Monday equals fresh start to the week! If you jumped off the band wagon over the weekend why not start back today?
I have learned that when I stop doing what I am suppose to be doing to keep my body in check doubt creeps in my mind! When I am busy keeping up with my running and my work outs, there is no room for doubt!
The more you do something, the easier it gets. The less you do something, the harder it gets!
Let’s do this!
Leigh Leigh
Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Unfortunately, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media. Information taken from http://www.dosomething.org Check out their 11 facts about body image HERE!
Over 60 percent of U.S. adult women are overweight, according to 2007 estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over one-third of overweight adult women are obese. Information taken from http://www.womenshealth.gov
As a Christian woman I believe in Spiritual Warfare and how the enemy’s number one goal is to make sure we never know the truth about how God sees us. For one we are created in His image, and two He doesn’t judge our outward appearance, but our hearts! We were not created for some one else’s eye candy enjoyment. We should not have to live our lives revolved around harsh words spoken about our selves from our own selves, or others, or to be at war with everything we put in our mouths!
These bodies we have now will age and wither away like the flowers, but our souls will live for eternity.
It is hard to keep this perspective in mind when we are force feed nothing but images of I am assuming the 5% of our populations women, or some very good air brushing skills! ( Might I add, ever notice how all these beauty magazines are RIGHT by the Impulse JUNK FOOD! GASP!!- A true nightmare for any emotional eaters!)
And what is it with the NEW SEXY!!? Since when did the beautiful healthy design God created our bodies to be for his glory be used and cheapened in todays society as market tools to make a buck with labels such as HOTT and SEXY? I do believe God created our bodies to be Beautiful, Strong and Healthy! Sexy? Well I believe that is where the opinion of your spouse comes in!
Let’s take the focus off of being SEXY and focus on being HEALTHY, FREE from self condemnation, and WHOLE, made right by Christ!
Let’s not just be Healthy as in physical health, but also our spiritual and emotional health as well.
It is not SEXY or HEALTHY to have what society calls the perfect body if you are trapped inside your own hell you have created in your mind of striving for perfection, self love, and self acceptance, and never obtaining it. Never looking or feeling good enough for your own standards. Not to mention over exhausting your physical abilities, or creating unhealthy eating disorders!
Eating disorders, depression, substance abuse, and early sexual activity in adolescents spawn from poor self body image that is linked to self esteem.
I am not saying it is not okay to find some motivational pictures to help encourage you to lose weight or gain size, however as long as you are totally aware that the picture of them and their body is a direct result of a long hard road of hard work, and dedication they spent on themselves. Don’t expect to achieve that with out doing what they did to get that, unless of course they are the 5% of the population. 😉 Your results may not look the same. There is thing called genetics, and so you may just not have the genes to shape your body exactly like theirs, and that is okay!
Why?
Because you are special and unique, fearfully, and wonderfully made! Who wants to have the same exact everything as someone else on this planet? I know I for one do not! It wastes the beauty that was made on me when I was created in His image. It wastes the beauty that was made on you when you were created as well!
Your body was created in God’s very own image.
Back to the spiritual warfare: So how can we beat Satan at his own game? See I just recently learned that when Satan whispers things to us they are only half true. It is masked with sort of truth, but then there is the ugly lie.
The World wants us to see other women who are strong, athletic, and lean, as nothing more then hot SEX symbols, and that our self worth, value, and happiness is all rolled into looking and feeling SEXY, but God want’s us to be healthy and strong so that we can have longevity to live out his works he has planned for our lives. He wants us to get our self worth, value, self love, happiness from Him and his love for us!
How can we continue to live out our calling and stay healthy, if we are constantly staying still and stagnant while consuming fake food, processed junk food, and load of sugary drinks? This makes us feel like junk ourselves! You have to get moving and you have to start making better, cleaner eating choices!
Stop pursuing vanity and start pursuing health and wellness and growing in your faith. What is the bonus? A more alert, energized, revitalized, strong, healthy, loving, and fit you!
