The "Stop, Drop, and Snap your Eats" Project

 Have you ever started a new week, a new month saying “I am going to eat super healthy, get my workout in everyday AND sick with it!”

I know I have.

Have you then days later said “well what the heck happened?”

I know I have.

Then you decide to just throw all those healthy ideas out the window and tell yourself “next month I’ll do this for real.”

I know I have.

Do you want to know how to stop this cycle? How to not only get back on track with your eating, but to create consistent healthy habits that will stick long term?

I’ve got the first step right here for you.

The “Stop, Drop, and Snap your Eats” Project:

Step #1: Either in the challenge group you are currently in, the Dream Big Project or even on your personal FB, IG or snapchat. That for 1 day, 24 hours, before you eat anything, you’re going to post a picture of it first.

Step #2: Take the picture above and post it wherever you are going to be sharing your eats for the day and use the hashtag #DreamBigTribe and say that you are taking the challenge.

Step #3: Whatever platform you choose, all day take a picture before you take a bite of your breakfast, snacks, lunch, maybe more snacks and dinner. Then before you eat, you post it.

You’re probably wondering what will this do? It’s going to give you a giant boost of accountability. You’ll look at that pic, look at your plate and think, “Should I really be eating this?”

At the end of the day, not only do you have a diary of what you ate that given day. But you have a new found sense of awareness of what you are truly fueling your body with.

Does this work? YES! Not only have I done this “Stop, Drop, and Snap your Eats” challenge myself many times, but I have many challengers who have done the same and it’s helped them get back on track with their eating!

Nutrition is 80% and Exercise is the other 20% when it comes to reaching health and fitness goals.  A big eye opener I had when completing the 21 Day Ultimate Reset, was how mindlessly I was eating... one of my kids left over chicken nuggets... a hand full of gold fish or a half-eaten string cheese. (Hey real life here).

So today I am encouraging you to complete this challenge. Will you Stop, Drop and Snap your Eats today?

 Comment below if you are taking the challenge. Once you’ve completed your mini challenge and ready for step #2 of creating a consistent healthy lifestyle change you can message me here: 

Have a blessed day!

Diet < Healthy Living: Which sounds more appealing?

What do you think of when you hear the word "dieting"? 

When I hear it I think restrictive food intake, stressful, no fun at all, watching others eat delicious food and something we feel we "have" to do to lose weight.

It wasn't until the end of my 20's did I really started to change my mindset and I stopped "dieting" and embraced the blessing that each day we have a choice to improve our health. 

Healthy Living: Embracing that reality that we are blessed with the choice everyday to improve our health. We don't HAVE to workout, we GET to workout. Do you see where I am going with this?'

God has blessed each of us with one body and we're created in His image. As a christian my heart says that if God formed me and knew me before I was even born why would I want to hurt that body God put such care into? When we eat excessive bad food, don't exercise and fill up on sugar we aren't helping our body. In fact we can make our bodies very sick by doing that. 

Making a healthy life style change doesn't have to feel restrictive, Instead it can be something we rejoice in. We have the opportunity to have the CHOICE to bless our health.

If it's been on your heart to improve your health, I encourage you not to look at it with dread. Mindset is key to making a lasting healthy lifestyle change for you and your family. 

Be kind to yourself, don't beat yourself up on yesterdays meal or today's lunch. Instead make the choice right now at this very moment to keep moving forward on your goals to a healthier lifestyle. I promise you won't regret it. 

Blessings,

Rise Up Series: PTSD

Close family and friends know, but it's just recently that I started being more open with others about my diagnoses with PTSD from the car accident I was in several months ago. Before this happened to me I always assumed that PTSD was something that was only diagnosed from war/combat. What I didn't realize was that it can happen from other types of traumatic events (see diagram to the left). I am a firm believer that God gives us life events, seasons, and circumstances to use for His Glory and lift others up who may have gone/going through something similar. So I'm going to share with you what's been going on.

Shortly after I was hit in a freeway collision I started to develop symptoms that would eventually lead to my diagnosis. I was anxious, short fused, I has having severe nightmares, just simple noises like Carson playing cars or trains and having them crash together would trigger these feelings and I would have panic attacks. The first time I drove myself on the freeway after the accident was the worst. It felt like there was an elephant on my chest, I couldn't breath, shaking uncontrollably and my instinct was to just pull over on the side of the freeway and cry. I didn't, but I did take the first exit off the freeway pull over and spent about 30 minutes crying uncontrollably.

I know this can sound dramatic and for someone that hasn't experienced this kind of anxiety it may be hard to understand. Fear, unrelenting anxiety that I couldn't shut off. As a mom I love to take my kids to the zoo, Sea World, and do other outings and this new change was debilitating. I could only drive on streets, I had mastered every side road here in East County to get to where I needed to go without getting on the freeway. I knew I needed to get help.

More importantly I knew that God was in control, and that He was going to get me through this.

After speaking to my Dr. during treatments from my injuries I was referred to a Therapist who after several extensive tests diagnosed me officially with PTSD.

First thoughts I felt when hearing those words out of her mouth was broken and embarrassed.

