A couple weeks ago I joined up with the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Campaign through a sponsored program with FitFluential. In my initial sharing about the campaign here, I opened up about personal struggles and how my number one goal was just to take things one day at a time. To give my best each day. To remember that doing that will add up to success in the long run.

How have things been going? I would say good…in some regards. Yet poorly in others.

I am taking things day by day. I have been staying consistent with giving what I can each day, which is certainly a success. It has been far from easy, though, and for much of that time I found it harder than I expected…and that it really should have been. Why?

I wasn’t believing in myself.

I felt discouraged at the fact that things that used to come so naturally to me were now taking more determination and effort on my part.

I feared I had let others down and that I wasn’t as inspiring as I should be to my readers, participants of Best Body Bootcamp, or even to family and friends.

In sum, I was tearing myself down instead of building myself up and that will put a setback in anyone’s progress towards goals.

I hope to finally accomplish a PR in a half marathon in a race sometime this fall or by early next spring. I have put on a few pounds (not sure how many, but my clothes are fitting more snugly than I like) over the past few stressful months. I want to feel stronger in my workouts. I want to feel more joy and peace in my everyday life. I want to start building back up our family with time for fun things and dedicated activities together building memories again. I have loads I want to accomplish but was getting lost in all it would take. I felt overwhelmed and hopeless, instead of hopeful.  And it was holding me back.

It WILL take time to achieve any goal we hope to accomplish. But, as I have recently discovered (or rediscovered more aptly put), the only way we can truly begin to make the steps toward progress is to believe. We need faith in ourselves – that we can do these things. Little by little Day by day. It may take a week. It may take a year. It may take a lifetime. But we CAN.

I must hold onto that. We all must hold onto that. If we ever hope to achieve anything…we first have to believe. Believing in yourself? I would say that’s a pretty beautiful thing.

So I’m continuing on with my goals. Day by Day. Because I know I CAN.

It’s still not too late to join in on the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Campaign. And heads up that I have a neat giveaway coming sometime soon…but you have to be a part of the campaign to enter. So create your own personal page with goals or join a team today!

Well, good morning to you! It’s a bit of a hard Monday around these parts since the first Monday following vacation is always hard. But it’s a great Monday too, seeing as we get the keys to our new house today! Today also marks the official kick off of Summer Best Body Bootcamp. If you didn’t register and still want in, late registration is going on through the end of this week. Right after you register, you receive an email with access to the community group and the group site so you can get connected, get the workouts, and get started immediately. Would love to have you there!

As part of the celebration for the start of BBB, I figured why not take you through a similar style of workout as the workouts participants will jump start their training with for the first two weeks. The workouts and training methods for every round of boot camp are completely different…but I always make sure to start with the important foundation of stabilization training.

What is stabilization training? Stabilization training focuses on laying a foundation for future progressions of fitness. It emphasizes balance in the musculoskeletal system and improving both postural and core stability. I always start with this focus in BBB and use it regularly in my own training. As a beginner, stabilization is a great place to start and build upon for beginner level clients. As a more advanced exerciser, stabilization allows for recovery and aids in the maintenance of muscular control to prevent the risk of injury in other more intense styles of training. It keeps our bodies balanced and capable.

As important as stabilization is to our training, we can often neglect it in preference of more traditional exercises and modes of training. Or toss in an exercise on a stability ball randomly, but not really dedicate ourselves to a full workout or cycle of training (even better). That’s what I’m here to share today. A full workout emphasizing stabilization. Let’s see how you do!

• Ball Squat with Curl
• Dumbbell Bench Press on Stability Ball
• Hamstring Curls on Stability Ball
• Pullover – Dumbbell on Stability Ball
• See-Saw Reach
• Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension on Stability Ball
• Straight Arm Plank with Leg Lift on Ball
• Front Raise – Incline on Ball

Happy training!

Your Turn – Have you heard the importance of stabilization and balance in your workouts? How often do you do stabilization based training?

Saturday Shares is back!! YAY!!

