Things are changing!

Way back in November I started really taking some time and thinking about what my goal was with my fitness page, my Beachbody business and my blog - and lots of other things in general. As God has been working on transforming me, I feel it's time I begin to make some transformations around here as well. You might have already seen a lot of them and I hope they aren't confusing, my goal truly was to simplify things, as that's my goal on so many fronts in 2017. So while there are a lot of physical changes happening, I hope you still find all the content the same or even better!

And with that said, I welcome you to Transforming Daily!

But how exactly did I end up here?

As I mentioned above I really started thinking and praying about the direction I was headed 6-8 weeks ago. Something was missing. I felt like I was not helping anyone the way I truly wanted to help them. Unfortunately in this time of transition and planning, I found a way to fall off the path myself for a bit and was really of no help to anyone. Not just here in any of the fitness aspects, but in anything I was committed to outside of family and work.

Then God made it pretty clear to me that I was over-complicating things. He is showing me some things about myself that I'm not exactly excited about changing, but know need to change. The need for control, the need to be over-prepared for everything, the need to have everything fit inside a certain box is just ONE (yes, I know that's three, just roll them up) of the things he is working on in me.

But I said ok, let's start here. Here is a place I know that God has placed me. Sharing my journey is neither easy nor comfortable for me. But I know that God has allowed me to be successful to show others just how awesome and glorious he is. So with God's guidance I came up with what I hope are some much better ways to help ladies start and REACH their fitness goals. I don't just want you to start, I want you to keep going and never give up. I want you to transform daily, for as many days as you are given, just like I plan to do!

Here is what I came up with:

If you have ever talked to me about boot camp and felt the time wasn't right, we should talk again, things are a lot different now! I've completely changed the requirements to join and I think I've made it a whole lot simpler. My heart is to help as many people reach their fitness goals as possible and I think I've found a better way to do that AND help keep you on track. Boot camps are intended to help you get started and be in an environment that keeps you focused on why you want to make the change you are making. They also give you a private place to ask questions, post pictures, vent, encourage, whatever you need to help get you through those first few days and weeks.

Making changes such as those happening on a fitness journey are changes I hope to help you realize have to become a lifestyle. I am not now, nor have I ever been about a quick fix. Once you start this journey it keeps continuing until you decide to quit. And you aren't quitting! Even if you have a rough week, or month or 6 months, as long as you make the choice to try again you have not quit and I will be there to help you back. At that time you might want to do boot camp again. And that is O.K.

I also realized I needed to find a way to "graduate" boot campers yet still give them the same support as long as they wanted it. This allows new boot campers to not get lost in with the more seasoned boot campers. This year I will offer a Fit Club for everyone who goes through boot camp with me. Once you complete boot camp, which typically lasts 4-5 weeks you will then be added to the Fit Club, where you will remain for the rest of the year. It will be very similar to boot camp but it will keep growing hopefully help to encourage one another to stay on course to reach their goals!

Boot camp and Fit Club are still very much focused on Christ being the center of our journey. He is ultimately who is in charge of our transformation. We choose daily whether we will be obedient to his desire for us to take care of our bodies. So even though the name of my page, the name of this blog, the name of boot camp is changing, the purpose has definitely NOT. If anything I am more certain of the importance of making Christ the center of it all. It was only when I quit trying to control and asked God to show me what was missing did I begin to get excited about all these changes.

I began to make lots of plan for the new year. I had things mostly squared away for what I wanted to do when Beachbody announced that it had a HUGE announcement. I got a little concerned that everything I planned wouldn't work out. That could not have been further from the truth. I knew they were doing away with the best deal they had on the market and was a little concerned about that, but really felt there were still plenty of people I hadn't reached yet and that I would figure it out.

(Disclaimer, before you tune me out because I mentioned Beachbody. I absolutely believe you can get in the best shape of your life with or without Beachbody. I believe Beachbody is an awesome tool for me to use to help you reach your goals because they focus on both healthy eating and fitness. Therefore, I choose to use their products to help others because a) they are the tools I use on my journey; b) I know they work if you work; and c) I believe they are the best package deal out there. Will I still support you if you choose another route? ABSOLUTELY! So let's get back to the rest of my plan...

