Self Love.

      I am going to be honest with you for a few minutes. I have been struggling to see my self worth. And I preach that almost every day! I preach self love and finding your value and purpose. I encourage people to jump in blindly with both feet. I encourage people to be confident in who they are! Yet for some reason I struggle with that. I don't feel good enough some days. I grew up in a house where every time I expressed myself, I was laughed at. As an adult, I am often scared to express myself. I worry what my closest allies will think. I never feel good enough. It is an automatic, programmed response.

 

 

      So here I am, waiting for someone to tell me that I am loved or that I am worth it. And that's where I realized I was wrong. No amount of hearing it will make me feel it. I need to find that in myself. Self care and self love are inside jobs. Now I took some time in the past for self care and self love, so that never occurred to me that it might be the problem. I am sure its like everything else in life. You get what you work for. You would never work out for a week and expect to be healthy for the rest of your life. That's ridiculous. Self care and self love must be practiced and cherished. 

 

      I want to challenge you, as I challenge myself. Imagine for a moment that you knew 100% of the time, that you were an amazing rock star who could accomplish anything. Imagine that you could achieve all of your dreams and you would have no fear. What does that look like for you? Write it down, focus on it. What does self care and self love look like for you? For me it's working out, walking in the forest, having a bath, going to bed early and leaving the kitchen a mess. (Yup, that's a fact.) The most important thing I will challenge myself to do it a mantra.

 

 

                     *I am a rock star

 

 

                              *I am strong

                                                          

 

                                       *I am unstoppable

 

      Believe it. Say it every time you leave the house, say it when you walk into work, say it when you enter your house, when you get gas, when you have a workout, when you need to pee, when your are picking up Chinese takeout for dinner...you get the idea. Imagine what a crazy world we would live in if everyone thought this way.  For now until the end of February, I challenge you. Share with me how you are going to practice self love and what makes you a badass! #bcgbadass  Tag it in posts and pictures and share with your friends! I will pick one winner to receive a one month workout plan, 6 hours of personal training, and a full fitness assessment.

 

 

 

 

 

Throw out your damn scale!!

     Ok ladies, (and gents!) we are going to get real for a few minutes here. This topic has been coming up in many areas of my life right now and I need to talk about it! Who here struggles with their weight? Who here steps on the scale and feels defeated, ashamed and disappointed? Who here has this goal: I want to lose weight. Who here is too afraid to admit their real weight? If your hand when up for any of these, you need to listen to what I am about to tell you. Weight doesn't mean anything.  Throw out your stupid scale!! The only time you should care about how much you weigh, is when you are entering a serious fitness competition and your weight depends on whether or not you compete. Are we clear about that? Here is how I know.

 

      For one thing, many factors will see your scale go up or down and they can change throughout the day! Did you drink enough water? Is it that time of the month? Did you enjoy a meal with friends last night? Do you need to poop? All of these factors come into play.

 

     Second, one pound of muscle and one pound of fat do not take up the same amount of space! If you are lifting weights, you may in fact be gaining weight but losing inches. A number of years ago I was on a war path to lose weight. I lifted weights three days a week and I was running 10km on the weekends. I was eating right and focused. My starting weight was 200lbs. Over one year later I went from a size 16 down to a size 10. I did NOT lose one single pound! At a size TEN I was still 200lbs! I was also very strong! (Kind of badass, kind of awesome)

 

     Third and MOST IMPORTANTLY, what you weight does not hold any value to who you are as a person and cannot limit you to what you can do! So why even bother counting? Weight does not prove that you are thin, it does not prove that you are talented. It does not make you better or worse. It does not make you strong and it does not make you healthy. Someone recently said to me that now that I am a personal trainer, I should consider losing weight. You know, "To show that you are a fit person who is qualified to be a personal trainer." I really want to obliterate the idea that I need to be thin to be fit. I will kick your ass just as good as any other trainer. Maybe even better.

 

     I am one month away from dancing in my underwear in front of 200+ people. I am getting close to the heaviest I have every been. I am not going to let a number stop me from doing something so amazingly awesome. I will never let a number decide who I am. I will never let a number decide how I am going to feel. I will never let a number dictate where I can take my place in this world!

 

 

For the record, I do not own a scale! But I was at the doctors the other day and found out my current weight. 204lbs ladies. So here you have it, 204 pounds of pure awesomeness and glitter. 

 

 

It's a REVOLUTION!

     I am not a huge fan of New Years Resolutions and here is why: First of all, it gives people the idea that they need to change. Like for some reason the super cool version of themselves is not good enough. Second, they tend you make you feel like shit when you fail. 85% of people usually quit within two months. (fact)

 

     I am not here to encourage you to make those New Years resolutions. I am talking about a New Years REVOLUTION! Let's throw out the idea that we need to be someone we are not and start being the best YOU that you can be. Don't do it to be thin like the pretty girls on tv, and don't do it because you think you have to. Start your own revolution to find out how strong you can be.

 

     I believe in body positive fitness. Its probably nothing like you have every experienced. Kind of awesome even. Here is how the Booty Camp Girls are different:

 

1) I will never weigh you. You are not cattle and the number on the scale means absolutely nothing to you or me.

 

2) I will help you reach your goals in and out of the gym.

 

3) I will help you to see how awesome and beautiful your body is, right now. You will learn to love your body, because every body is beautiful.

 

4) I won't measure success in pounds.

 

5) I believe that everyone should have access to body loving fitness, so if you can't afford it, lets work something out.

 

6) I will never encourage you to diet.

 

    Some of this may seem strange to you, but I promise you that I will make you stronger than ever. Give it a try for free. One by one, lets change the world.