The weeks get busy and we can easily fall behind on some blog reading. For that reason, I started up a day devoted solely to sharing the love of blog reading. I give you a link round up of Best Body Fitness for the week so you can catch up with anything you may have missed. Then, find a list of some of my personal favorite health, fitness, and food related posts I stumbled upon during the week. Finally, I open the floor for YOU to share whatever you want from YOUR blog in a special weekly link round up.

Catch up from here and around the blogosphere, then link up your own! Happy reading.

CATCH UP WITH BEST BODY FITNESS

• Move It Monday: Beach Booty Blast – a lower body circuit workout perfect for the beach
• Ways To Make Running Fun – 9 tips for adding some joy to your runs
• No Reason Not To – some common excuses to working out and ways Best Body Bootcamp helps
• Vacay Play By Play – a recap of my beach vacation days
• Fit Friends Friday – Find a new blog to read and fit friend to connect with in this weekly feature post!

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF THE WEEK

• Summer Detox with Amanda from Run To The Finish & Laura at Mommy Run Fast.
• Crazy Lady Circuit – a full body power based circuit with a fun twist.
• 5 Tips To Keep Your Workout Challenging.
• A HUGE congrats to Jess on the arrival of her baby girl!
• Brittany brings up an interesting topic – Don’t Be A Food Snob.
• Healthy living doesn’t have to be complicated – 11 Healthy Living Tips.
• For a delicious summer pasta salad, try this Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad from Anne.
• What do you do if what you consider your ideal body isn’t ideal for your health?
• Are you attending FitBloggin’? If so, take a peek at these 7 Tips For FitBloggin.
• For parents of young kids…you need to read these posts: The Dog Days and Let Me Be The One To Say It Out Loud. Makes you feel more normal, no?
• I love love LOVE pico de gallo. This Homemade Pico de Gallo recipe from Ashley looks great
• A fun post and good reflections on life from Katie in her My 11 Rules For Life.
• A bucket list race, so I had to bookmark these Tips For The Disney Princess Half Marathon Race.
• Do you like tabatas? If so, visit the Tabata Workout With Strength Bursts from Paige.
• How perfect do these sound for summer? Pineapple Protein Pancakes!

LINK UP YOUR FAVORITE POST

***BEST BODY BOOTCAMP STARTS MONDAY. PRICE INCREASE AFTER TODAY!!!***

Giveaway Winners are – Pua, Jessie Fowls, and Ashley! I’ll be emailing you shortly.

Good morning, friends! And welcome to another Fit Friends feature. It’s been awhile, but I’m bringing back this feature. I like to highlight one of the many great bloggers out there so you can hopefully make a new fit friend. Please welcome Dana from Mom Runs Half!

I am excited to be a guest blogger on Tina’s site. I am a Best Body Bootcamp participant. I have been in the last three rounds and I am signed up for the next one. I cannot wait for it to start.

I am Dana and I blog at Mom Runs Half. I am a wife and mom to 2 boys that are 7 and 8. I am an avid runner, I ran my first half marathon in August of 2012 and fell in love with the distance and will be running a total of 4 half marathon’s this year with a few shorter races mixed in as well.

I am a morning exerciser. I love getting up while the house is still quite and getting my workout done. I feel like it is my calm before the day begins. I either go into my basement to do weights, speed work on the treadmill or now that it is nicer I head out for a run on a trail near my house.

Life has been busy for me lately with taking on some home improvement projects. I have had trouble staying motivated to get out of bed when my alarm goes off. I have been exhausted from working on the house all day so much so that when my alarm has been going off all I want to do is stay in bed.

Because of this I have been thinking a lot about motivation lately. All of us have times that are busier then others and things consume are life whether they are big life events, house projects, school, work, family, etc. {side note from Tina…Oh, how I feel that!}

Here are some things that have worked for me lately to keep me motivated.