1 Timothy 4:8 For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
You can be the most beautiful woman in the world, but if your inside is full of junk, lies, jealousy, envy, hate, bitterness you are not beautiful at all!
God sees our hearts! He is constantly looking at the hearts of people searching back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them (2 Chronicles 16:9 TLB). Notice I didn’t say he is searching the earth looking for the most attractive, slim, skinny, buff, hunky, beefy, stacked humans to carry out his work.
Change your perspective and your motives that are the driving force of your desire to change your weight or you body image, and you will see something beautiful happen! Self love, and Self acceptance.
You ARE BEAUTIFUL AND…
Drown out the lies of the world and Satan with some LOUD music…..while you are out running or getting your work out on!
but……
xoxo
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You may also like She doesn’t love herself, and my Fitness Transformation.
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If there is one thing I have learned from years of “trying” to be consciously fit and healthy is that discipline does not just happen over night!
For example.. If you are a parent you know that disciplining your children is a daily chore that continues until that day they reach adulthood!
: a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession, or job
: the process by which an athlete prepares for competition by exercising, practicing, etc.
: a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result
When we get down to the core meaning of the words training, and process we quickly learn this is something that happens over time!
I think this is very important and should not be over looked if you are just now starting your journey to weight loss and changing your body. Be realistic about the choice for changing your lifestyle will cost you, but know that it will be so worth it in the end!
Expect to give up, expect to throw in the towel, expect to not get it righ , right away! Show yourself some grace and forgiveness…but never give up! Pray for strength in your weak moments.
YES Skipping the pizza buffet to eat grilled chicken and a low fat salad is hard…………………………….but over time it’s worth it.
Yes saying no to candy bars, cakes, cookies, pastas while your friends cook it up and share it…………………………..but over time it’s worth it.
Ordering Water or unsweet tea over your go to sugar loaded Dr. Pepper…………………..but over time it’s so worth it.
Yes getting out of your warm cozy bed to go sweat and run at 5:00AM seems impossible when its 32 degrees outside………………………but over time it’s worth it!
Read how FASTED CARDIO REALLY DOES WORK HERE!
Spending your time in the gym when you would rather be home relaxing after a hard days work feels warranted……but over time it’s worth it!
Yes after all those hours spent, sore muscles aches, annoying junk food cravings, tears because you know sometimes you are just having a bad day, sweat lost, unnecessary judgments passed from others………..it will happen! You will look in the mirror and see that all your hard work, dedication, commitment, and discipline paid off BIG!
They say that people who say skinny feels better then a cupcake tastes never had a cupcake, has no clue how empowering it feels to take control of your body and not submit to a cupcake.
It’s not about how good skinny feels, its about the confidence you gain in yourself knowing that because you decided to trust a process, believe in yourself, and work like a dog to get it done… YOU DID IT! SKINNY just happens to be one of those fruits your reaped from your harvest you were diligently planting! 😉
Working out has been a life change that I didn’t get right the first time or the first 10 times. Check out my Transformation story here!
YOU GOT THIS!
Leigh Leigh
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This is a continuation of my blog post The proof isn’t in the pudding…it’s in the picture! Read it HERE!
“Wait what?”
Yes I said it, “YOU got to be ready to fight for it!”
“Why do I need to fight for it?” You are probably asking yourself!
Well because once you want something so bad you can taste it you seem to find resistance, temptation, and a million reasons why this will never work! It’s called SELF DEFEAT…and you have been around that mountain TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT! Be prepared to be mentally STRONG! I talk about my transformation story HERE. It’s not only about my body but my mind as well!
Doesn’t that seem kind of like an oxymoron?
Yes, it does but lets be realistic here! IF you are a mother of small children, you know there will be those chaotic out of your control days when your children will get sick, and unexpected events will occur which will have the potential to derail your work out schedule! That’s okay! It happens! The most important thing is that you stick to is this. DON’T LET IT put a complete HALT to your goals! You can’t have a bad three day span or a week and then decide to throw in the towel to the whole thing! (I know, been there, felt like it.) Keep pushing forward. Be forgiving and extend grace to yourself! READ …SET BACKS!
