WorkINout

Work.IN.out

There's a gospel song that says 'something on the inside is working on the outside, oh what a change in my life..'  Real change starts from within.  Lasting change starts from within.  This is so true with making a choice to live a healthier lifestyle.  Most people who aim to lose weight automatically think I need to go on a diet and I need to workout.  However, if you want to make permanent changes your first step is to workIN.  

Living a healthy lifestyle does not start in a gym, with a special nutrition plan, or on a scale.  It all starts withIN your mind and spirit!  Think about it, if living a healthy lifestyle was all about a gym or a perfect nutrition program most people would be healthy!  People would not only lose weight but keep it off.  That is not the case.  According to an article in Shape Magazine, "More than 95 percent of people who lose weight - no matter how they lose it - put most or all of the pounds back on and more than 65 percent of Americans are currently considered overweight or obese."  That article could not answer why so many people regain weight or why so many people are obese but I believe it is because people do not start the real workout or the real nutrition plan that all starts on the inside.  I use this concept of work.IN.out in my ebook where it's all about working on the inside and applying it to the outside.

Today let's just focus on workIN the mind.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think..." - Romans 12:2

Work.In.Out - Mind

We've all read it or heard it before, 'you are what you think'!  I know this first hand!!  When you exercise your mind (daily) & get rid of cant's & doubt (daily) living a healthy lifestyle will become natural.  You have to start with your mind.  When I first started working out every time I felt tired or when a workout was hard I used to say to myself 'I can do all things through Christ' so that I would not stop.  I had to talk to my mind and convince it to keep going otherwise I would have stopped well before taking my body to its limit.  So many people do not go to the gym because of their thinking, are not eating healthy because of their thinking, and so many people are limiting their workouts because of their thinking.  Think yourself healthy!

When you fall, convince your mind to try again!

When Your Mind Says Can't

In the pic above I tried this higher plyo box (I believe it's 24inches).  It took me what seemed to be a long time to convince myself to just jump.  Once I finally convinced myself I was able to do it 14 times!  On the 15th time my foot hit the box and I almost fell on my face! During a later workout there were box jumps included and I used the box I normally use with no issues but guess what?!  I had to convince myself to jump on that box!! When we fail or make a mistake our mind might try to convince us that we cannot achieve it but we have to tell it we CAN do it.

Unhealthy thinking is dangerous!

When Your Mind Plays Tricks on You

Someone I know who lost a significant amount of weight still sometimes refer to themselves as fat!  It is crazy how healthy people who workout hard view themselves differently.  This is directly attached to how we think!  If we do not workIN our mind daily it takes a while for it to catch up with what's going on outside of us.  If we never address it could lead to giving up and other unhealthy behaviors.  I recently experienced this because I was so focused on my outer appearance.  Last year I had a huge transformation and I thought by now I'd be this lean chick but I'm no where near the picture I had in mind of myself!  Realizing the road I was heading down and had to regroup and remember the purpose of why I even started this healthy lifestyle journey.  Regrouping has helped me to appreciate where I am!  Although the progress I've made this year is not visual like last year's progress, it is still progress!

Before starting a healthy lifestyle remind yourself everyday that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  It doesn't matter if you are considered obese by society, focus on the truth of who you are.

When Your Mind Says it's Hard, Start Later

The perfect time to start a healthy lifestyle is n:ow!  The perfect time to increase your run or use heavier weight is now.  Everyday we should challenge ourselves.  Of course it will be hard but we are stronger than we think.  You see me quote it all the time, 'When you change the way you  look at things, the things you lQQk at change.  Everyday workIN your mind and get rid of thoughts that does not belong.  Take action on those new thoughts now knowing that God will give you the strength you need!

This post is dedicated to my sister who is thinking her way healthy!

There is no workout, meal plan, or any healthy choice that is more challenging than the mind workIN!  That is where the real work takes place.  Each day affirm who you are and what you can do according to the Word!  Do not let your current situation or any failures define who you are or what you can do.  Your life can change if you believe!  Let's experience true health by work.IN.out!

Seasoned with Grace,

QueenZadia

Screw Perfect!

"Choose purpose over perfect." - Lara Casey

Please excuse my language but, SCREW PERFECT!!  I really want to use the 'f' bomber instead of screw but I'm afraid my mom will come back alive and give me a whooping :)!  But seriously, out with perfect!

I tried to shorten the issue that prompted this without success so I won't go into it.  Just know it had something to do with me not setting my alarm clock.  I allowed something as simple as that to almost ruin my whole day!!  I literally spent a few hours upset over it.  Enough is enough!  I've battled with this perfection spirit too long.

On this SpeakLife Saturday I want to encourage all of you (as I encourage myself) to choose purpose over perfect!  For example if you've start a healthy lifestyle journey because you want to live healthy always remember why you started.  If you remember your purpose of starting, when you have an imperfect meal, imperfect workout or just an imperfect day in general you will not allow those imperfections stop your purpose of living healthy!

