Connect the Dots Ginger

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Kids Countdown Jars

Mason has 3 really exciting things happening in the next few months. He is turning 5, he starts his first day of kindergarten and of course the arrival of his baby sister Elyse! Mason has a hard time understanding the concept of time at this point, which is normal for kids his age. Think about it, when you were younger, summer break was soooooo long! As you got older, summer break felt shorter and shorter and shorter! How Mason confuses it is when I say this week, he thinks I am meaning today. Or maybe he just isn't very patient. Anyways, my mom came up with the brilliant idea to make Countdown jars to these important dates coming up.

Every day Mason will get a chocolate from each jar until the jar runs out! He is so super excited. Not only did it teach him lots of counting to a) count how many days it was until each important date, but b) I made him count each and every m&m that went in the jar. By the end counting up to 90 seemed easier! He loves the idea and so far he loves to point out which jar has the least amount M&M's and the most M&M. And it is just a few candies everyday. Use whatever candy or treats your kids will love and they too will look forward to counting down every single day.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Bump Update: 27 Weeks

YAY! For the last week in the 2nd trimester. That just means that I am just 3 months closer to meeting our little miss sassypants. But it also means that I am leaving the goldilocks trimester and entering the "I'M SO HUGE AND UNCOMFORTABLE" trimester. So maybe not as much yay but still it is exciting to see these weeks fly by.

New for this week, HEARTBURN! It started 6 nights ago. And the last 2 days in particular it has been after every single meal! I think this is the earliest I have had this bad of heartburn. With both Mason and Collin I don't remember it being this bad until about 4 weeks before I had them. All I'm gonna say, this girl better come out with a full head of RED hair if she is going to make me BURN this bad!

Sassypants. Did you pick up on that little nickname I have been giving her? Yep. She is a sassafras. Ask her to move for daddy, and she goes super still. Collin leans against my belly to just sit and relax, she starts kicking the crap out of him to get him to move. Oh and she likes to bounce her big old noggin on my bladder during most of the day since she is head down. I can feel her hands up by her face so that means I am getting some kicks up by my ribs now. I woke from my nap with her foot literally jetting under my rib area. As the uterus gets bigger and up under my rib cage (it isn't quite there yet) I am pretty sure she is going to try and play my ribs like a xylophone! All things aside. I am so thankful for this pregnancy and for her joining our family. I am just trying to write all these feelings down so that I can let her know what she put me through! ;)

Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds total weighing in at 252.4 pounds. It seems when I have a really good week and barely gain, the next week seems to make up for it and I jump up to what I should have been.

Symptoms: HEARTBURN! Lack of sleeping well. Still have to take 1 nap to make it through the day And round ligament pain from my pulled ligament I injured during my last pregnancy. Oh and FEELING HUGE!

Baby’s Size: Cucumber (~15 inches inches, 2.2 pounds) WOW! Baby grew a lot! No wonder I feel so huge this week!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts. I am really on the hunt for good pregnancy exercise pants to wear, as I don't have any and I just stretch into my old ones. Oh and a good nursing sports bra. Yeah, I'm on the hunt! Wearing my new Fabletics sports bra in these pictures and LOVE THEM and the fun colors! A ton more coverage and super comfy!

Stretch Marks: I already have a ton that I got when I gained weight years ago. So nothing new. I am using Honest Company belly balm right now though to help my belly stretch so I do not get any new ones.

Gender: GIRL!!!

Sleep: HORRIBLE! I have heartburn like crazy at night, so I am sleeping propped up. That is no fun and not very comfy for me. I have been tossing and turning trying to get comfy too, and I have restless leg syndrome. I am just kicking like crazy while I sleep. Plus she is starting to move at night more and it wakes me up, or when I flip over it wakes her and she kicks me to tell me to go back to sleep. She is a feisty one! I have been falling asleep to my hypnobirthing. And I am sleeping like a rock when I do that.

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night.

Cravings: Nothing at this point. Just trying to eat healthy and smaller meals to help combat the heartburn.

Aversions: nothing yet

Excited About: 3rd Trimester! NEXT WEEK! We are getting so close to the final stretch!