Be prepared meaning have a schedule for your work outs for the week and stick to them! If something causes you to miss, then already have a plan to make up for the work out or cardio session.
For me I have had to adjust my 5 day a week schedule of working out and cardio because of School Events and Work. I work at a Preschool so summer days our mine to spend how I choose!
I lift weights Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday but I run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday! Check out what I discovered about Fasted Cardio here….nice results!
I recommend joining a GYM or some type of FITNESS center!
If you are having doubts or fears about joining a gym please read my 8 Awesome ways to Conquer your gym-phobia here.
Maybe you just don’t want to join a gym but are considering purchasing a home gym? I say go for it! Heavy weights will not bulk you up like the Hulk, they will help burn fat and create lean muscle tone.
Need help with a work out routine but you don’t want to hire a personal trainer at your local gym? Google Weight lifting work out for women or go to http://www.bodybuilding.com and search there. I am not a personal trainer so I can’t really give you “expert advice.” I can share with you what my work outs look like. You can ask me by commenting below or you can email me at leighleighspeaks@gmail.com. Please put Work out Routines in your subject box So I don’t spam it!
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Stay Strong
-Leigh Leigh
What is holding you back right now? Let’s talk it out, I would love to be able to share some encouragement with you! Comment below!
Follow my blog! Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/leighleighspeaks or twitter @ash_leighharris God Bless!
I Just wanted to drop a little encouraging note for you on this fabulous day to just keep going!
You see I made my plan, being the control freak that I am, and illness hit! You can’t really control that sort of thing! Last week I was feeling like a Rock Star. I was waking up around 5:10am to go run 1-2 miles, depending on my motivation and the time frame I had to work with. I felt like I was really doing something AWESOME. I was going to be on top of the routine when School started and get use to waking up early! I also too started back at my job. By 5:00pm I was exhausted but making it! No time for rest, only dinners to be made, laundry to be washed, and children to taxi off to practices. I think we made it in the gym two evening last week! Way off from my 4-5 evenings a week over summer! But mind you again, feeling like a Rock Star because my cardio was on! I was even walking in the evenings on a few night with my husband!
I guess stress must have got the best of my immune system..sending me to the doctors office this Monday and leaving with strong antibiotics to swallow for the next seven days! Come Monday morning I was in pain and running wasn’t even going to be an option for me! I became really down and frustrated!!
WHY? I was thinking! Seriously..why get sick now!? I was on my way to making a good habit of getting up to go run before the sun came up, thinking to myself even if I didn’t make it to the weight room, I at least invested some good solid time on myself, my body, my heart, my health. (BUT I REALLY KNOW BETTER THEN THIS!)
Come Thursday morning I was hit on the head with some clarity and of course my whole PERSPECTIVE changed. I was just on my way home from droping off my son at school when the thought just popped up out of no where. I admit I was pretty down and in a bad mood. I was using my running time to pray and listen to my worship music (a nugget of alone time and good conversation with my maker). I knew for one it had to be the Devil trying to interrupt this time I had set aside on purpose. I believe all things happen for a reason and I believe that they are likely for my good if I roll with it and trust God. But wait! What if I was just giving the devil too much credit? Maybe it had nothing to do with evil, but protection?
Maybe I might have twisted my ankle, chased and attacked by crazy dogs, or even worse, struck my a car? I mean I seriously doubt that extreme, but you just never know. Maybe an illness that took me down for 1 week was going to be way better then being down and out for months due to serous injury! I decided in that moment to not look at this week long set back as something negative which was my first instinct, or wasted, but to look at it as an opportunity to appreciate the time I do have and use it wisely, taking full advantage of my youth and my health!