There is NEVER a Perfect Time or Condition

Think about it..We would not need God if everything was perfect.  There will always be an area in our lives that we need to work on as long as we are living.  We don't have to wait until everything is in order for God to use us.  He wants to use us right now (flaws, inexperienced, afraid & all) .  Stop wasting time!  Start running, go after your dream, open your business, _________, & just walk in purpose!  When we rely on perfect timing or perfect conditions we're actually relying on ourselves.  Completely trust God with your destiny, dreams, and desires.  Don't sit around waiting, go ahead and start.  Every amateur became an expert or a pro simply because they started!

You Will Always Make Mistakes

Expect bad days and expect failures but keep it moving.  Let's not wallow in our shortcomings or issues because they do not define us.  If we allow it, all those things work together for our good.  All we need to do is forgive ourselves and learn from our mistakes.  I'm not just talking about 'big' mistakes.  It could be as simple as trying that recipe again even if you burned it the last time or starting that exercise regimen again even if you quit before.  Don't let one (or many) wrong decision or failure stop you.  Dust yourself off and start all over.  This time you will be much more prepared!

Strive for Excellence

It's 'perfectly' ok to strive to do & be your best.  It should be all of our goal to be the best version of ourselves & doing the best that we can.  But let's remember 'best' does not mean perfect and your best may look different from my best (& vice versa).  While we're striving for excellence let's aim for progress, not perfection!  Every breath we take is another opportunity to become better and to do better.  The key word is better.  As long as we see growth and steady progress to the high prize, we should be grateful.  

So in my Tony Horton voice 'DO YOUR BEST & forget the rest'!! God's grace is sufficient anyway and His power works best in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9)! 

Say it with me!

#SpeakLifeSaturday
#UnplugToPlugIN

Seasoned with Grace,

QueenZadia

Be Faithful

"God has not called me to be SUCCESSFUL.  He called me to be FAITHFUL." 

- Mother Teresa

Happy SpeakLifeSaturday!!

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word faithful or faithfulness?  Your first thought might be marriage and how couples need to be faithful (and yes all couples need to be faithful).  But what about being faithful to God and your purpose?  You would think it'd be easy since He is so faithful to us!

I was looking at my vision for 2014 (here) and really examining those important 'BE' areas I needed to focus on and BE FAITHFUL was glaring back at me.  I started to examine how faithful have I been to God, to walking in purpose, etc, and came to the conclusion that I need to continue to work on this area!  As I encourage myself to be faithful, I also want to encourage you!

Be Faithful in the LITTLE things!

Don't despise small beginnings!  It's great to dream big however don't let those big dreams cripple you. Don't think because you don't have big resources, a huge platform, or whatever it is you think you are lacking that you can't make a difference or walk in purpose.  God can use you where you are with what you have!  We don't want to be like the servant who buried his treasures.  One of my favorite quotes by Arthur Ashe is, "Start Where You Are, Use What You Have, Do What You Can' and is one I used to always use during my weight loss journey.  If we are not faithful with where we are now, we can't be trusted to be faithful with more.  Stop saying you're 'just a mother' or 'just a small business owner' or 'just a servant'!  Do great in what you think is little and be faithful.

Be Faithful Even When It's Hard 

We have to remember that faithfulness is a fruit of the spirit!  Are you producing faith during difficult times or are you producing doubt?  Do you stop doing things when it becomes too challenging or when you don't see results?  If so, work on that.  Difficult times help to build our muscles and grow our faith!  Don't bail out when things get tough or when you don't see the results you want (success, money, status, power, platform, great kids, great marriage...).  It is in the difficult times that we need to challenge ourselves to keep going.  Being faithful requires perseverance and total commitment.  When it gets hard, count it all joy and remain faithful.  Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight!

Be Faithful Through The Glitter

We all know that everything that glitters is not gold!  Every great opportunity is not attached to your purpose.  Keep your eyes on the prize and make decisions that will not move you off course.  We are so used to things happening right now that we often miss out on our blessing and being a blessing.  Being faithful means being loyal.  Don't turn your back on God and what He wants to do in your life for what you want right now.

"The master was full of praise.  'Well done, my good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you more responsibilities.  Let's celebrate together.' 

- Matthew 25:21

Mother Teresa had it exactly right because it's directly from the Bible!  God has called us to be faithful. For example, I believe we wouldn't have so much crime if mothers and fathers were faithful to their call as parents.  So let us be faithful where we are and with what we have! 

Enjoy your Saturday!
#SpeakLifeSaturday
#UnplugToPlugIN
#Notetoself

Seasoned with Grace,

QueenZadia

You Are What You Eat

Put down the cake, pick up the weights!

Food, food, food!!  Most of you probably already know that consistently eating healthy is my struggle!  As you can see from the before picture above I was enjoying sugar filled, processed foods!!  Even since my healthy lifestyle change I have had quite a few secret love affairs with food (remember this one) because I'm a recovering emotional eater.

I've told you before that eating healthy is so important to me because I truly believe what we eat can cause or fight off illnesses.  We had no documented history of breast cancer, yet my mom was diagnosed with it twice.  The one year anniversary of her passing is coming up and I'm so happy that I'm participating in a Whole 30 transformation challenge because that is going to help me to not go on an emotional eating binge.

