ENJOY WHAT THE JOURNEY HAS TO OFFER!

Can you still inspire others even when you yourself have not personally reached your goals that you have set up? ABSOLUTELY!!!  Life is a journey, it's not so much about point B or the final destination. It's more about the roads that you take on the journey and the experiences that happen while traveling to it.  I've learned this a bit more since starting my health and wellness journey back in 2005. It's been quite the ride over these last 10 years.  I truly believe that the experiences I have gone through, the good, the bad and the ugly were all part of the whole plan and were meant to happen to help me learn and grow into the person I am today. I can't tell you how many tears were shed but along with tears also came even more smiles in the process as well.

Over this past summer I committed myself to doing the Body Beast program all the way through. I started in June with this particular adventure. Also knowing that the summer season was approaching and that the party season and summer living was about to start up. First off let me start out by telling you how empowering it was to do Body Beast and incorporating weight lifting into my life. It gave me such a feeling of "YES I CAN DO THIS!!" As the weeks progressed i could feel my upper body strength becoming stronger. What a great feeling. I followed the meal plan as closely as possible using the 21 Day Fix portion control plan. Which for me is easy to follow. So now this is where I won't lie to you, did I have few cocktails while doing the program. YES!! I'm human and enjoy indulging on a sweet tasting martini. But for the most part I stayed on track Monday-Friday. Usually having a cheat meal or drink on the weekend if I  knew I was heading somewhere. Honestly I'm at a point in my life where I want to be able to enjoy life. Everything in moderation is what they say and I'm a firm believer in that. If I enjoy eating something that isn't the best for me why take it of the table and out of my life. I now will have a small piece of it, enjoy it and move along.

I finished up Body Beast at the end of August. I wasn't anywhere near what my ideal goal was but you know what, that's ok. I stuck to the program and completed it. I dropped 10lbs and 12" from it. For me that was awesome. I have for the last year kind of been at a plateau and it seemed liked no matter what I was doing I just couldn't drop anything. Will say clothes that we snug on me at the beginning of the summer now fit better and more comfortable on my. YAY!!  As I was saying I want to live my life in moderation. I also don't want to be a slave to working out 2 hrs a day to maintain results that are just impossible to maintain on an ordinary basis. I want to be able to have a dessert and enjoy and not feel guilty later on for it. So with the meal plan that I now follow I am able to do just that. It's a plan that works if your willing to do the work to follow it. It's not always easy but it definitely is worth it in the long run. Posted below are my before and after pics from this summer.

With that being said it doesn't matter part of the journey you are. If you are moving forward and working on you, that inspires others whether you believe it or not. People might not say anything to you but they are watching what you say or do. Even people that you think have it all put together have there own inner struggles.  So don't worry about what others are thinking, just do it for you. If you are doing it with an open heart and for the right intentions then life as you know it will become that much more meaningful to you.  I will continue on my journey and take what comes and goes as a blessing and be grateful for all that I get to experience. And if while I'm on my journey I just inspire one person then I know it was all worth it!!

If you are on your journey I would love to connect up with you and hear about it. Please share. If you don't know where to start then let's chat I would love to help you start your journey. You won't believe the amazing adventure it will be. Email me at purebalanceforlife@gmail.com.

LIFE'S AN ADVENTURE, GO OUT AND THERE AND LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST!!

Sometimes you just need that one GAME CHANGER!!

In today's world there is so much bad stuff going on. I personally do not watch very much news because of it. It's so depressing. And who needs that.  I chose to look for the good and focus on that and spreading it around. One thing is you have to start with you 1st. If you are not happy with who you are then how can you even begin to see the beauty in other things or people when you don't see it in yourself. I can attest to that because that is how I felt like growing up and into my 20's and beginning of my 30's. It wasn't really until I started my health and fitness journey that I started to love myself even more. I started working on me and on the person I wanted to be. It started off slow. When I was growing up I was never very confident in the things I did. I was one to shy away from meeting new people and definitely didn't want to be the center of attention, that's for sure! As I got older, got married, had kids I was getting better on being more vocal and opening up more.

