey, look at that healthy habit #3) -yes, a new one every single day. Something you want to work towards and be very mindful about throughout your day. Drink more water. Be kind to a stranger. Send an encouraging text. More positive self-talk. It can literally be anything. Again, there are NO rules.

So what next? Healthy habit #4 coming your way…I get moving with my exercise goal for the day. Currently, I am doing Morning Meltdown 100 through Beachbody. My friends and I have decided to challenge ourselves to 100 workouts in 100 days. Crazy right?! It’s wild but it’s been absolutely amazing and I have found myself excited every day for the next challenge ahead. Start with a small exercise routine or daily walk -whatever you want to do! There are no rules for this habit either. Start small and build your way up. Don’t get too crazy because that’s when you find yourself giving up because you put too much on your plate, you start to feel overwhelmed and say, “forget it”. Don’t do that to yourself.

Lastly, healthy habit #5…write out 3 things you want to accomplish for the day. Again, it can literally be anything. You know what you need to accomplish. You know what you’ve been putting off. You know what needs to get done. So do it. Three things may not seem like a lot but just like with exercising, if you overwhelm yourself by putting too much on your plate you are less likely to get it done. Start small and keep it small with this one. Accomplishing 3 small goals in one day is amazing. It’s something you can finally take off your to-do list and how great does that feel?!

Creating healthy habits can be hard, it can be taxing and it can be redundant but it’s so important if you are wanting to grow and progress in life. You can’t just sit on the sidelines and expect to get somewhere. Get out there and start playing your game!

This is your life and you are in control of it. Put in the work, time and effort. Nobody is going to do it for you and at the end of the day you must create the motivation needed, for yourself, and get it freakin’ done. You can do this. You are capable. You are worthy. Start today. Start now.