• Sticking to the program-luckily part of my busy time was during boot camp. This truly helped me to stay on track because I had a plan to follow. So it got me up and going because I wanted to complete the workouts and stay on track.
• Try something new-now that boot camp is over and I have a break I have been trying some different DVD’s that I have purchased. This has mixed things up and challenges me in new ways.
• Find a friend-I have a good friend who is really into fitness like I am so we check in with each other on a daily basis. It helps because I can tell her I am struggling a little bit and she pushes me to stay on track.
• Download some new music-I love having new music to listen to when I am running. So as corny as it sounds when I know I have some new songs that I love on my playlist I look forward to listening to them and that gets me going.
• Get out of your own head- The most important thing I have done is to get out of my own head. I have had to argue with myself some mornings about getting up but once I am up and going the fog lifts and I am glad I am up. This can be the hardest one because it is so easy to talk yourself out of a workout.

How do you motivate yourself?

Thanks, Dana! Be sure to check out her blog, everyone! But first, you tell us…how do you keep your motivation on fire?

***BEST BODY BOOTCAMP STARTS ON MONDAY. PRICE INCREASE AFTER TOMORROW!***

If you’re already registered, FIRST ROUND OF WORKOUTS & INFO POSTED LAST NIGHT. Check your spam folder if you do not see an email in your inbox.

Best Body Bootcamp giveaway winners announced tomorrow morning. Giveaway ends TONIGHT!

Good morning! And happy almost Friday! Although, I’m not so sure I share the same sentiments while on vacation. No. Wait. I do. By the end of a week long vacation, I always get antsy to return home. This time it’s a bigger itch, though, because we close on our new house when we get home. Cannot wait. Until then, I guess I should soak up the next couple of days while here and our standard beach day.

all photos from Instagram – are we connected on my fave form of social media yet?

While here at the beach, I actually get to sleep in a bit. As in, I wake up around 6 am instead of 5 am. Ha! It’s okay, though, because I take that time to head out before everyone else is up and before the heat gets too intense for some form of workout.

Yesterday was for a very quick (to me!) run. Three miles in just under 25 minutes. I got back and Peter asked if I even went for a run. Did he not see the dripping humid sweat?

After my workout, I help get breakfast ready for the kids, brew a cup of coffee, then sit down for about an hour of work. I don’t mind. Besides, no way no how to take a break as Best Body Bootcamp approaches on Monday and there are many final details to organize and information to get sent out. Work doesn’t feel like work anyway when you love what you do.

By this point of the morning, we’re ready to hit the beach. Swimsuits on. Suntan lotion baths. Grab all the stuff. Out the door for a few beach and pool hours. I personally love hitting the beach first.

Building sand castles is Makenzie’s favorite thing to do right now. Braedon will join in if we’re up far, far away from the ocean water. He is deathly afraid this year. I will take his hand, or even carry him, out to the edge and every time a wave trickles up he screams bloody murder. So we do a lot of chilling underneath the tent together.

A few hours in the sun will gradually wear us all out and work up an appetite so then we head up for lunch. I’ve been big on sandwiches with some veggies and hummus plus a ton of fresh fruit. SO refreshing and delicious. Although, as I posted to Instagram yesterday, every beach vacation also calls for one day of a frozen yogurt lunch.

Agree? I think you do.

Once we get some lunch, the kiddos nap while Peter and I get quite productive. I’ll fit in another hour of work….then laze about on the couch. Perhaps napping or perhaps reading while sipping on some of my favorite afternoon delight.

So very productive.

Once naps finish, we go back out for a couple hours in the pool before getting ready for dinner. I don’t know about you but it always feels so good to get showered and freshened up after a day at the beach.

This trip is a big family trip with my entire side of the family. Every night my G-Pa takes us all out to dinner at one of our family favorite restaurants. We enjoy a lot of quality time together and some good food together. I definitely get my seafood fix while here!

Some form of crab, shrimp, or salmon pretty much every night. Yum!

And that’s our beach trip day after day play by play. So come to think of it….maybe I’m not so ready to get home. This is pretty nice.  

Your Turn – What are some things you always enjoy doing while on vacation? Favorite things to order at a beach restaurant? Crab cakes are my favorite…and a nice cocktail. Ha!

In my years involved in fitness, I have heard my fair share of excuses. I have also given my fair share of excuses for workouts. Quite honestly, I believe much of the reasoning behind our excuses is justifiable. I don’t think many people want to spend hours in the gym every day. Or pay loads of money on crazy equipment and super fancy memberships for training. Or feel incompetent because they aren’t sure where exactly to start. Or spend time doing something that isn’t fun.

