FMJ24

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! This week I have so much to be thankful for... one of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that I have developed a routine of going to the gym and exercising almost daily! Truth be told, I usually don't stick to anything for this long... diets, exercise, relationships etc. But this time it's REAL!  I truly look forward to getting in the gym or going to the track or getting with a group of friends and really sweating! What made it different for me this time? I think Reality settled in, I was Pre-diabetic and diagnosed with hypertension and I wasn't even 35 years old. I was terrified, what would my children do without me? What quality of life could I look forward to if I continued down this road? I can tell you, a life with no energy, poor sleep, poor concentration, poor self-esteem and poor self-confidence... I don't know about you, but even without weight loss the benefits out weigh the alternative. Start your journey, add so...

There is no day of the week better than a Monday to decide on a goal and align your schedule to meet those goals. There's something special about having a naturally occurring starting place. Today is that day for us! Go ahead and grab a notebook or journal because our journey is beginning. Motivation Monday Question #1 - what is my overall health goal? This can be determined by asking yourself how life would be different if you were living in optimal health. What activities would you participate in, what things would you no longer have to do anymore, how would you dress and how would you feel each day? Make a list of differences you would experience. Next, look at your list and pick one area that you have identified and lay out 2 actions you can take this week to move you closer to experiencing  change. Example... If I have a goal of staying hydrated, I need to 1. find out the recommended amount of water each day for my height and weight and 2. divide my waking ours by ounces n...

By no means have I reached my ideal weight nor do I believe that my journey is near completion. At this point I've come to realize that this health journey will be a life long commitment, but is one that I'm excited and ready for! While I've been on this journey and beginning to see visible results one of the most frequently asked questions has been " how do you stay motivated, how do you continue to go to the gym every week?" After giving it some thought I'm realizing that for me it's a two part answer 1. In the beginning it was by will power alone. I Decided that I wasn't going to allow myself to create another excuse for me not to get it done. I knew I had to continue forcing myself to go until it became a habit or just part of my daily routine. I gave myself weekly goals example : I'm going to workout 3 times this week or I'm going to drink a gallon of water a day. 2. I also changed my mindset, I stopped looking at exercise as an optional. ...

New job, new meal plan, new trainer and training group! Needless to say almost nothing about my life is the same as it was a few short months ago! Change can be intimidating, but when we face it and embrace it we can really gain a lot of benefits! Since the beginning of August I've lost an additional 16 lbs. Yay!! So that's over 30lbs all together. This number is just a number to me it's proof of hard work and proof of positive change. Beyond the number, I can see an improvement in my abilities... I can now jump and run ( something I had previously Refused to do)!  I still have days when I feel weaker than other and not motivated, but now I have my own achievements to look back at and propel me forward. I encourage you to find your reason to begin a health journey,review it often and dive in!  I usually post on IG @followmyjourney24 & on Snapchat @Myjourney24

Do you know the why's and who's of you? Why do you have certain likes and dislikes. Why do you get along with certain people, but not others? Who do you prefer to spend your time with and what brings you the most joy? Are you able to answer these questions with certainty? This is a simple one… It's because you are a designer or original. You were given your specific personality traits, talents, abilities, reasoning skills and logic for a specific purpose. There are things that only you can accomplish in this life! By now you maybe asking or saying to yourself but what if I don't know what this purpose is ? So I'm here to tell you that it is OK and that the journey to discovering who you are is often as fulfilling as living your purpose. The journey will challenge you, mold you and the journey will bring you joy that you've never known before! If you're truly interested in beginning the journey to find your purpose contact me and let's sc...

             Happy hump day everyone! I often write about celebrating non-scale victory's but today I celebrate a scale victory. I have officially lost 20 pounds hooray! I am very proud of myself, however it is not only for the number of pounds itself but for the consistency and the determination that it took to keep going when the pounds weren't coming off or not coming off as fast as I would like. I have been on this renewed journey since October and kicked it up a notch by joining a gym and hiring a personal trainer in late February. 3 difficult months, 3 amazing months of self discovery and successes that no one can ever take away. And it's only the beginning... If you're interested in finding out what I ate and how am avcountability buddy changed the game and stacked the odds in my favor you can contact me at FollowMyJourney24@gmail.com Instagram @  FollowMyJourney24 & @ABOPFITNESS 👻 @MyJourney24 YouTube Video  ht...