I asked you all a few weeks ago if you were ready to lose your excuses (here) and I'm hoping you answered with a confident YES!  A huge part of living a healthy lifestyle is your eating habits.  You can change your unhealthy eating habits if you're willing to try!  I'm a living witness to this... I had no intentions of changing my eating habits when I started my healthy lifestyle journey because I thought eating healthy was restrictive, boring, too expensive and I thought I would be hungry all of the time!  I was so wrong and I'm happy that I gave it a try because otherwise I'm sure I would not have had the same weight loss results!

Let's look at a few of the excuses I used before I started eating healthy.

Too Restrictive/Boring/Hungry All of the Time

For some reason people equate eating heathy with only eating salads or hardly eating at all.  There are so many options and an array of food you can eat but you have to make sure you have those options in your refrigerator and pantry!  Of course you're going to feel deprived or restricted if the only options you have are unhealthy options.  I have had people say to me, 'I've tried to eat healthy but I'm hungry all of the time'. To which I ask 'what are you eating?'.  In most cases they are not eating enough.  Just like your car cannot run without fuel, your body cannot run without food.  

When it comes to eating healthy keep it simple.  It's so easy to over think it and make it complicated.  Keep healthy food and snacks around, drink water throughout the day and make sure you drink water before each meal.  A good rule of thumb is to eat every 2-3 hours but you know your body (don't be a robot).  Also, make sure you eat breakfast!!  But what is most important is to do what works for you!

 

What are some foods that you really like to eat?  If they are unhealthy, remix it and make it healthy.  For example, I love shrimp.  You see two pictures above with shrimp.  I probably eat shrimp at least one time a week (yea I've heard they are dirty blah, blah:).  I'm not a fan of chicken breast but I eat it because it's a good lean protein.  I just don't eat it as often because I don't want to have that dreadful feeling when I eat!!  When I do eat it I make sure the flavor is great so that I can enjoy it.  Also, try new foods!  I never ate brussels sprouts before but I tried them and I love them!

Stop eating CRAP (Carbonated drinks, Refined sugar, Artificial food, Processed food)

"Yes, unhealthy foods is often cheaper to buy, but more costly to your health"

Too Expensive

Eating healthy has saved my family a lot of money (which is needed right now lol).  We used to eat out all of the time but now I am all about cooking our meals.  It can be more convenient to pick up something to eat and usually it is cheaper (fast foods) however you can make healthy foods convenient by preparing them ahead of time.   

This example shows how eating healthy can be less expensive than eating unhealthy.

How many times have we heard 'You Are What You Eat'?  I would guess too many times to remember!  But it is true.  What we consume is vital to our health.  There is too much to cover on this topic for just one post  but for now let's lift more weights thank cakes :)!  Food is fuel for our bodies so let's fuel our bodies to be lean, healthy machines!!

Lift more weights than cakes:)

Eat wisely, eat to live!

Do you struggle with eating healthy or are you successful with consistently eating healthy?  Share your thoughts!

Seasoned with Grace,

QueenZadia

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - In Loving Memory of Mary Lane

Donate here to help Team Merry Mary fight breast cancer!

Exactly 52 weeks ago I posted the picture below in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month not knowing or having any thoughts that my mom would pass away that very month.  This disease is the second leading cause of death in women and this was the second time around that my mom was fighting it.

Each October my siblings in I celebrated our mom's life because she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006.  She won that battle and we wanted her to know how much we loved and appreciated her life.  We want to continue celebrating her life and one of the ways we are going to do that is to join the fight against breast cancer!  You can help us celebrate her life too by donating here, joining our team and/or walking with us in her memory.  Any amount is great for this cause.  Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is all about finishing the fight against breast cancer.  Join us and them to end this fight.

My mom looked forward to the walk each year!

Every year my mom looked forward to the walk and being honored as a survivor.  That top left pic taken in 2010 was the last walk she was physically able to participate.  The top right picture was taken in 2011 and that was the year she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.  She was weak that day but she insisted on going.  My baby sister, her friend and I walked for her while my older sister sat with her.  The bottom left picture taken in 2012 was the last walk she attended.  She passed away October 20, 2013, just six days before the walk.  My siblings and I all participated in that walk because that is what she would have wanted.  That picture just shows me and my younger brother & sister.

Even though we all know death is certain I expected to have my mom here with me forever!  If not forever, much longer than the time I had with her.  I am extremely grateful for the time but to be honest I'd do anything to have her back with me (just selfish).  What if she never got this disease?  Or, what if there was a cure for all types of breast cancer?  But she did have the disease and there wasn't a cure.  I refuse to be bitter about this (been there, done that and it doesn't work).  I want to help spread awareness and fight this so that others won't have to experience the affects of breast cancer.  I hope you all join me!

This month I want to share stories of women who has fought or is fighting this disease.  Let me know if you want to share your story.

Seasoned with Grace,

QueenZadia