I was telling my husband, we are so blessed and so oblivious to how awesome our bodies operate when we are healthy. Just one little bug, one little cold, one little infection, can cause some serious hang ups and us in lots of pain. We, or I, take my good health for granted every day.
So maybe your like me and something of the sorts like this happened to you this week. The way I see it we both have two options.
I for one am not perfect and I don’t make all the perfect healthy choices, but I don’t intend to stay stuck in those bad choices when I slip up and make them out of weakness and lack of self control! Nope, today is a new day! See you later donuts and depression!
It’s Zumba at the Y this morning and you better believe I am going to be there!
So what are you going to do today? Are you going to be stuck in your old ways, or is Today a day to try something new?
Love your self, Love your body!
Be Beautiful,
Leigh Leigh
Are you following me on Facebook!? http://www.facebook.com/leighleighspeaks 🙂
Good Morning on this Fabulous “Fit” Friday!!
You may have already checked out my Body after Baby post, if not you should check it out now!
Today I wanted to share with you how working out has changed my perspective on the way Faith operates in my life! But Before I share this with you take a look at some physical evidence for yourself!
In the photo to the left I am 20 years old Mother of zero kids and I was probably if I could guess around 136 pounds. I am also five foot 6 inches in case you were wondering. The photo to your right was actually taken about a month ago. I am 29, 128 pounds a Mother of two Children that came from my belly. I am actually a mom of 5 but I can’t take credit because only two came from this tummy! As you can see from the two photos there is quiet a bit of difference going on with my body.
I actually made this photo collage for a Friend’s Facebook Page “God’s Fit Girl.” I was hoping to link her page her to my blog, unfortunately at this time she has taken a break from Facebook and deactivated her accounts, therefore I can’t link. I would like to come back in the future and try to link her up here.
She was giving away a God’s Fit Girl Tank to the first 5 transformation stories posted to her page. I was her first one! I have to admit, besides putting up before and after pictures on my blog for the world to see a few months ago, I have never been brave enough to do this and was freaking out a little to go through with it. Free Cute Tank Tops have that power over me! 🙂
First of all let’s define Faith, shall we!?
noun \ˈfāth\
: strong belief or trust in someone or something
: belief in the existence of God : strong religious feelings or beliefs
: a system of religious beliefs
Merriam-Webster.com
There are so many beautiful scriptures on Faith in the Bible. I do suggest a Web search on Faith scriptures.
In my human mind I tend to be wired to be skeptical and analytical by nature. I also have a flesh that wants instant gratification! This desire for instant gratification has grown with my ability to access the Internet and all of it’s information in the palm of my hand, 24/7.
As I have been praying for a way to get this across to you so that you can understand it I have been dealing with a challenge. But I am going to try my best so here we go! Faith is a belief; something that we commit to fully, and we trust. But we can’t see it. This confuses us because we want to see tangible evidence that faith actually works and can be trusted.
I ran over 2 Peter 1:5-7 a few years ago in my bible. Something about this scripture just ingrained in me that there is a natural process that occurs when we step out in faith and keep digging in. Our Faith, Our Hope, Our Knowledge, Our Desires, Our Character, etc.. they all GROW!
I actually remember writing this out on card stock and posting it on my dresser mirror so that I would continue to read over these words so that they would start to stick.
We know that when we give our hearts to Jesus he fills us with his Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us. Here is a reminder of the fruits of the spirit: LOVE, PEACE, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE, FAITH-FULNESS, SELF-CONTROL, GOODNESS, KINDNESS. I know that I have access to all of these “fruit” and were I lack, I can pray and ask God to develop these fruits in me!
In my mind I took the scriptures from Peter and I connected them to my life style change.
“make every effort to add to your faith goodness”
(Make every effort to add GOOD things to my body; water, protein, fruit, veggies, complex carbs)
“and to goodness, knowledge”
(Make every effort to add knowledge about Working out and making my Body healthy) I would ask questions about weight training, portion control, cardio, realistic goals, how to burn fat, calorie intake, etc.. Knowledge goes A LONG WAY!