So now as I started my health and fitness journey around 2005 things start to slowly change. As I started taking care of me, I started to become more confident. I was definitely feeling better as far as my fitness was going. I think my key to my success was the new people that I was now meeting through the fitness program that I was following. When you hang out with like minded people you are more apt to be more successful. Slowly but surely changes were happening. As I continued on I learned that personal development was another key player in adding to my overall happiness. I will tell you the book that did it for me was The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It was my stepping stone that has gotten me to where I am today in my life. Since reading that book I have gone on to reading so many other self help or personal development books over the years and I continue to make it part of my daily activity to read 15-30 mins a day with personal development, being a book or audio or video. It'as a definite must in my life!!

About 7 years ago my life took a change in the opposite direction. It was something that I would never have imagined. I got divorced. I truly thought I was in it for life and that would be it. But life has a way of changing in the blink of an eye. It certainly did for me. Was I sad, YES, just not something people want to experience, but it happened. Do I have any regrets?? Absolutely NOT!!  I'm a firm believer that I personally had to go through what I did to get me to where I am today. I've learned so much about myself and one of the biggest take away's for me is not to judge others. That everyone one is living their own unique story. Even though we might be experiencing somewhat of the same situation no one will ever truly know what feelings or emotions the other person is actually feeling. My divorce made me more compassionate and  less judge mental. Because really who am I to judge someone else. That is not my job to do.

I will say some days have not been easy but I have gotten through it with by the grace of God! He showed me what I needed to see. I now live my life through him and know that he guides me along each and everyday. I've gotten rid of the negative and drama from my life. I have no time for it and it does nothing to help feed my soul. Of course every now and then stuff pops up but now I do not feed into it. . I'm all set with that, serves me no purpose to. Let me tell you what a great feeling it is to live like that now. I've learned to stop and smell the roses and take in what is out there surrounding me.  So many signs are being shown to you, it's whether or not you chose to pay attention or just cruise through life with blinders on. I chose to pay attention now and boy I'm glad I am!

So if you are looking to live life to the fullest then start with you and work from there. Surround yourself with people that are like minded and looking to feel the same way and live their life like you want to live. You have the power to do it!! If I can, you most certainly can too!! Be who you are meant to be, you will be happy you did. Dig deep and make it happen.

If you would like a list of books that might help be a stepping stone for you or just want to add to your collection. Leave a message and I would be happy to share some of my favorites. :)

Training like a BEAST but looking like a BEAUTY ~ Week 1 Journey

ACCOUNTABILITY??? How key is that in your success? For me it's vital! I know I would have not maintained my weight and fitness without the help of my numerous success buddies throughout the last 5 years. With that i thank you very much buddies for sticking by me and pushing me when I needed the push. In the last 6 months i have struggled with my health and fitness. Dealing with lower back issues has put a damper on my working out and attitude in general. I also just had my Mirena removed and felt that was also part of my weight gain. I've read numerous other reviews about it and others having the same issue. Dr's say that it doesn't happen but I know my body and there was a good 10-15lbs that just doesn't want to budge. I will see how it goes now that it has been removed. Plus the fact that I no longer wanted that foreign object in my body, as I want to go all natural routes as much as possible.  But being real and knowing part of it was I just didn't want to workout and my nutrition was not up to par. It was a big fat EXCUSE  for me as far as i am concerned. I didn't hit my workouts like I should have been and pretty much told myself every excuse in the book as to why I didn't need to get up and get it done. Well those excuses have finally taken a toll and my clothes are definitely feeling it and screaming at me to get my butt back in gear. Also not making the best of food choices haven't helped with how I feel in general, sluggish and blah! Not how I want to continue to live. I do know we all go through ruts and have our days and for me the longer I stay of the track the harder it is to get back on. So after having a good talking with myself its time to do what i need to do. 

Here's my game plan...... Body Beast! Sounds scary and intimidating for some that just might be starting out, but not at all. You go at it one day at a time. June 1st was my start date. So in preparation of starting it I went through the whole program book for it again. Went shopping and got the food that I needed for the week and prepped as much of it as I could on Sunday evening. Here's how my 1st week went.

