The Perfect Body

This post is going to be short and sweet.
I'm still reading "Do I Look Fat In This?" by Rhonda Britten

I spend about 10-15 minutes a day reading personal development.  So during my time today...I was actually given a task.  That was to draw the outline of what I thought would be the "Perfect Body".
I was then asked to label it with adjectives that would describe how I would think or feel if I had that body.

I'm not an artist...and she said to just "sketch" it out.  So...that's what I did. I sketched it out...and tried very hard on my phone to use my finger and make my "chest" small, yet still curvy.  Man oh man...do I want a small chest. (Sorry to any males that are reading this...I hate my big chest.) Always have...and struggle to truly find the "sexiness" in them.  So my Perfect Body...has small boobs, a defined waist, toned and lean legs, and feels confident all the time.  Even in a swimsuit. :)

Now after I got done doing that...I turned the page...and was asked to sketch out what my "Perceived Body" looked like.  What did I think my body looked like when I looked in the mirror? Again, label it with adjectives and how I felt internally. This is what I sketched.

Sure...I'm muscular.  But I struggle to find tall boots that fit my big calves.  I can't wear very many "skinny" jeans because my quads are so muscular.  I would love to wear sports bras and tank tops and swimsuits that don't have to have a STEEL PLATE inside to support my "girls up top".  And for once...could they make bras in pretty colors...that also reduce the size of our breasts???  I mean...there has to be more than white, black, and nude, right?

I could go on and on...but as you can see.  There are some things that I need to work on.  I understand that plenty of people would enjoy the fact that my legs are so muscular.  How on Earth can I complain about that?  Some girls pay BIG money to have my size chest...how dare I hate them...and want to cut them off.

So...when I saw this book at the library...I knew this was the one for me.  I'm just getting into the meat of the book.  But I'm enjoying it.  It's making me think.  It's making me wonder if my Perfect Body is really that much different than my Perceived Body.  To me...I think it's my mentality that needs to change...not so much my body.  

What about you? Sketch your outlines...let me know your thoughts.  I'd love to connect with others that are struggling as well.  Let's do this together. :)

Do I Look Fat In This?

Do I Look Fat In This???

Most people are probably going to look at this picture and think I'm absolutely nuts.  And yes...to be honest...I would agree with them.  But that doesn't take away from the fact that I still ask myself that question EVERY time I put on clothes.  I still look at other women and think...do I look like that? Is that what my legs look like in shorts? Can I make my boobs smaller?...no athlete has big boobs.  Yes...those are my REAL thoughts.  I don't care how "skinny" some people think I may be.  Those thoughts are in my head.  

Yes, I'm a health and fitness coach.  I try to inspire others to make healthy choices.  I try to help others learn to LOVE themselves and know that the journey is just that...A JOURNEY.  I didn't lose 45 lbs. overnight.  I didn't learn how to food prep overnight.  I didn't learn healthy recipe tips overnight.  I had to go on this journey just like the rest of my friends and challengers.  But WHY do I struggle with this still?  Why do so many women think this way? Why is it so hard to truly find happiness in the way we look?

I truly think that as women we see magazine pictures that have been airbrushed into unrealistic body shapes. We see "skinny" models glorified on TV and it's constantly thrown in our faces as to what the "sexy" body should look like.  So the question of "Do I Look Fat In This?" tends to be something we think about without even knowing we do it.  That dang scale can wreck havoc on my current mood as well.  They say "don't weigh yourself each day".  That is so very very true...we go up and down big time...sometimes in the matter of hours. That dang number can make me think it's going to be a good day...or a not so good day.

 
So why tell you all of this? Because as someone who strives to help others...I have been working on the outside of me for years.  Working out, using different programs, cardio and lifting, etc.  I've gotten results.  Great ones at that actually.  And yes...I enjoy trying on clothes and going shopping WAY more than I ever used to.  

I've worked on my physical transformation internally with nutrition changes as well.  I now know that dairy and my stomach are not friends.  I've made the switch...and my belly is happy.  I have learned that I don't need as much animal protein as I once thought...and my my digestive tract is happier. 


But where do I need work? My mental and internal THOUGHTS that I speak to myself when I look in the mirror.  There are many times I "feel" good...and have a "skinny" day.  That's typically when you see a selfie on my social media posts.  And don't get me wrong...there's probably been about 10 other selfies that got deleted because I didn't like the angle or the way I "looked" in them.  But there are more days that I'm having a "fat" day.  Really????  I weigh less than I did in college and high school.  How can I feel "fat"? Well...it's real.  And I'm just putting it out there.  I need to work on this.