“and to knowledge, self-control”
This was and probably still is my biggest obstacle! SELF CONTROL! I was going to have to put in the effort to practice self control on what I put in my mouth, and how committed I would be to a work out routine! Self control will always be a work in progress!
“and to self-control, perseverance”
Good old perseverance! Just when you think you have the self control down, you actually have to continue to keep the self control, continue, to practice the self control, continue to live out that self control! Whew!! Persevere through those hunger attacks, those negative comments from others, preserve through those days when you feel like it’s not working, you don’t have what it takes, you will never accomplish your goals. Persevere through insecurities you have established along the way own your own or by others. Persevere through the pain of getting through your first cardio class and you think your body if fixing to fail you.
“godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”
Godliness! I just took from this that God did design my body, it was made for his glory not mine, and I should take really good care of it so I can be around in good health to complete the mission he has set before me here on Earth! Brotherly kindness, eh well motivating my friends and my family to fight the good fight of self doubt and no hope of achieving success with their Weight struggles! I need to be kind to my body as well! I should intake healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and get a good amount of sleep each night. Showering is also good too for my hygiene! 😉
Finally LOVE! I should absolutely LOVE my body! This ties in again with taking care of what God gave me to begin with! I should not only love my body, but My soul as well! Working out increases endorphins which make you happy! It reduces stress, and helps you tire out so you can sleep if you struggle with not being able to sleep at night! Working out has a magnitude of perks, just look them up for yourself!
Now back to the Fruits of the Spirit. I know first off, I can do and accomplish all things in Christ who gives me strength, Philippians 4:13. Did you notice that when I am building my faith I actually use some fruits of the spirit? Love, Kindness, Patience (to persevere), Goodness, and of course Faithfulness.
Hebrews touched my heart when I learned with out faith it is impossible to please God, because he wants us to have faith;trust in him and his word and what he commands us to do!
Maybe you have little doubt or feel like your faith is too small! Let me leave you with another life changing, faith building scripture.
Transforming YOU is a BEAUTIFUL thing!
Be you, Be Beautiful!
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Summer Friday’s have this Busy Momma on the Go, Go, Go! This happens to create some serious #hairstruggles post morning work out. As you can imagine after a hour of Zumba followed by another 30 minuets of a shoulder lifting my hair is a sweaty drenched mess.
A shower is a MUST!
Being that my Friday’s have been crazy busy these past couple of weeks, running madly outside of my home on various errands, leaves me a very small window of time to grab a quick shower. Yes, the wet hair slicked back in a pony or bun can come in handy, but I have found a super easy way to create Beach Wave locks, in minuets!! (quick shower included)
I have to share this picture with you so you can see just how STRAIGHT my hair is. I have very fine hair and volume just does not come natural for me, even with color on my hair! Go, Figure!
This would probably be a good time to post a picture of my sweaty post work out hair, but I will spare you for today! 😉
Now here comes my favorite drug store find of the season………………….Walgreens!
I have tried several sea salt sprays to get this look with much disappointment.
Wash your hair , towel dry, then comb out any tangles.
Pick out something fabulous to wear and get dressed.
Go ahead and apply your favorite bronzer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, eye liner, and lip gloss. (If you desire!)
Shake your TXT IT spray and spray all over your tresses. Starting from the bottom of your hair, start scrunching your locks from the bottom to the roots. (As much hair as you can hold in your hand.) Squeeze a handful of hair and release. Repeat until all of your hair has been hand scrunched.
*Feel free to spray in more spray and scrunch some more until desired look is reached.
Now to my favorite part:
You will notice that the bottle says “All day (un)dressed Look. If you are going for something more put together, then I suggest skipping the spray, blow dry out, and roll with wand.
Remember we are in a hurry and on the go, that’s why we are opting for the messy beach waves look!