Week 1 of Body Beast Check In! Had a great week. Stayed on track with nutrition and got all my workouts done! Huge part of my success for the week was meal prep. Firm believer that if you take an hour or two on Sunday to prep your food for the week it's key for your success. Upper body is definitely feeling it. Let's just say blow drying my hair was not the easiest task to do this last week.I had to stop a few times to put my arms down due to my muscles being on fiyaaaa!!! I am also starting off low on my weights and will slowly move up as I go along. Dealing,with some lower back issues so I modify where I need to or do another move that doesn't put strain on my back but yet is just as effective. So all in all I am happy with the 1st week. I've decided to do my measurements weekly so I stay focused and on track. So for week one I am down 5.5lbs and 2.5inches overall. Very happy with this and moving forward onto week 2. Will take my photo's every two weeks also. Will also post some of the yummy recipes that I am making as I go along. I like to keep it as simple as possible and will tend to eat the same thing all week and then change it up the next week. You basically just need to do what you like and enjoy. 

 I'm looking forward to this beast journey for the next 3 months. Oh and as far as women thinking that they will get all bulked up, it ain't so. I'm doing the lean version of the program and I have seen some amazing results. My goal is to drop some weight( which is something I try not to focus on the number on the scale but more on how my clothes fit and I feel), lean out, tone up and become more defined. plus more more muscle helps burn more calories even after the workout is done! 

Do you currently have a program that you are doing or have you been wanting to start something but just don't know where to start? Would love to hear from you. Post below what you are currently doing. Also if you would like to get started, let's chat and find a program that will be right for you. 

Have a great week and make it the BEST!!! 

Objects in mirror are not always what they appear to be......

Been thinking a lot lately about how people put the image they want people to perceive them as out there. We look at someone and think wow what a great life they have. When in actuality we have no idea what is truly going on in someone else's head. People show you what they want you to see. Everything looks great on the outside when deep down that person is struggling day to day. 

Since going through my divorce I have taken a long hard look at my life. I can sit here and say yes I have had been very blessed with my life. But I am also human and struggle with my own inner demons. I'm for the most part a happy go lucky type of person. Always make the best of pretty much most situations. I've always been the go to person when you need a cheering up. I'll be your biggest cheerleader. But most would be surprised to know that it sometimes takes a lot for me to stay in that positive vibrant mindset. That there are days that I look in the mirror and see nothing but ugly.  Where I just want to throw the towel in and throw the blankets over my head and not be bothered with anyone or anything and call it a day. Been times where I would cry on a daily basis.  As far as the crying I have come to realize that when it happens to just let it go and release it. Crying is our bodies way of letting our emotions flow out. It's what we must do from time to time. Doesn't make you weak, it actually makes you more empowering.  You are not alone. So let the process happen. You will be amazed at how you feel after you just let go.

When I separated and went through my divorce it was probably the worst time and I couldn't have felt more alone. Although I do have close friends I still felt alone. As the years went on and I decided to work on my own personal development it has certainly made a huge difference. My faith has grown and I know that everything will be ok. Of course though you still have to stay aware of things and learn what things can come out of no where and trigger you  feel like your locked in a room all by yourself with no way of getting out. I feel what is happening lately with me is being the positive, motivational cheerleader that I am, can sometimes be draining. People gravitate towards you and feed off of your energy. But what those people don't always realize is that some of them just suck the energy right out of you.  That's why it's all about being balanced as best you can. I personally have a hard time receiving. So been working on dealing with that through my personal development. And learning to be more open in the receiving department. Since I have been doing this, this is what I have experienced in my life the last few years. As much as I enjoy giving to others, it would be nice to feel appreciated. A simple asking me how are you really doing today or going out of your way to show me I have been thought about. I'm not talking about material things. I'm talking about feeling cared for. I feel people just automatically assume everything is great when they look at you living your life. And yes for 90% of the time it is truly amazing and like I said have been very blessed. But there's that other 10% where I can feel totally alone. This is where my faith and personal development has totally helped in dealing with this. My point being is that all people struggle whether it looks like it or not. Remember to reach out to those who you care for even if you think they lead this amazing fabulous life. Take the time to just ask them how things are really going. Let them know that they are thought of and appreciated and thankful for being part of their lives. What you see on the outside can very much be the total opposite of what's going on in the inside. I now chose to live as close as possible as I can a life of being centered and balanced. Is it easy...oh hell no. It takes being aware of your emotions and staying grounded on a daily basis. I have learned that I am my own unique person. No one can be me no matter how hard they try. Be true to yourself. Don't try to be someone else. Be the best you that you can be!