When creating Best Body Bootcamp I knew I needed to take all those reasons into account. I didn’t want just another fitness plan…but something that gives us no reason not to aim for better fitness. I get that Best Body Bootcamp isn’t for everyone, but I did want to acknowledge how it can help with some common concerns. Just in case it helps you decide for you…there’s really no reason not to.

I don’t have a ton of time to work out.

I get that. Completely. The most I have managed lately is 30 minute sessions on four, maybe five, days per week. You know what? That’s enough! The BBB plan is laid out as five hour long sessions per week, but I strongly encourage making it work for you and give suggestions if you only have 3 days to work out or just 20 to 30 minutes a day. You don’t need a lot of time…and having a plan gives you more time to just get out there and get it done.

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

Personal trainers are expensive. No doubt. I wanted to train with one for years but that forty, fifty, sixty, or more dollar per hour price tag always kept me from doing so. I didn’t want to do that as a personal trainer. I wanted to bring fitness to others. That’s why you get 24/7 access to a certified personal trainer alongside 8 weeks of workouts you can 100% customize to your needs for less than a single session in a gym.

I’m a runner. Who needs a strength plan?

Hate to be blunt…but you do. I have a post planned with the many reasons to add strength training to your running, which I’ll get into another time, but strength training is important. Nay. Vital. There are many runners who follow along with BBB and support each other on how best to fit strength training into their running plans. You can easily continue your own running as your cardio for the plan and work the strength sessions into your weekly workouts.And for what it’s worth…these runners all posted faster race times, less injury reports, stronger feeling training runs, and just generally happier running. Not a bad trade-off for a couple strength sessions per week. 

How am I even supposed to know what to do?

BBB has you covered. Every workout is laid out in a very detailed document. Every exercise has a link to a demonstration or explanation of the move. Every workout includes form pointers, modifications, and tips. And with the new & improved BBB, every workout also has a video to walk you through the workout layout and exercises. It will be like I’m right there with you.

You aren’t about to catch me in a gym.

Not a problem. All you need is your body and a pair of dumbbells. Every single workout can be done at home with just some dumbbells. If there is an exercise in the plan that calls for some gym equipment, find an at-home modification that will still challenge you in the workout modifications tables. I do suggest having a stability ball as well to increase the variety of the exercises you can do, but it certainly isn’t required. And there are many fellow participants who do their workouts completely at home.

Working out is boring. Blech.

It sure can be boring…if you haven’t found something you enjoy. If you’re doing the same things over and over again. I have self diagnosed exercise ADD. I like and believe in the staples of fitness. I don’t like doing the same workout day in and day out. It won’t get you results and it can drive a person crazy. Which is why you get fresh workouts with new and exciting (and effective!) training layouts and exercises every two week. And also why I believe in making the plan your own. Do a family hike instead of a cardio workout on the plan. Take your beloved group fitness class or try out a new DVD at home. Go surfing! Have. Fun. YES!

I’m a newbie and it’s too hard.

It is hard to start something new and make physical changes. I won’t lie about that. We also ALL start somewhere. Best Body Bootcamp isn’t about to keep someone out of the community because you’re new to working out. The new Beginner’s Series option in Best Body Bootcamp will provide all the perks of the program (group support, flexible workouts, cash prizes, etc.) but will follow a plan geared directly to those newer to exercise. The workouts are meant to gradually build up strength and confidence in your fitness while setting a firm foundation for future training. The plan includes suggested cardio and 2 strength training sessions per week focused on the basics with slight progressions over the 8 week period. It’s a great fit for those looking to get started.

There really are so many reasons TO sign up for Best Body Bootcamp. But just in case you’re still on the fence, I have a few spots to give away to entice you a bit more. And if you’re still uncertain after that, just read these reflections from two wonderful ladies who didn’t plan to join until won their way in last round.

