Hey there. I’ve heard the phrase “everything happens for a reason” more times than I can count. And while I understand the comfort that idea can bring, I don’t fully believe it. Life does teach us lessons, but not everything that happens has some grand reason behind it. Many times, it simply comes down to a choice. A choice we made, or a choice someone else made, that set things in motion.
Read MoreHey there. For much of my life I thought fitness was the destination. I believed that if I could just get to a certain weight, or build a certain level of strength, I would finally feel like the person I was supposed to be. What I’ve learned is that fitness is a great place to start the process of becoming who you choose to be, but it’s not the place to stay.
Read MoreHey there. There was a time when I thought strength was about pushing through, keeping walls up, and proving to the world that I could handle anything. What I’ve come to realize is that true strength is found in something much simpler and much harder at the same time. It’s choosing to lead with kindness and compassion regardless of what you’ve been through. That choice is not weakness, it’s courage.
Read MoreHey there. There have been times in my life where it felt like everything was stacked against me. Whether it was my physical challenges, the way I saw myself, or the constant pressure from diet culture, I often felt like the deck wasn’t just shuffled, it was tilted. And yet, I’ve learned something important. Lasting success in weight loss and life doesn’t come from having perfect circumstances. It comes from continuing to show up despite them.
Read MoreHey there. Empathy is one of the most important things I’ve developed, and the truth is, it hasn’t always come naturally. For a long time, I was so wrapped up in my own struggles, my own self doubt, and my own goals that I didn’t stop to really consider what others were going through. But I’ve learned that empathy isn’t just something you either have or you don’t. It’s a skill, and like any skill, you can practice and strengthen it.
Read MoreHey there. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn is how to see myself the way the people who truly love me do. For most of my life, I’ve been my own toughest critic. I’ve looked in the mirror and focused on every flaw. I’ve replayed mistakes and convinced myself that I wasn’t enough. And the truth is, those thoughts have stolen more time and energy than I’d like to admit.
Read MoreHey there. Change doesn’t happen because you find the perfect program. It doesn’t happen because the calendar says it’s Monday or the start of a new year. Change happens the moment you decide to make it. That decision is powerful. It’s the point where you stop waiting for the right time and start realizing that the right time is now.
Read MoreHey there. When it comes to health, fitness, and life in general, the most important thing I’ve learned is that you have to create your own path. For years I tried to follow what others said was the right way. The diet plans, the quick fix workouts, the endless tips and tricks. And what I found was that none of it truly stuck, because it wasn’t built for me. It was built for someone else.
Read MoreHey there. There are moments in life when you look back and think to yourself, I’ll wish I had the time back. It usually isn’t about the big things. More often than not, it’s about the hours I gave away to things that didn’t matter. The times I obsessed over the scale, or the workouts I skipped because I was too busy beating myself up mentally. I can’t get those hours or days back. But I can learn from them.
Read MoreHey there. For years my life felt like it was going sideways. I had goals and dreams but the follow through was shaky. I had setbacks that turned into seasons and in some cases those seasons turned into years. If you’ve ever felt like you lost decades of your life to mistakes, distractions, or circumstances, I want you to know you are not alone. And I also want you to know that you can come back stronger.
Read MoreHey there. There have been times in my life where I felt completely mishandled by people I trusted. It could have been something they said, something they did, or the way they chose to treat me when I was vulnerable. For a long time, I thought the only way to handle those situations was to get defensive or to replay everything in my head over and over. What I have learned is that I cannot control how others treat me, but I can control how I respond and how I carry myself forward.
Read MoreHey there. Failure used to terrify me. I thought it meant I was doing something wrong or that I wasn’t good enough. Over the years though, I’ve come to see failure differently. Failure is actually proof that I’m trying. It means I’m stepping into the unknown, pushing boundaries, and figuring out what works for me. That shift has been life changing.
Read MoreHey there. When I think about the number one goal of any workout, it isn’t about burning the most calories or lifting the heaviest weight. It’s about being able to show up and do your next workout. That shift in perspective changes everything. Instead of obsessing over perfection, I focus on building consistency that lasts.
Read MoreHey there. I’ve learned that the most important relationship I have is with myself. That means I have to show up with kindness, compassion, honesty, and directness. If I don’t, I end up fighting an internal battle that only takes energy away from the things I want to do in life. It’s easy to think being kind to yourself means letting yourself off the hook. But real kindness comes from being honest and direct with where you are while still offering yourself compassion for what you’ve gone through.
Read MoreHey there. I’ve been in the fitness industry for a couple of decades, and I’ve seen how often it positions weight loss as the ultimate goal. The message has always been that if you just lose the weight, you’ll finally feel confident, happy, and worthy. But I’ve come to see that the real story is different. Weight loss is not the goal. It’s the byproduct of the actions you take and the mindset you choose to build.
Read MoreHey there. When I think about weight loss and fitness, I don’t just think about workouts, calories, or even body composition. I think about who we believe we are and how we decide to show up. That is the real starting point.
Read MoreHey there. When I think about the journey many of us have been on with weight loss, I realize just how important it is to own your story. If you are like me, you have probably been on this path for years, maybe even decades. You may have had periods where you were consistent, times where you stopped altogether, and even times when you reached your goal only to look in the mirror and not like what or who you saw. That feeling is one of the biggest traps in the fitness industry. The industry profits off of our insecurities. My answer has always been the inside/out approach.
Read MoreHey there. If you have been on a weight loss journey for years, maybe even decades, you know what it feels like to start, stop, and restart. You might even feel like you have restarted countless times. But here is what I want you to think about. You have not just been restarting over and over again. You have been building experience, and that experience matters more than you realize.
Read MoreHey there. If you have been on a weight loss journey for years or even decades, you know by now that life does not always go as planned. Some days get thrown off by small curveballs, but sometimes life goes completely sideways for longer stretches. Injuries, vacations, family events, and unexpected circumstances can disrupt your eating, exercise, and routines. I want to share how I look at these times, because they do not have to derail you.
Read MoreHey there. If you have been on a weight loss journey for years or even decades, you know that setbacks are a given. Some of those setbacks are small, like having a day where things do not go according to plan. Others are larger, lasting weeks or months. What I have learned is that how you handle those curveballs is just as important as the eating, exercise, and routines you try to keep up with.
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