Hello everyone! This transformation Tuesday is not the typical transformation Tuesday post. Yes I have a picture of myself two years ago and myself this year but I believe the greatest transformation has come mentally. For me doing difficult things was more than a challenge. It was almost impossible, I had developed a habit of quitting when things got tough. I was afraid to fail so I would rather not try at all. Fear of failure crippled me in so many different areas in my Life...kept me from achieving personal goals, kept me from having fun and from a quality social life.  Being in the gym five days a week and on a regular basis being asked (well pushed/encouraged) to do things that I find difficult w/ no time or consideration for excuses has began to carve out a new side of my personality. Admittedly this side of my personality is still a little shy but I truly believe that I can achieve my goals now. I truly believe that is long as I want it bad enough I will obtain it, no matter...

Do You Suffer From Resting B**tchy Face? 1. Get your Z's  There is still a lot that is  unknown about the relationship between depression and sleep, but there is definitely a connection! Each individual has different sleep needs, but the experts say that getting a good nights rest is a sure fire way to improve your mood. If your having trouble getting quality sleep I recommend the book Sleep Smarter. It's filled with simple strategies and explanations  on the how's, why's and how to make it betters.... http://sleepsmarterbook.com/ 2. Bask in the sunlight Spending from five-to-30 minutes in the sun  between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least twice a week and concentration the sunlight on ones t face, arms, legs, or back can help to decrease some symptoms of depression in some people. Why? Well studies have shown that p eople who are vitamin D-deficient can suffer some not so nice affects, such as possibly being affected by depression or other mood d...

Hey hey now! This month nonskilled victory is twofold. The first is none other then going back at night on my bill. For some this might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for me this is a grand accomplishment. Being able to fit in a normal size belt and being on the fourth notch back feels AMAZING! The second non-scale victory was being able to shop for an article of clothing in "regular or non-plus size" section! Sometimes I don't feel all happy and bubbly about my meal plans or time spent in the gym, but these moments of noteable progress keep me going. I encourage you to look for victories both scale and non-scale and recall them when you feel defeated or less than motivatied! I promise it helps a lot!!                 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽  Th above photos are from 2014 & Now I'd love to share with you my strategies for grocery shopping and meal planning. If you would like to jumpstart your jour follow the link below.  http://bit.ly...

Hey everybody! So this week is my birthday week and I have to say as usual I am extremely excited & thankful for another year! I am totally a birthday person, I'm one of those people who celebrates their birthday the entire month. This year for my birthday I have been given an amazing gift a gift from the Father above as well as a gift from myself to myself. I have invested in my health and wellness in a way that I never have before. I have achieved a level of consistency that I have never achieved before and I'm very excited! This past year I have focused on me! What gives me peace what brings me joy in what gives me a sense of accomplishment I have stop trying to be who everyone else around me thought I should be. I know I know,  other people's expectations should not have consumed my thoughts and other peoples opinions should not have kept me awake at night but this is a confession... sometimes it did.  I am happy to say that when these thoughts arise I challenge wit...

(2013)                                                           (2016) Greetings!! We've made it through another Monday.... Alright I have a confession to make. My friends and family know that the past couple of weeks have been very challenging for me emotionally. With that being said...Yes, I have given in to emotional eating on more that one occasion during the past couple of weeks. But before you throw stones at me let me share the insight I've gained from the ordeal. Life happens and will continue to happen as long as we're here and NO ONE is perfect! I made some poor nutritional choices pizza and a burger from a fast food establishment, however if nothing else I found out that the crap food doesn't bring me the joy I once thought it did. So for me...

Who I've come to the realization that my weight loss journey is a direct reflection of the othe other journeys I'm on in life. The same obstacles seem to show up over and over again! A common obstacle that shows its ugly fave more than once in my life is the comparison trap. Feelings of not being good enough or not being capable due to some disqualifier haunt me from time to time. For the past week I've allowed my myself to feel defeated while working out. I've compared my physical fitness to Thera and as a result I've begun to think negative thoughts about my body and abilities . ❌ wrong I know I know better! Some times we all need some encouragement so here's what I'm using to shake off the foolishness... 1. God made me on purpose: He knew all the mistakes I would make prior to me being created and He still chose to make me! 2. Even in the Bible God used people who royaly screwed their lives up (by man's standards) to do His work/will.  King David... F...