• Elle @ Eat Run Sail
• Caroline @ Fighting For Wellness

Now it’s your turn to win your way in. I got 3 entries up for grabs! Follow the Rafflecopter prompts to get your entries and good luck!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***BEST BODY BOOTCAMP STARTS IN 6 DAYS. PRICE INCREASE AFTER FRIDAY!***

This fall, I will be participating in the Women’s Running Series Nashville half marathon through FitFluential. As part of that partnership, each month I will share a running related post. This post is sponsored by Women’s Running Series. Let’s #beamazing and run stronger!

I’m not going to try to hide it anymore. Running and myself as of late? It hasn’t been my favorite. I mentioned last week that I needed to get back into a stronger workout routine after a season of life that made it hard to keep up with regular training. Well, the Women’s Running Series Nashville half marathon is suddenly just a few months away. I need to get more serious about my training…especially if I don’t want to rush the mileage build up and risk injury again.

Knowing that has helped push me out the door for a run 3-4 times per week. I still fight it each and every run, though. Running just doesn’t feel fun right now. Normally, it does. If I’m going to train through the super humidity of summer for my next half marathon, then I have got to find a way to make it all enjoyable again. I don’t believe in hating your workouts. Working out should be FUN! So, here are my ideas to get the fun back in running. I would love to hear yours in the comments!

1. Get some good music or an audio book. Adding some fun new music to my running playlist never fails to give me a new energy during my runs. I will neither confirm nor deny whether or not I sometimes do a little “run dance” to the tunes. Although, I will confirm that “run dancing” is fun.

2. Change of scenery. Being at the beach this week has certainly helped me get out the door more. I realized from that, I have been in a running rut at home – doing the same route practically every run. I plan to mix it up when we get home…and we’ll be moving the week after we get home so that will be an automatic update to scenery.

3. Do a fun race. In July I have plans to do a 5K color run with Lindsay and Lee. I can’t wait! I think getting back in the atmosphere of a race will get me more excited to run again. Plus, who doesn’t have fun at a color run? There are so many fun races out there now, you’re bound to find one in your area too if you need a little running pick me up. Or, you can join me in Nashville or  check out one of the other Women’s Running Series races.

• September 28 – Nashville, TN
• November 3 – Scottsdale/Tempe, AZ
• November 24 – St. Petersburg, FL

If you decide to come to Nashville, you get $10 OFF with code FITTNTINA.

4. Seek support online. Seriously. You all don’t know how much it helps to have virtual buddies cheering me on when I post about a good (or even not so good) run on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook. Having virtual running buddies out there and seeing all of YOUR success helps push me to get moving. Thinking about sharing my run while completing it never fails to help me push a bit more with a smile on my face. For my Women’s Running Series trainings, I follow along the #beamazing hashtag for inspiration.

5. Fartleks. Just the name itself is enough to produce a little giggle. Any sort of speed work in a low-key way can take the monotony out of a run…and put the fun back in. I love to race to different points along the course of my run or pick up the pace for the chorus parts of a song. Note: I do not suggest your run dancing with your new music alongside speed work. Just saying.

6. Run with a friend. Or a pet. I need to get back to some group runs with the local running group! They are always so much fun and a great distraction to the actual running part when you’re chatting it up. I have had a few instances where I randomly run into a run pail on the trail and we share a few miles together. It’s always so nice. I need to make a point to include those from time to time.

7. Take the stress off. Many runs lately have been sans Garmin for me. And I stopped following a specific training plan for the time being. Feeling a “need” to do a certain run or hit a certain pace certainly wasn’t adding joy to my runs when I had a million other things stressing out my system. By removing those and keeping a run just a run for something I enjoy, I found a lot more fun again. Although, I will say those runs can be fun to me too…when I’m in a better place mentally and physically and have the energy for them.

8. Get around people.  One of my favorite routes to run is a local running path that always has many other runners, walkers, bikers, etc. going along. Being around people gives me a boost of energy. Plus, everyone is so friendly. The smiles, waves, head nods, “good mornings” make it more enjoyable. Or perhaps you can get some good people watching. At the very least, I find I workout better around people. Same reason I prefer the gym even though I have all I need for doing all my workouts at home

9. Break it up. When I really need something to make my run more fun, I will make it a circuit workout and toss a few strength exercises in after every 1/2 mile or so. It can be done at the gym, completing a few sets of exercises in the weights section between miles. Or even outdoors, taking a mini break for some push-ups, lunges, and planks every now and then through the run.