I got in the car, prayed and the first verse that came to me was Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

It was right there and then that I decided I was going to stop letting fear have control over me and trust and know that God is in control and is with me.

Feeling anxious? Struggling with self doubt, worry or fear of the unknown? Here are a few verses I read daily to help me overcome PTSD:

 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19

“But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

Currently I am still struggling to drive on the freeway. I can go for short distances but it is not something I'm going to give up on.

Here are a few things I've been doing while in the car to help ease anxiety and might help you too:

1. I have a playlist of worship music with some of my favorite christian songs and I sing along.

2. I pray every single time I get in the car before I head to my destination.

3. Deep Breaths

4. I remind myself often (and sometimes say this out loud) "God is in control, God's got this. He will lead me through."

5. Sometimes put some essential oils on, one in particular called "stress away".
6. I take small short trips on the freeway slowly inching myself a little bit further reach time.

As a Christian I have struggled with this PTSD because in my rational mind I KNOW God is in control, and if it's His will it will be done. But when that anxiety creeps in it's like a button that is very hard to turn off. I share this with you all because it's a daily choice to put your faith and trust in Jesus.

What are some of the other things that have helped me on this journey to overcome PTSD?

1. Spend more time in my Bible. It's how I jump start everyday. It keeps me centered, and my heart postured to seek Jesus.

2. Prayer: It's crucial.

3. Exercise: It really is a stress relief and mood booster. This past month I did a 31 day #PushPlay Everyday Challenge and shared it on my Facebook page. Getting that daily exercise in I really felt my stress decrease and my anxiety lessen greatly.

4. Eating Healthy: We are only given one body, why not take better care of it?

5. Grace: I remind myself of grace every single day.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

6. Accept Help: This is something I struggle with naturally. I have a hard time asking for help or accepting help. In this process I've learned to accept help by my wonderful family and friends who have supported me through this.

I'd like to take a second (which is not nearly enough), and thank all those that have been there for me through this season. The prayers, hugs, messages, conversations, and support means more to me than I could ever say. I love you and incredibly thankful for you. A huge thank you to my Husband who has been incredibly supportive, understanding and patient with me. Thank you Jesus for these amazing people in my life.

Have you been struggling with PTSD, anxiety or depression? If you would like someone to talk to or have a prayer request I would love to encourage you and pray with you.

Have a blessed day,

Rise Up Series: Part 1 - A split second and BAM

I was driving home from work on Monday, going 60 mph on the freeway when another drive who wasn't paying attention to the road and was messing with buttons on their dashboard turned into me. She pushed me across another lane, caused me to spin out, hit a medium at at least 45 mph and then hit me from behind again. 

I'm not going to lie, it scared me. And for a second I thought that might be it. There was nothing I could do to stop it. It was as if she hit the gas and kept pushing into me, across the other lane and into the divider.

Why did this happen? A split second and BAM.

My first reaction was anger, my second reaction was frustration/helplessness. 

What if I had just stayed at work 2 minutes longer?

What if I had taken another freeway?

What if______?

I can come up with what if's until I'm blue in the face, but what good will that do? All it does is keep me on the mindset of frustration and anger. 

On Tuesday morning I woke up feeling thankful.

Thankful that I got to wake up this morning and be with my kids. 

Thankful for my incredible Husband who dropped everything at work and came to my side to help me on the freeway. 

I'm thankful I'm alive.

Most of all I'm thankful for God's unwavering love.

In life, it's inevitable for these bumps/lows to come our way. They happen when you least expect it, or sometimes you can see them coming. But with each low we face, we are given the opportunity to embrace God's grace and truth.

I don't know why this happened, but I do know God has a plan for me and I am loved.

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 ESV

Whatever comes your way. Don't give up. Turn to Jesus and seek Him! For He is with us in our highs and lows. He is our constant, our hope, our redeemer. 

Fast forward to today as I was driving by myself to my Dr apt today, I felt anxious about driving. This song came on the radio and I felt instant peace. What an amazing God we have! I found out at my apt that I have a separated rib, severe whip last and 3 + months of recovery ahead of me. I left the apt feeling frustrated and down about it. As most of you know I'm an active person, I love fitness, I love moving, I love running around with my kids.

There is something good that will come from this. And just because I'm injured doesn't mean I can't keep working towards my health and fitness goals! I will keep eating clean, drinking my shakeology and when I get the green light I will start low impact exercise.

Most importantly I will turn and seek Jesus. For He is with me in the highs and lows. He is a constant, He is my Savior.

"You're a Good, Good Father

It's who you are, It's who you are,

It's who you are

and I'm loved by you

It's who I am, It's who I am,

It's who I am
You are perfect in all of your way."

As over these next few months I will be blogging my journey of how I will stay on track with my health and fitness goals while recovering from injury. I pray that it will inspire others to not give up on their goals no matter way speed bump comes their way.

Have a Blessed Night,

Jenny

Change Nothing and Nothing Changes

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." - Theodore Roosevelt

Can anyone relate to that quote? I know I sure can. 

As humans we have a tendency to get in our own way. It's easier to feel comfortable and complacent instead of getting uncomfortable and growing. 