Workouts: Got in almost all my workouts 6 days a this past week, which is awesome! Workouts included: 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates. Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity and Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts in daily. Plus my weekly walk with the local woman's 4 miler training program!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Yoga Pregnancy Modifications

How many of you have a yoga routine that you love, but you are pregnant and can't do it exactly? Honestly there are days that I can not do one more sun salutation because I am so sore just from doing that but it got me thinking. How do I modify this routine so that I can do it while pregnant? I tell you every week in my weekly bump updates that I do the 21 Day Fix yoga and Pilates workouts might as well share with you the modifications I do so that I can still do the workout that I love!

HERE ARE MY PREGNANCY MODIFICATIONS AND RULES TO FOLLOW:

NO BELLY MOVES AT ALL!

Any time there is a flat on the belly move: Chaturanga, superman, cobra, bow pose, or anything similar, I just don't do them. Instead I do cat cow. The first 10 minutes of my yoga is actually a very fast vinyasa sequence, at least for this pregnant momma. And often I am slower than they are in the workout. But I am still following along doing my modified yoga sequence using cat cow in place of dropping into the chaturanga-upward-dog-downward dog. Instead when they start going into chaturanga, I just drop to all 4's and do cat cow a couple of times until it is time to do my flat back-rounded back-flat back-swan dive movement. I getting in a lot of cat cow moves in just the first 10 minutes alone. I think this is why little miss is already head down.

NO TWISTING MOVES!

I do maybe a 1-2 degree twist because it actually helps unclog the plumbing as it were for a pregnant momma (learned that in my prenatal yoga class) but you have to be very careful. Over twisting is actually bad. Just avoid it.

NO FLAT BACK EXERCISES BEYOND 12 WEEKS!

It used to be past 20 weeks but the rules have changed and we are now being encouraged not to do flat back exercises. Shavasana is normally done as a corpse pose. Laying flat on your back with your arms and legs extended out, and totally relaxed. This can be modified by laying on your left side with your right leg bent over a straight left leg. Similar to how you should be sleeping.

DO NOT OVER STRETCH YOUR MUSCLES!

Because of a prior pulled round ligament during my 2nd pregnancy I am very aware at how far I can and can not perform each move. The thing is, I feel great and want to go deep and low in my warrior pose and triangle pose but I CAN'T. My round ligament starts screaming like a banshee at me. Thanks to the hormone relaxin you are actually more flexible while pregnant. But, you are also more prone to getting injured. You have to work into your flexibility other wise you will have what I have a major pain in my BELLY! Most moves I do are literally half of what I know I can do. Funny thing, I am still getting the stretch because I can feel it. And your body is working so much harder because it is having to accommodate the extra weight in the front. So you are actually more because of the added stability control you have to do! SCORE! So make sure you are careful when doing balance moves too. Because your center of balance is totally off and you might have to do a modification lower than you are used to just to hold the pose without falling out of it!

GO SLOW AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Do not go the same speed as they do on the workout, unless you are following a prenatal routine. You should slow down and really listen to your body. This is not about keeping up, but about lengthening and strengthening your muscles. Using your breathing to help you learn to breath deeper. And to also build strong muscles to get you through labor. If your workout is just too fast, then slow down or find another yoga routine. For this reason, yoga can actaully be a really powerful tool in your birthing belt because you learn to breath deeply through the discomfort of some of the moves. Literally practicing for the big Delivery Day when you will HAVE TO breath deeply to get through each contraction!

Hope you found this helpful! Just remember these rules. And if you are looking for a specific yoga routine to do, there are tons of free ones on Youtube, or if you are interested in getting hooked up with 21 Day Fix and learning how to eat for your body and only have to exercise 30 minutes a day. CLICK HERE to order your own copy of 21 Day Fix!

Monday, June 20, 2016

Love Yourself First

Being confident is a LEARNED TRAIT! It is not given. It is not just had. It is something that must be learned, trained, believed and continually worked up. When I was growing up I always looked at the cool kids, and wished I had their air of confidence that they had. I was just a girl in the band. Someone who was considered "low on the totem poll" per popular movies. And that is how I felt about myself. Someone lacking. Less than. Not as important and always striving to be like someone else.