Now I would love for you to tell me – what ways do you make a run more fun?

For more info, tips, inspiration, and discounts for other races from Women’s Running Series, be sure to follow WRS on Twitter or follow WRS on Facebook!

***BEST BODY BOOTCAMP STARTS IN ONE WEEK. PRICE INCREASE AFTER FRIDAY.***

Good morning! We’re officially at the beach and in vacation mode with my side of the family.

Follow along with the vacation fun on Instagram.

Hello Kitty says hello!

It feels wonderful being here with family, relaxing and having fun. Just what is needed. The fact that our house went under contract on Friday and is officially pending sale helps us to relax a bit more this week, too. YAY! So thanks for all the positive vibes and prayers sent our way last week.

Now, let’s talk workouts! Just because I’m at the beach and chilling spending my days laughing while chasing kids in the sand and water doesn’t mean there isn’t time for a good workout. Normally, I enjoy running on the beach, but I figured it wasn’t a smart idea right now. The unstable surface would have put too much stress on some areas (namely my hips) that have been exceedingly tight from all the stress and house work. I know my psoas likes to cause injury in my body, so I treated it nicely with an alternative.

May not be on the beach, but still pretty nice I say.

However, a trip to our family beach spot just doesn’t feel complete without a workout actually on the beach. I’ve been doing it for years. Peter and I will go out early together to catch the sunrise, go for a walk, and then finish up with a workout of some sort – a run or a little body weight circuit.

A couple years ago, I put together a circuit workout for the beach that I remember being a lot of fun. I plan to pull it out one morning while here and thought you all may like to have it. To either save for when you get to hit up the sand…or to do in your gym with “Escape” (aka the Pina Colada song) playing on repeat. Whatever works for ya. PS – I give you full rights to enjoy one after this workout too.

Here are links to the exercises:

• Frog Jumps (3:00 in)
• Walking Crossover Lunge
• High Knees
• Front Kick With Squat
• Side Shuffle
• Jump Lunges
• Reverse Lunge with Hip Extension

Your Turn – Do you enjoy beach workouts?

I think today needs a little partying fun, don’t you? Let’s see.

• It’s Friday.
• I feel like a brand new woman after expunging all the negative thoughts and feelings flying around after getting things off my chest Wednesday on the blog, then in some important personal conversations to Peter and friends the past few days. It was needed. Thank God for such a loving, strong support system He has put around me.
• Peter and I have an actual date night planned for tonight to celebrate our six year wedding anniversary.
• We leave for a week long beach trip tomorrow with my family.
• We have had some positive and hopeful feedback and news on our house (the one we’re selling, not buying – that one is clear and ready to close a week from Monday!).

Good things are finally starting to come together, and the pain is finally starting to resolve itself. Plus, vacations and good friends (like you all!) and a Friday? What more could you ask for in a party?

Since I can’t really throw a real party for us all (bummer), I will have to go with a back-up option and hop on board a fun little party one of my best blog pals, Lindsay, has organized. Have you heard about it? For some reason, I’m thinking you have.

Lindsay’s “Pin It Party” is simple and fun to play along. Here are the “rules”.

• Round up 5 Pinterest friendly blog posts you’ve written in a Pin It Party Post (what we got going on right here right now)
• Add your post to the link up in Lindsay’s Pin It Party Post
• Visit at least 3 other posts in the link-up and share the pin love!

The link up is open for another five days or something like that, so join in the fun too!

Since this is a fitness blog and all, I figured I would toss five of my favorite workout posts your way…that you could use as a week long plan. How’s that sound?  Besides, I know some of you out there are itching to start Best Body Bootcamp..starts a week from Monday, price increase a week from today, perfect summer workout fun and community…cough cough..cough. Ahem. Anyway, for those looking for something to do while waiting for BBB to start up, here’s a week’s worth of workouts for you to complete in the meantime all in Pin It Party Fashion! And if BBB isn’t on your radar (which, I’ll still love you), then you can still hit up these workouts. Although, I gotta say, if you like these workouts then you would certainly love BBB too.