Recently I upgraded from a Fitbit Flex to a Fitbit Charge HR. Why? Well, I wanted the heart rate feature... Now I'm able to determine if my intensity (effect I'm exerting) is enough to burn fat! Also, I want to be sure I don't surpass my maximum heart rate either, I want to be sure and remain safe at all times. The following chart gives the basic zones recommended by Yhe American Heart Association  The Charge HR also calculates my active minutes without me having to manually input them, floors of stairs climes, exercise minutes, miles, steps, calories burned, calories left to eat ( determined by your activity level, already burned calories and goal weight) and it shows who's calling your phone on the wrist  display!  Mostly, my Fitbit helps keeps me focused by providing my overly analytical brain data to churn over lol. It documents my efforts and to me that's helpful on those days that I don't see the scale moving and when we're in between measurement days....

This upcoming Friday marks the beginning of my second month of intense physical training. Until today, due to an unforeseen emergency situation I have done at least 30 minutes of cardio and intense exercise 5 days a week for the past month. For me this is an unmeasurable success! Follow through/consistancy related to my health has been a huge challenge for me in the past, but with 30 days of consistancy under my belt I must say I feel empowered to keep digging towards my goals! Also, it doesn't hurt to have visual proof that what you're doing is working. Starting October 2015 I made the decision that no matter how many times I stumbled on this wellness journey that I would get back up and continue on well here's a pic of the changes in my face from then to now.  Feel free to comment like and share! You can also keep up with me on IG @ followmyjourney24 and on snapchat @ myjourney24 Latest YouTube video  https://youtu.be/lO7vnp6MJZs

Meal Prep Monday Today's noteworthy prep was the Egg White Muffin Items needed: 1. muffin tins 2. coconut oil 3. mushrooms 4. onions 5. kale 6. egg whites 7. jalepeno **optional 8. garlic powder 9. Mrs. Dash Southwest seasoning 10. mozzarella chees Directions: coat the pan with coconut oil, fill muffin tins with vegetables, pour egg whites into tins, add seasoning and stir. Place tin in oven for approximately30 minutes, during last 5 minutes sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top until melted. Let cool and package for travel the next day. Enjoy... Watch the breakfast prep

Happy Monday and Happy Pi Day!!! After a long yucky weekend it was nice to get back to my weekly routine. I know that sounds weird, but someone out there has to know what I mean right?? During the week I have meals planned and prepped, I know exactly who is going to be where and when and my exercise routine is built into my daily schedule. The weekends on the other hand are... a tad chaotic to say the least. Although I am aware that one cannot "catch up on sleep" I do my darndest to try. In order to manage my weekends better I am  setting a  realistic schedule for the weekend (time to rise, meals and activities). Although this plan goes against everything I have previously loved about the weekends, I also want to see improved satisfaction with my weekend accomplishments so it's time to make some changes. Ideally I would wake before the children, prepare a healthy breakfast that we would sit down and enjoy together in a non rushed manner. Next we would proceed to some typ...

So recently I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. This is a very new experience for me, but I knew I needed a little external motivation. Going to the gym five days a week and actually exercising while I'm there has proven to give me a feeling of accomplishment. I'm almost 2 weeks into the process and still enjoying it every day. However, today had to be the most challenging day yet. After a weekend that was just not long enough and waking up not feeling my best this morning I managed to push through and still went to the gym. Mentally my head was not at the gym it was... who knows where else. And being as though I wasn't mentally focused on making my body do what it should do, today proved to be the most difficult day yet. I had to tell myself that "regardless of how it feels I can complete this work out" more times than I've ever had to tell myself this on previous days. It almost felt like I was afraid to keep going. Which was a shock to me because I...

The title most likely got your attention because it's not a typical blog topic for me. So what type of question is this anyways. Well... this is a question that came to me while I sat in church today. Today's message was about being eternally focused and letting Kingdom values guide your daily life. This message really gave me a chance to think about how my actions line up with what I claim to hold as values. Values are the principles that guide your behavior or decision making. Where do your value come from? Most people have a variety of sources from which their values are developed like from your family, close friends, church or spiritual circles. However, we do have the power to choose who/what we let influence our core values. Sometimes we forget that in everything there is a choice from what type of television shows and music we entertain to the company that we keep. It's like my mom always used to say "you become who you hang around". So how can you really...