Here is a book that I recently read and boy did it open my eyes. It definitely resonated with me. Made me think about how I want to live my life.  If you have read this book, would love to hear your thoughts. Always looking for new books to read. Please share any books or audios that have made a difference in your life journey.  Here is the link for the author of  my last read.  The Gifts of Imperfection  www.brenebrown.com/

Remember to be the BEST you , you can be!!

DO you have to give up your sweet treats???

Let's talk sweet treat drinks. I don't know about you but I am a total sweet lover. Wish I could say I didn't love chocolate or sugary things, but not the case. So I need to balance out what I eat,  it's all about moderation. In my quest to live a healthy, balanced and keeping it simple life, I had to do it full circle in all aspects of my life. Since I needed to cut out things that serve no purpose or were a waste of money, I have to find ways to do just that. How many of you go every morning to your favorite donut shop for, your morning coffee or drink of choice? I can say that I've been fortunate that it hasn't been a daily habit of mine ever. However I do love to get them here and there. I also don't want to pay the price for some of these drinks that really have no nutritional value to them. This point in my life I want the biggest bang for my buck. Ran across a recipe for one particular drink and decided to try it out with a healthier version of it. Lets just say it certainly fit the bill and satisfied my sweet tooth. Let me make a note that since changing my eating to as clean as possible I do now find sugary treats way to sweet for the most part. Which is great because now I only need to eat a smaller portion  and that usually does the trick to curb cravings.  When eating clean, natural, whole foods your taste buds start to change. You start to actually taste the flavors of your food that processed junk has been covering up all those years. Its amazing the great flavors you can now experience.

So now if your ready to start slowly switching out processed food or sugar laden sweets, then here's a great way to start and get a chock full of nutrients while your at it. Also think about the extra $$ that you can save. Why drink your money away on something that gives you no nutritional value.

Here is my version of a Caramel Macchiato

1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology
5oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk 5oz water
1/2tsp coffee extract
1tsp caramel extract
Ice and blend well and enjoy

Light whip cream optional.

For those that are wondering what Chocolate Shakeology is follow the link below on exactly what this dense nutritional shake is all about. http://bit.ly/purebalanceshake

I know for me, I know I lean towards the least amount of sugar. So here is the nutritional value on the difference. Check of the amount of sugar.It's crazy how much sugar is added to the foods we eat or drink.

Would love to hear what creative and fun recipes you have come up with to help keep your nutrition as clean as possible. Please do share. This blog was created to share with others in making life healthier while keeping it simple. You don't have to do it alone!

Always remember to smile and Dream BIG!!!

Hi Everyone,

I've created this blog to post and share with you what keeps me balanced and centered. Over the last few years my life has changed and adjustments needed to be made. I write this as a divorced mom of two fabulous children. I'm here to say that you can have an amazing life after divorce and after 40. The world is not over as some would tend to think. I believe that I have actually pushed myself more to becoming a better mother and friend in my relationships. I've learned to let go of things that happened in the past and be open to new possibilities that await me. I've stepped out of my comfort zone and taken chances with things that I had no idea where I would end up. Slowly opening my heart and letting others in without having the fear of getting the door slammed in my face. I've learned that what you think of me is none of my business. We are all here on this earth for a reason and even if we share similar interests and thoughts we still never really know what another person is really actually thinking or feeling. We are all unique in our own ways. I've learned not to judge others. I've learned that gossip and drama has no business in my life. I've learned that when I dig deep in my faith and trust that all is well, All is Well!! I've learned not to sweat the small stuff. I've learned what battles to pick. I've learned when I loved myself first then i was able to love others even more. I've learned that material things are not what define me. I've learned my actions are what define me as a person. I've learned when I feed my body, mind and spirit with positive, healthy, inspiring options i can get to a balanced life which brings me inner peace that shines bright. I've learned that I want to live a simple life and share with others what has worked for me and pass it along when I can. Some days it is not always easy, but I know I can get through it and everything will be ok. Remember to never stop being you for someone else. Do what feels right for you. Be creative, inspire others, laugh til you cry, ask for help when needed, be real, be positive, be brave, be grateful & thankful for everything that you have been blessed with for it can all be taken away in one moment. Spread love and joy...pass it on...

Life's to short not to be happy!! Everyone deserves to be happy! So my question to you.... GOT BALANCE?? What keeps you in balance?  

Please post and share what things work well in your life. You never know what one little thing that might help someone else change their whole outlook on life for the better.