Okay, on to your weekly workout plan with five Pinterest friendly posts for the Pin It Party. Happy training!

{click images to go to original post}

Workout 1 = Lower Body Strength + Optional 15-20 Minutes Moderate Cardio

Workout 2 = 45 Minutes Cardio Intervals

Workout 3 = Upper Body Strength + Optional 15-20 Minutes Moderate Cardio

{this link also has a lower body workout included}

Workout 4 = 25, 35, or 45 Minute Incline Cardio Interval Workout

{two other resistance/incline based interval workouts in this post}

Workout 5 = Full Body Power Circuit {The Burpee Blaster – always a favorite…in a love/hate way}

There you have it! Five workouts for a week worth of balanced training. Let me know if you try any of them!

Let’s Chat: What did your workouts look like last week?

Don’t forget! The summer round of Best Body Bootcamp starts in less than 2 weeks. Don’t miss out on this fun way to stay in shape this summer!

So, how is this whole retraining my healthy habits thing going? Well, I’ve gotten in my workouts Monday and Tuesday, plus I’m ready to go for my workout later this morning. Nutrition wise could be better. I still feel like I’m not getting enough water and turning to convenient over fresh foods more easily than I should (even though fresh is convenient, silly Tina!).

It doesn’t help that I started experiencing an extremely sore throat where it hurts to swallow, pain in my ears, and head  Monday night. It’s still not better, so I foresee a doctor call today. Then, today, I woke up and am practically unable to see thanks to my extremely sensitive eyes that still give me problems on occasion ever since the multiple cornea scratches earlier this year. This is all so much fun. I guess if I’m not in as much emotional and mental pain, my body has to make up for it with some physical? Thank you, body.

Oh, I’m just kidding. But it would be nice for things to just be in the clear for a bit. Am I being overly dramatic? I don’t know. Do I think I have had the worst hand dealt to me these past weeks? NO!

Not in the least. In fact, when I look at my life, I feel silly for how much my recent circumstances have affected me (and continue to do so in some ways). I have SO many tremendous blessings, which I count daily. I praise God through it all. I know others are hurting so incredibly deeply right now. More deeply than I could fathom. I pray for them daily.

Yet, that doesn’t deny the fact that my heart has hurt, my faith has been tested, and I’ve been in a bad place. It is not my circumstances. The pain lies in the fact that the current circumstances brought up a lot of old emotions and heartaches that I thought were resolved, but apparently have a way of coming back out. It’s touched my marriage. My mothering. My faith. Basically, everything I value most highly. It’s basically floored me in most unexpected ways. It’s made issues I haven’t faced in a very long time serious battles for me yet again. That is the pain. Not house stress. Or eye pain. How ridiculous.

I’ve mentioned before that severe anxiety and depression run in my family. I have dealt with them both myself and, through Christ’s strength, have found a way to live life abundantly and move past those things. It’s one of the miracles I have seen Him work in my life. Some may roll their eyes at that. That’s okay. I’m working through those sorts of things again more now than in years. On top of that, I have felt so emotionally drained, which is hard when you like to give so much of yourself to those you love.

My break last week was in the attempts to store back up some of that energy. I don’t know where I’m really going with this post? Maybe a cathartic “get it off my chest” sort of thing?

Without a doubt, the only way I have managed to not enter into a complete shut down during some of the things that have happened the past few months is because of Him. Because of my relationship with Christ to guide me day by day. Whenever I have let that slide, things have inevitably seemed so much harder and almost crumbled before my eyes. It’s been pretty amazing to watch him work out the big stresses just in time. He loves timing like that I see. Then, there’s no way to deny His presence amid it all. 

So, really? Where am I going with this post? I guess I know there has been struggle and loneliness and I need to let it out some way. There has also been hope, and I need to share that someway too. Thanks for listening. I feel fresh now to have put those thoughts out there, so expect a return to normal blogging now. I have had the biggest writer’s block…but probably because all I could think about was this. These thoughts. So, again, thanks for listening. And because I can use this little positive reminder…