So I'm putting down my personal development books on business, entrepreneurship, and social media marketing...and FOCUSING on ME and my thoughts.  I've chosen to read "Do I Look Fat In This?" by Rhonda Britten.  So far...everything that she has said...I've been able to say..."yep, I think that." Or "yep, I compare myself to other women."

It may be tough, it may be a journey...but I know how hard I worked on my physical transformation...it's time to focus my efforts on changing the way I view my body in the mirror and my mental transformation.  Anybody else have this same issue? 

Maybe we could start a book club? Reach out...let me know if you're interested. I'd love to work alongside other women that need the same type of accountability and self-love as I do.  

Here's to the journey of consistently saying "Dang...I look good today".

I Wanted More...But I Got More Than I Expected!

I was asked to share "My Story" the other day to a group of people that may be interested in becoming a Beachbody Coach. So when I did some thinking about WHY and WHAT I was going to share with everyone...I decided to make a video to share with them.  If you have time...watch the video below. :)

If you're more of a reader...part of my WHY starts back when I was in high school and college. I had always been part of a team.  I had always been a leader on those teams.  I had always enjoyed the sense of 'team' and 'friendship' that comes from being part of a something like that.  The recognition. The experiences.  The competitiveness.  It's what fueled my fire each day.

So when I noticed some of the ladies at the YMCA that I was working out at each week...acting like a team, having a bond that seemed deeper than a normal friendship...I wanted to know more.  I wanted that feeling.  I wanted those experiences that I kept seeing on their news feed when I scrolled by.

 As an adult, raising kids is a joyous thing.  You live your life through your kids and nothing made me happier than seeing both of my kids succeed on the volleyball court or on the marching band field.  BUT...and yes...it's a big BUT...I felt like that was a piece of me that as missing.  I NEEDED and CRAVED the competitiveness.  The recognition. The friendship. The experiences.

So I asked my friend Lindsay...what do you guys do? What is this coaching thing you do? I'm not sure I can do it...but I sure want what you guys are doing.

We talked...and initially I said NO.  I thought I had to be super in shape.  I thought I may have to be a nutrition expert...and haha...I didn't know much more than counting calories and consuming less than what I was burning each day. So I wasn't sure it was for me.  So...nope.  Not yet.

But that wasn't all I wanted.  I wanted more financially as well.  College was coming up.  First cars, insurance rates increasing due to teenage drivers, vacations for 4, and life in general seemed to be getting more expensive.

As a 1st grade teacher...my salary was only going to be able to provide so much.  There wasn't really anything else I could do to provide more for my family. Maybe I could be a principal? Heck no...that's not at all what I wanted to do.  So again, I reached out to my friend Lindsay again. I kept hearing about how she was earning money for sharing with others what was working for her.  She was working out at home, following a meal plan that was provided with the workouts, enjoying what she said was a yummy shake...and helping others do the same.  That's it.  And making money.

Plus she was having all that fun that I mentioned before.  Friends, experiences, team like culture, recognition, etc.  I mean...this time...I wanted to know all the details.  So we chatted AGAIN!

And finally when she told me that there was potential for me to earn income for all the things I was wanting to do with my family...just by doing what I already did...working out, trying to eat healthy, sharing tips with others...and genuinely caring about others...I took the leap.  I said...SURE...sign me up.  Not knowing what the heck I was doing.

 And wow...did I get more than I was expecting.  I got a 2nd family.  I got friends for life.  And I have had so many experiences that will forever be in my memory...that I don't know what I would do if I
wasn't part of this whole "coaching" thing.

These "coaches"...were there for me during my weight loss journey.  They were there for me during a very tough divorce.  They were there for me when I became a fitness instructor.

Basically they were and still are...always there for me.  It's not just about working out.  It's not just about weight loss.  It's about life.  And coaching has literally changed my life.  I truly can say that I will be a coach for LIFE.  There's nothing like being surrounded by positive and like minded people.  And remember...earning an income for sharing that with others???  Why the heck would you not want part of this???

Does this sound like something you'd like to do? Join my team!  Let's get you started.

Click here to join Team Inspire the Fire