Then Beachbody blew me away! They made their announcement and they were basically catering to my plan I had already made up for the year! I had already planned the changes to boot camp and what my requirements would be before I knew about the changes. I also planned Fit Club before their big announcement. I just felt in my heart that I was not offering people long term support. They were getting support and encouragement through a program, then they often lost interest. Part of the success of the journey has to come from the perseverance of the person on the journey. But it never hurts to have some added accountability and support! And that's when Beachbody announced that they would be unlocking Beachbody on Demand (the Netflix of fitness) and allowing a yearly membership for $99 (or $199 if you would like to add 30 days of Shakeology to that- which is a great deal!)

This fit perfect into my desire to start this fit club! People can continue their fitness journey's and never have the excuse of getting bored because they can start a new program without having to make a new purchase every time they finish a program. Or if they finally find their soulmate workout, they can keep doing it over and over! I am so excited about this opportunity! I already have my next 7 months of workout programs planned!

They way things pieced perfectly together ultimately confirmed to me that I was doing the right thing. Simplifying things is hopefully helping begin to balance things, yet another area I deeply struggle with, but we will save that for another blog another day.

For now, let's talk if you think you might be interested in joining in on boot camp. I'm leaving it open to join through Monday, after that you will have to wait until February to join boot camp... unless you get a few friends to join too, then I would consider doing an extra boot camp right away!

And stay tuned as I look back at some of my favorite 2016 moments and also look ahead to 2017 goals!

Birthdays are for Celebrating!

First, thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to wish me a happy birthday today. I am horrible at returning the gesture and vow every year on my birthday to do better next year. Having so many people reach out is a feeling no one should miss out on, so I will do better to do my part in making your day just as special.

I watched the weather all week.I wanted to get up and "jog" for my birthday. I use the term jog very loosely as I am more of a speed walker who tries to look like they are jogging. I was certain it was not going to be possible as it looked like it was going to be a wet nasty day. But do you know what? God is so good. He woke me up this morning on my 38th birthday and gave me warm sixty degree weather to enjoy a walk/jog. He gave me awesome worship music to sing along to and praise him for not just another day, but another year. (And FYI - Lauren Daigle provided the tunes this morning) In our quiet morning together he reminded me of just how far he has brought me and for that I am thankful beyond what words can express!

I debated all day about how far back to take you and share about just how far he has brought me. Hopefully if you know me, you at least somewhat understand just how far that is. However, if you don't know me, and would like to know, I'd be happy to share my story with you sometime of how God has completely spun my life around. The last 9 years or so in particular, but he was working way before that.

In the end, I decided to stick with what I know He's done over the past 3 1/2 years during my journey to becoming healthy. I realize though, none of it could have been accomplished without the events leading up to it. And I am in complete awe of the new me I see him transforming, molding and making me into... at 38.

June 1, 2013 I weighed in at nearly 300 pounds. In my heart I wanted so much to serve God with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my mind. I wanted to serve him every where, every way I could. But the truth is, I was tired. I was unhealthy. I had zero confidence. I was fearful of absolutely everything. I mean everything - new people, new places, new situations. So getting out there and being the hands and feet proved to be rather difficult.

Today, God showed me just how much he is changing me. I mean I woke up, before the sun and wanted to jog! Who does that? And I didn't used to do that. And I didn't just wake up today and decide to do it... well I kind of did, but only because for the past 3 1/2 years I've been working on changing my mindset. I've been focusing on caring for my body. I'm trying to repair the years of abuse I did to my body inside and out.

You know what? Some days I still forget all that God has done for me. Some days I struggle in trusting God to take me to new places. I find that birthdays are a special day to reflect on all of these things. A day to walk back through the past (not hanging around for long!) and giving thanks for all of the burdens you no longer have to carry around. A day to take extra time to thank God for all of the blessings he has poured into your life. Thank Him for the countless second chances he has given you... or maybe that is just me. A day to take time to really see the transformation that has been taking place right in front of your eyes.