I recently had an interesting conversation  that has since caused me to begin some healthy reflection and  I wanted to share some of the key points with you. A coworker and I were staffing cases and somehow came to the topic of unhealthy relationships and why so many people remain in them. As someone who has had this experience I offered this hypothesis for discussion. "When you're not happy with who you are, sometimes you would rather be with anyone rather than be alone. It's like patching a leaky boat, you find a temporary fix for some of the symptoms instead of taking the time, energy and proper materials to permanently correct the problem." Of coarse this is not by any means an epiphany  but for some reason this thought has stuck with me. I began to wonder what other areas in life and what other relationships in addition to romantic relationships do we continuously patch instead of fixing. So I came up with the following questions for self-evaluation: 1. Are ...

Hello hello everyone, Today's topic is releasing. I would imagine that everyone everywhere has at least one or two times in their life that they can recall making a bad decision. It's one of the things that makes us all human. What we choose to do next with that decision is what determines if and how that decision will continue to have power over us. Each individual must decide to either 1. Rehearse and relive that bad decision over and over, each time experiencing the pain or disappointment that came with it or 2. Figure out a way to acknowledge and release that bad decision and move on. Most of us would say that the obvious answer is number 2, but how many of us actually follow through with the obvious choice in this case??? The first step in acknowledging and releasing is to decide if you truly want to move on or not. If you are getting some type of benefit from holding on to the pain then it may be harder to let it go. For most people it's difficult to admit that th...

Chop and season vegetables of your choice Brown meat (chicken chorizo) Combined vegetables and meat Fill container with egg whites Bake at on 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (be sure to check your dish as oven temperatures vary) Sprinkle cheese of choice on top and enjoy! Check out my January 2016 Giveaway  http://bit.ly/FMJ24-YOUTUBE-GIVEAWAY

Hello everyone! I hope this weekend is treating you well. So I'm sitting at home on a Saturday not really bored but not really motivated to do anything. Why waste the day?? Well, I guess I'm wasting the day because I really don't have the energy or motivation to get up and do anything, I have already accomplished everything on my to do list for the day although it was a very short to do list. Then it hit me I didn't plan my day well enough! As a counselor I tell my clients on an almost daily basis how important scheduling is, schedule so that you'll have already planned out the things you need to accomplish so you can roll from one task to another. I guess I need a dose of my own medicine because I am so guilty of not planning my weekends well enough. Today I had to get up and take one child to practice, run an errand with my father and last on my list I needed to create new chore and behavior charts for my children. After that I did not plan a single thing! And a...

From my heart... Being a mental health professional I hear people talk about depression and mental illness all day everyday. I read the statistics and reports about the "system" failing individuals quite frequently, But, when tragedy hits close to home it can be a LOUD  wake-up call! It's hard for me to understand the fact that mental illness is still a taboo thing. I personally don't understand why it's not a more discussed topic, why there aren't enough resources and access to treatment. Here in the US we have option after option for physical healthcare. If you don't like a physician for whatever reason all you have to do is walk across the hall or drive across the street and there are at least 10 more for the choosing. Why aren't there just as many easy options for mental healthcare treatment?  These day there is a checklist for "warning signs" for every ailment out there and I want to be sure that depression warning signs are top of mind...

Going into a new year we all have goals and resolutions that we want to accomplish, but what's the one thing that can help you get to where you want to be? This one thing is universal, no matter who or where you are this will aid your journey of arriving to your destination. What is this you might ask...Confidence of coarse! below are 3 tips to quickly improve your self-confidence 1. Quick Fix The absolute quickest way to improve your immediate thoughts about yourself or a situation is to change your posture. There is an amazing mind body connection that can either serve you or be destructive to you so let’s choose to use it for our benefit. Try it now “The Hero Pose” straighten your back and make your shoulders line up with the bottom of your ears and slightly raise your head up towards the ceiling. Now place your hands on your hips and raise your chest as if you were a super hero. Now for an even greater effect stand up and assume “The Hero Pose” take a couple of deep breathes...