How do you achieve quick beach waves? I would love to learn other ways as well! Comment below please!
xOxO
-Leigh Leigh
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Well it’s Friday and we have all survived another work week! YEA! I love Friday mornings because I get to hook up with a few girl friends to get our SWEAT on in Z U M B A class! (Missed you Jamie and Amy) I guess I just had a hunch this morning when I woke up that this class was going to make me sweat my tail off. I had to pull out my I don’t Sweat I SPARKLE tank top!
The class was pretty intense today! We had a fill in Zumba instructor and she kept our heart rate sky high what felt like the whole hour. By the end of class we were a hot sweaty mess! This was definitely a day where I was glad that I had my facial cleanser wipes on hand in my gym bag! I ended my work out session alone working my back and shoulders.
#FLEXITFRIDAY PICTURE
I had to hurry back to my home town to pick up my kids from school! LAST DAY of school for the 2013-2014 school year. Where does the time go? We loaded the car with gasoline and headed to take my step kids to their Mother’s for Summer break!
On the drive home we went through a rain storm, nothing serious, and I ended the day right with a yummy delicious fresh oriental salad at Applebee’s.
It was a crazy busy day, but I enjoyed every minuet of it!
What did your Friday look like?
xOxO
-Leigh Leigh
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So, you have made up your mind, you are going to get your priorities straight and start living a more healthier life style for yourself! Awesome, and good job for you!
The only problem is you are FREAKED OUT OF YOUR MIND about joining a new gym and the thought of working out alone makes you want to hyperventilate!!!! This scary fear is really pulling you down and keeping you from pushing through and taking the plunge into progress of a firmer, leaner, slimmer, healthier body!
I promise you are not alone in this fear! It is a very common fear to have because there are millions of women and men out there that are afraid to work out alone in a new Gym. Let’s face it all those machines, dumb bells, bars, plates, bands, balls, benches, ellipticals, treadmills, row machines, and don’t forget all the buff people, are just flat out intimidating! They are afraid they are going to look stupid trying something they are not completely confident is the correct technical way or form. They are super self conscious of their bodies and feel like they will be judged and made fun of by all the “professional gym rats” that pretty much should just take up residence there.
If this is you and you are really struggling with this let me give you some tips to help bust down that wall of Fear! First thing is first take a DEEP Breath and read on to discover my tips on how to Conquer your Gym Fear!
8 Ways to Conqueror Gym-Phobia
About 80% of my work outs are with my husband, 10% with my girlfriends, and 10% by myself. Working out with my husband has given me the confidence to work out alone. I know our routines and I know how to use all the equipment if he isn’t able to work out with me.
I love working out with my husband don’t get me wrong, but I also really love to just put my loud music on and go, go, go. No talking, just the sound of the music and my heart beating fast. It is a hour away from the reality of whatever is going on that day, it’s just me and the metal! It is GREAT!
I also want to give you hope with this verse from 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
God wants to be included in all areas of our lives, even working out. He doesn’t want us to ever feel fear or be held back because of it. James 4 tells us that you have not because you ask not. I truly believe that when we let God into ALL areas of our lives this is a free invitation to ask him for help with ANYTHING! Say a little prayer before you go asking him to remove all fear and anxiety from your mind. Mediate on the words of 2 Timothy 1:7 over and over again.
You are brave, not afraid. In your weakness you are made strong in Christ.
I can’t wait to hear all about your first day at your new gym!!
Being BRAVE is BEAUTIFUL!
Be Beautiful!
-Leigh Leigh
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I am so excited this morning! Four girlfriends and I are going to go take on Zumba with a fierce vengeance! One of them is a Zumba newbie!! We will shake it, swing it, roll it, and sweat what motherhood has graciously given us off! I can promise you we will not be in sync, nor will we be ready to join the So you think you can dance cast, but we will laugh and we will have fun!
Nothing motivates you more then a friend! If you are too afraid to start something new, just drag a friend along with you!
I love these girls!
It’s Friday!!
Xoxo
-Leigh Leigh