Birthday are a fun day to dream about new adventures and wonder about all the possible places God might take you during this new year of your life. The life He created and already has planned. When I think about the mystery and wonder of what is unknown to me, but known to Him, I can't help but feel such anticipation. And for me, with my birthday so close to Christmas, it comes at a time when anticipation is already running high as we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ and ponder on the second coming as well.

The point, and I hope you've stuck with me this far, is that none of these changes would be possible without allowing God to change my thoughts and my heart regarding a lot of issues. I've allowed him to change how I understand fitness and nutrition, yes. But that is only a fraction of what's happening here. I've had to allow Him to soften my heart and change the way I think about myself, about my confidence, my worth, my usefulness, my purpose and so much more.

I pray that in sharing my journey I never come across as... "Look at me... I'm great!" ... because I'm not. I'm human, I mess up and I struggle. But God, He is great, He is my superpower. He is the key to real transformation - in ANYTHING. And I absolutely, positively believe that lasting physical transformation is not possible without the mind and heart transformation that comes from Christ.

Christ is making me new. Every. Day.
Christ is making a way when there seems to be no way.
I just need to get out of the way.
Christ is enough.
Christ says you (and I) are enough.

And in case you are still wondering, but how did you spend your birthday?

Well, despite several people insisting I eat cake, there was no birthday cake to be had. But I did get plenty of my favorite things, and I got to spend time with lots of my favorite people! And I bet there will be cake in the coming week that I will enjoy.

Lots of coffee happened! And we know this makes me happy (And that's not just coffee... that's "fun" coffee) This morning I hit up Kiki's and then my dad took me to HeBrewz this afternoon. (Both are excellent!)

As I mentioned earlier, the Lord woke me, with no alarm and the word "Go" kept echoing in my head. I went to bed positive that no outdoor activity would be happening today. I was wrong. So I went. I would have never, ever, dreamed 4 years ago that I would be excited to spend my birthday morning jogging/walking. But that is just one of the many was God is transforming me. It isn't easy. And it hasn't happened overnight.

Then I also got a HIIT workout in too!

I've spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching Christmas movies, working on some projects and writing this blog... then re-writing when it somehow deleted itself.

Again, thank you to every one of you who have taken time to read this and to wish me a happy birthday today. I means so much. And it was definitely that, a very happy birthday!

Where You Will Find Me

Towards the middle to end of November I began to realize I needed to make some changes. I began to realize that some of my goals were not really my goals. They were goals other people had that seemed rather appealing. And they may very well be longer term goals for me especially when it comes to my business.

So I am taking December as time to clear the slate. Go back to square one. Everything I was doing had begun to feel like a job. I was over-committed. I left no time in my week to catch up with friends, veg out for even one T.V. show, sneak in a visit to my sister, etc. Every moment was planned and if one thing got off schedule the entire week fell behind. While God does desire for us to make good use of every single day he gives us. He does not intend for us to be so busy we miss out on relationships and life.

I want time to read, create, invest in relationships with those I love, help others, serve God, cook, bake, watch a movie here and there, write and more. I mean, let's be real... if I never have time to leave the house other than to work, go to ballgames and church, then I am definitely destined to be single the rest of my life! (I kid ;) ) But seriously, after spending a lot of time praying about this I believe I have a pretty clear answer about what changes I need to begin making. And it was not the solution I thought I would uncover.

The problem is all me- not any of my commitments. I didn't hear that I needed to walk away from anything. I heard quit aiming for perfection - it's impossible and you will never feel successful. The other thing I heard which goes right along with the first, is stop being such a people pleaser. Be a God pleaser. I need to look at my commitments and priorities and decide who they are geared to please and adjust accordingly. Are they aimed at getting me glory or God glory?

This, then is where you should find me for the rest of the month of December. I hope you find me connecting with God as I (attempt- it's hard!) allow Him to reorganize my days. I hope you will find me thoroughly enjoying this season of anxiously awaiting the celebration of Christ's first coming... and prepare as we await His return!