It wasn't until I was older that I realized that all of the girls I admired that have confidence exuding out of them, have all had their own insecurities. We all struggle with something in our life. And it is so easy to forget that at times. Watching the Bachelorette last night really struck on that. You look at Jojo and how beautiful she is. She seems so confident and strong and then she actually talks about all the crap she dealt with, with her last boyfriend and how many insecurities even she had, and she is GORGEOUS! We all have something.

Check out this picture above. No one besides the ladies who attended this amazing trip to Miami last April, has seen this full picture of me. There is a back story to this. I actually packed spanx to wear under my dress. To make me look better. Suck in parts that needed to be sucked in and such and bringing out a better hour glass shape. Because I knew going into this trip I was going to be the "biggest" girl there. And honestly there was a part of me, a very small part for a short amount of time, that didn't want to ruin the picture for the other 17 ladies. How sad is that? I even put the spanx on and almost wore them that day, but they were so uncomfortable and I would have hated it. Would it have sucked me in and given me more of a defined shape? Sure. But at what expense? Altering myself because I felt bad about how I looked even though I was 16 weeks pregnant. Nope. Not cool. Even I, who has worked so hard to love myself and gain the confidence in myself that I have never had, even has times in my life that I struggle with my own image. But after hating how I felt in the spanx. And talking with a couple of the gals I took it off and I have not looked back yet. I see me. Beautiful, strong, empowered, healthy, carrying a life inside of me, and proud of who I am. And yes very white legs but hey, I am a redhead!

You can start today, learning to love your body! As it is right now. You can spend the 30 minutes on your to help enhance your beautiful body so that you feel more comfortable in it. I love who I am and how I look, but I also am working very hard to be healthy every single day. Making smarter choices to eat right and to exercise 30 minutes a day. Reading positive uplifting materials that help you see yourself in a better and different light. The way people around you see you. I highly recommend You Are A Badass as a starting point. I have said it before but seriously it really is that amazing!

This is why I do what I do. This is why I LOVE COACHING and being a mentor, supporter and motivator. I was that girl a few years ago. I didn't believe that I needed time for myself. Didn't believe that I deserved time for myself. And now I make sure I get my time because if I don't, I am a cranky mom and no one wants a cranky mom! This week, make you a priority! Just do it. 30 minutes a day, sweating, working on your strength, pushing yourself more than you thought you could. KICK BUTT! YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I invite you to join me in my next exclusive group which is beginning JULY 5! I WANT YOU IN THE GROUP If you are ready to begin the next step in your journey to a healthier and fit lifestyle.

You get access to:
~my exclusive tools that have help me lose weight prior to getting pregnant and actually control my weight gain while I have been pregnant
~have daily support and motivation
~one on one accountability
~Daily dose of superfood nutrition that cuts those pesky cravings for sweets and treats
~Easy to follow nutrition plan to finally eat and feel satisfied and still lose weight!
~30 minute workouts that are perfect for any level

I WANT YOU AND I AM READY TO HELP YOU! EMAIL ME OR FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION TO LET ME KNOW YOU ARE READY! The first step to change is letting me know you are want to!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Beginning Walking or Running Tips

I was up early before the sun this morning with my Shakeology in hand to help volunteer at our local Woman's 4 Miler Training Program! It is a program that helps women of all levels train for our 4 miler race in just 11 weeks! Have you been looking into getting into a new walking or running routine? Check out these 5 tips to help you get started the right way, to avoid frustration, pain and injury!

THINGS TO KNOW WHEN STARTING A NEW WALKING OR RUNNING ROUTINE:

1) START OUT SMALL!

Do not plan on running 3 miles on your very first day. Not only is it not safe, but you are setting yourself up for injury and frustration. You will be sore the next day and not want to run/walk the next few days while you recovery from your run. If you haven't walked/ran in a long time (months) Start with half a mile or whatever feels comfortable!

2) START OUT SLOW!