I relate this to several different aspects of life, but tonight I'm going to talk about our physical health. 

We only get one body. That's it. 

So why not take care of that one body?

In our society today we are constantly being bombarded with fast food ads, junk food, sugary drinks and treats at our finger tips. TV Commercials, website ads, Billboards... junk food, it's EVERYWHERE in America.

You know what else is near all those fast food places? Grocery Stores. Yep. Grocery stores full of produce, lean meats and other clean foods. So that excuse is debunked!

Now I know another big excuse is that it's cheaper to buy fast food and its more convenient....  I hear you, I'm guilty of thinking that before too. 

In reality. You will actually SAVE money each month by cutting out fast food and buying whole clean foods and prepare them yourselves. So that excuse is officially debunked too!

We are now in the 9th month of the year, are you feeling frustrated that you haven't reached the goals you made for your physical health at the beginning of the year?

These are the things that will get you the results that you want:

1. Cutting out Processed/Junk Food (This includes soda)

2. Drinking Water - at least 64 oz daily

3. Getting 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week (this is 2 % of your day, we spend more time scrolling FB then that).

4. Consistency: This isn't a quick fix. This is a lifestyle change. You have to show up daily to get the results that you want to get.

5. Accountability - Whether it be your spouse, your friend, your parent, a challenge group... having that daily accountability will help keep you motivated and you will be less likely to quit.

That's it. It really is simple. Anyone can do this. This is a lifestyle change that will give you back your health... More Energy, lower Cholesterol/Blood pressure, clearer skin, better moods, your clothes will fit better, you will want to do more positive things and help others. 

So what's stopping you? What's that road block that you keep putting in your own way? I encourage you to take a pen and paper and write it down. Write out your thoughts on why you can't seem to stick with a healthy lifestyle plan. Then read it over, a few times.. Pray about it, maybe talk to someone about it and get their feed back. I know this can be uncomfortable, but if you want to grow and thrive you have to get good and uncomfortable to make that happen.

You can do this. I know you can. 

Are you looking for a change, not sure of where to start? Please email me, I would love to talk to you. I'm on this daily journey too.

CoachJennyM@gmail.com

Have a Blessed Day,

Jenny

What do you do when you've fallen off course? - Finding your "Why"

If you've read my "about me" section of the blog or you know me personally, then you'll know I've had my ups and downs with weight gain/loss. I think it's easy to get discouraged sometimes on social media when you see someone posting their "highlight reel" of what their life is like on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Heck, I'm guilty of this, it's much easier to post about the "happy" stuff. 

(Pictures above: a decade worth of weight gains/losses)

I naturally want to post joyful, positive, upbeat posts, and cute pictures of my kids. Now that I am a Beachbody Coach and putting my daily fitness/nutritional journey on display for everyone else to see. I want it to be known that in the midst of these posts I make, there is also lots of sleepless nights, struggles, days when I just want a slice of pizza, life curve balls and ups and downs that come my way.

Just like everyone else.

In the past, I've allowed the excuses I've made for myself justify falling of course. 

- My kids don't sleep through the night

- Work

- I'm too busy and I don't have time.

- The dog ate my home work (just kidding)

- My Daughter won't let me work out for long periods of time because she'll start crying

- There's laundry to do

- Or dishes

- I'm too stressed

- I've had 2 c-sections, I'll never loose this weight in my waist

- Did I mention no sleep?

- Or there's something I'd rather be doing instead _(insert here)_.

Each day, by the grace of God we have a choice. A choice on how we are going to live each day. 

When that clicked in my brain, that I had a choice, my entire mindset changed. 

Will I let those excuses get the best of me?

Or will I choose to live each day joyful, thankful with a humble heart. 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Are there days that I'm exhausted from being up most of the night with my 18 month old? YES

Are there days where I really just want that slice of pizza? YES

When those moments in life come up, and the excuses start popping up in your head why NOT to do your work out or staying on course with your eating plan, switch gears.

Start thinking about why you SHOULD be doing your work out, eating clean and getting healthier?

What is your WHY?

Think about it for a minute, write it down and put it on a post-it note. Put that post-it note somewhere you go to everyday in the morning (Mirror, above the coffee machine, your car dash board). Read that why every single day. 

What's my why? (In case you are wondering)

My why, is that I want to be the best Wife and Mother I can be. I want to encourage others, share the Gospel and fight the good fight. 

The healthier I am, the better equip am to take care of my family and to help others. 

I also want to fit into those pre-pregnancy jeans, and go into my 30's in better shape than I was in my 20's.

What's your why?

Write your "why" down. 

It's been put on my heart to share my journey with you all. So when you see my instagram posts or facebook posts with snap shots or short video clips of my daily work outs...I'm just showing you that I'm a work in progress. That I'm choosing joy each day. Joy in the struggles, Joy in the accomplishments, Joy in the laughter of my kids, Joy in the frustrations, Joy in lack of sleep, Joy in realization that by God's grace I am made new. 

Do you need some encouragement or support? Are you not sure where to start or just want someone to talk to? If you send me a message at CoachJennym@gmail.com or on my facebook.com/lightlightup  I would love to help you.