Start small in speed. It is totally ok to walk too! Do not expect to be running at a 6 minute mile when you are untrained. YOU WILL GET INJURED! Start with a warm up walking, then do your half a mile or mile at a faster speed and don't forget to cool down taking things back to a slower speed. YOU NEED TO WARM UP AND COOL DOWN YOUR BODY! A 6 minute mile and a 15 minute mile is still 1 mile. The fact that you are doing anything is awesome! Just get up and do it!

3) START OUT EARLY IN THE DAY!

It is the summer time and things get hot fast. As hard as it is to wake up early, WAKE UP EARLY! The earlier the better to avoid the heat. General rule of thumb if the heat index (Feels like Temp) is 100+ best to go earlier in the day. Your body will heat up to 15 degrees while running and you do not want to get over heated.

4) HYDRATE!

Don't forget to drink a large glass of water before, during and after you run. You need to stay hydrated while you exercising. Make sure you take water with you so that you don't get dehydrated.

5) HAVE FUN!

Find a group of friends to walk/run with and it will be so much more fun! You will want to do it. Come back. And Keep doing it. Bring music, but only use 1 ear bud when walking on the street or sidewalks for safety to you hear cars coming your way.

BONUS TIP: STRETCH

Even if you only did half a mile, or not as much as you had planned. TAKE TIME TO STRETCH OUT YOUR BODY! So that you don't get extra sore the next day. It just takes a little time after your run to stretch your body! It is so worth it and the best thing you can do to keep your muscles and body healthy after exercising!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Love To Workout?

How do you see your workout? As a daily chore that has to get done? As a daily rewards/point system? Meaning do your workout and get a treat later? Or as something that you look forward to and love?

The goal for the mindset for working out needs to be something to look forward to and that you enjoy doing. If you don't enjoy it, excuses happen and exercise will take a backseat.

As a pregnant momma, there are times that I don't want to workout. I would rather stay in bed, however, I love the way my body feels after I exercise. I love the feeling I get from it. And I love how it is keeping me and my baby healthy. So...I do my workout. Because I love it and what it does for my body. If you don't love the exercise you do, then let's find you something that you can love. 21 Day Fix is my soul mate program. I look forward to doing it because it is fun and even though it is the same thing every week, I DON'T CARE! I love it! It challenges me every time but I feel amazing after!

How to start working out when you don't want to:

1) Just start...Often when you get started you don't want to stop

2) Think of your WHY. Why you started your journey in the first place. Let that drive you.

3) Find a fun workout to do. You have to love it to do it.

4) Join a friend. Invite a friend to workout with you, or go with a friend. It is always better when yo have someone to talk to.

So...what workout are you doing today, and do you really love it and love doing it? Need help finding your perfect workout? Let's chat because I am love matching people with their perfect fit program! You can email me here and get started TODAY!

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Surviving the Pregnancy Glucose Test

The one test that I am terrified of...THE GLUCOSE TEST! Since I am overweight, and I have PCOS, I am "more likely" or prone to develop diabetes in my lifetime. Or so I have been told by my docs. I have taken 5 glucose tests. 2 before I was pregnant at the very start of our fertility treatment back in 2004. I failed the 1 hour test (I had a cookie before I went in. I didn't really understand what it was for!) And I had to do the 3 hour fasting test. It was awful. I was starving, and my veins kept rolling so they stuck me about 7 times instead of the typical 3. I was covered in bruises on my arms because of the test for weeks! I passed it just fine and was relieved to know that I wasn't any where near being considered pre-diabetic. Turn that to pregnancy though where 1 in 10 women develop Gestational Diabetes and I am still over weight...Needless to say I have been a bit nervous to get my test done!

Gestational diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar control gets worse during a woman's pregnancy. The test is generally given between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. The screening test most commonly used in the United States is an initial 50-gram 1-hour glucose challenge test. If the result on the GCT is abnormal (greater than 140 after one hour), the expectant mom will be given a 100-gram 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Where the blood is drawn multiple times over a 3 hour period to see how the sugar is absorbed by the body.

My doc gave me a little sheet of paper with the dos and don'ts before the test. So first of all...listen to your doc. All docs are different. Some might have you fast before the 1 hour test, some might not. Do what your doc says. But if you are looking for info with what it is like, or about...keep reading!

Plus Size Pregnancy Guide To Surviving The Glucose Tolerance Test

What To Expect:
You will arrive at your doctors office or out patient facility and be given a super sugary drink and then have to wait 1 hour for your blood to be drawn. The drink has different flavors; orange, fruit punch and lime. The office might not have the different flavors to choose from. I have only had the orange flavor and was never offered a choice in flavor. To me it tastes like a flat orange soda from McDonalds. Overly sweetened and just blah. You have 5 minutes to drink the entire drink. I chug it as fast as I can because I just don't like the orange flavor. The other two flavors would be similar to flat Hawaiian punch for the fruit punch and sprite for the lime.

What to do:

1) EAT
Depending on the test you are taking and If allowed and doc approved. EAT SOMETHING in the morning. I will do whatever I can to make sure that I have my test first thing in the morning so that I don't have to fight any temptations during the day or the foods that I do eat don't affect my levels. I made sure to wake up at 7am, have a nice big glass of water, and I made 2 eggs over medium and that was it. I don't drink coffee and I didn't want to eat any carbs at all. Good or bad. If you see below here is what my doc said to do and do not do.

Ok to eat:
Eggs
black coffee
peanut butter on a whole wheat muffin

Do Not eat:
Sweets, treats.
White bread
Cereal
Fruit (I know, but fruit has sugar in it and you don't want it to affect your score)

2) Drink Water
Did you know that drinking water before a blood draw helps the blood come out easier. I have hard veins to find. Thanks to fertility treatment and the hundreds of blood draws I had to take, I learned the perfect vein that we have called "Old Faithful". You can tap that vein multiple times and it will always be faithful. But I have to always point it out and tell the tech, "it is super deep but it won't let you down." And every time I am right! I was told during my fertility treatment to always drink water before blood draw to help make it easier for it to be drawn. Blood is about 50% water so the more water you drink the plumper your veins are and can be easier for the tech or nurse to locate your vein and draw your blood!

3) Bring A Book
Come prepared to sit and wait for awhile. First of all you have to register, and often times you are allowed to pre-register for labor and birth at the hospital. Which can take some time. I was lucky this time around that they brought me my drink before I was registered. Because it took 45 minutes for them to call my name and register me.

4) Use The Bathroom
If you have to go, go. Since you already had a big glass of water before you arrived chances are you are going to have to need to pee again, and hey you are pregnant. So if you need to go, tell the attendant that you need to go and go!

5) Be ok with whatever happens
Trust your body and your baby. As nervous as this test makes people there really isn't anything you can do to ensure that you pass. The only thing you can do is to not eat sugar before the test to ensure that the results are as correct as possible. But it is your body that does the processing of the sugar in your blood stream and it will do what it does no matter what you do. You might be average weight, eating a healthy diet and still not pass the 1 hour test. And have to do the 3 hour test where you pass. Our bodies all respond in different ways when we are pregnant. Regardless of what happens it is best to adopt a healthy diet for you and your baby eating protein, good carbs, fruits and veggies and limiting the sweets that you do eat while pregnant. That will help you control your weight gain while pregnant and make it easier to lose the weight after baby arrives.

6) Prepare for the rest of the day
You might not feel too well the rest of the day. Don't plan anything strenuous throughout the day. Take it easy and eat sugar less foods and drink lots of water. I honestly ate more protein following my test and didn't have really any carbs. I just didn't want any more sugar.

What If I Fail the 1 Hour test?
Then you will be asked to come back in and take a fasting 3 hour test. Where they will draw your blood, then have you drink the drink and check your blood levels 1 hour and 2 hours after the drink has been consumed. Based on the levels presented during the following draws will determine if you have Gestational Diabetes. Gestational Diabetes can be maintained through a healthy diet and implementing exercise for the remainder of the pregnancy to even possibly testing your blood sugar levels throughout the day. You might have extra appointments and even ultrasounds to watch the growth of your baby and to make sure things are going as planned. And often Gestational Diabetes only affects the mom while pregnant and insulin levels can return to normal after the baby is born.

Alternatives to the test:
I have heard, but haven't talked to my own doctor about possible alternatives to taking the test. By doing a banana challenge, eating a bunch of bananas and then having your blood drawn the same way. Or through other blood draws. If you don't want to take the test you can always discuss with your doctor if there are alternative tests you can do to avoid drinking the drink. Talk with your doc and see what they say!

Hope this helps! Oh...I never did say, but I passed my glucose test. I found out yesterday! I have now passed with all 3 of my pregnancies. YAY! I am living proof that you can have a fit and healthy plus size pregnancy!

Good luck to all you mommas. Just know that your body is going to do what it does. And remember your body is already doing amazing things. It is making your baby for you! Eat right, exercise and know that you are doing everything you can do to have a healthy and fit plus size pregnancy!

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Bump Update: 26 Weeks

Here we are! It is kind of flying by which is weird because the first 14 weeks crawled by and now it is like it is super hyper speed. I am sure that the last 10 weeks will crawl by too. It is just how it works I guess. I found out this morning that I passed my Glucose Tolerance Test! YAY! You have no idea how happy that makes me. It is seriously the one test in my entire pregnancy that I worry about. Since I am overweight and have a higher BMI I am pre-disposed to develop it but with all 3 of my pregnancies, I have never had it! YAY! I will have a post on how to survive the test up soon!!!

This week, I have been suffering from my pulled round ligament that I pulled while pregnant with Collin. As my belly is growing the round ligament is getting more and more stretched. I just get these super sharp pains that suck! They really are horrible. I have to take it easy when I squat down to pick stuff up. I just have to be careful when I move sometimes. I am also not pushing my body as much during yoga so that I don't over stretch it. I feel so flexible right now (thank you to the hormone relaxin!) but I know that if I overdo it again, then I won't be able to MOVE! Listen to your body! That is the best advice!

Total Weight Gain: 13 pounds total weighing in at 250.6 pounds.

Symptoms: Lack of sleeping well. Tired a lot of the day, and round ligament pain from my pulled ligament from my last pregnancy. It sucks!

Baby’s Size: Eggplant (~9.2 inches, 2 pounds)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts. I am really on the hunt for good pregnancy exercise pants to wear, as I don't have any and I just stretch into my old ones. Oh and a good nursing sports bra. Yeah, I'm on the hunt! (Wearing my new Fabletics tank and sports bra in these pictures.)

Gender: GIRL!!!

Sleep: HORRIBLE! I have been tossing and turning, and I have restless leg syndrome. I am just kicking like crazy while I sleep. Plus she is starting to move at night more and it wakes me up, or when I flip over it wakes her and she kicks me to tell me to go back to sleep. She is a feisty one! I have been trying to combat poor sleep with listening to my hypnobirthing as I fall asleep. It seems to be helping, I am having better nights than bad.

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night.

Cravings: Veggies. Anything with lots of veggies looks amazing to me. It is kind of insane that I have turned into a veggie craving lady! I mainly have just been trying to make sure I am eating what I am supposed to be eating. Shakeology everyday. Enough veggies, protein, fruits and right kinds of carbs and so forth. And some indulgent treats here and there.

Aversions: nothing yet

Excited About: 3rd Trimester! We are getting so close to the final stretch!

Workouts: Got in almost all my workouts 4 days a this past week, which is awesome! Still trying to get in the nightly walks. Workouts included: 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates. Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity and Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts in daily.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Fit Tip Tuesday

Think about this just for a second. Because it really is true! If you stay committed in what you want to achieve you can! You just have to be disciplined!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Is Fear Stopping You From Reaching Your Goals?

If you want something bad enough...GO FOR IT and give it all that you have in you to accomplish it! No matter what! You just have to take that first step, decide you are ready for it and go for it without give up on your dream or you in the process. It takes daily work. But in the end you will be able to look back and be so proud of yourself for what you accomplished!

If you aren't reaching your goals there could be a HUGE 4 letter word stopping you from them. FEAR. Fear can stop anything dead in it's tracks before you even get a chance to try something new. I would love to go skydiving someday. It is actually on my bucket list, but I am terrified of heights. I have talked myself out of skydiving so many times just because of my fear.

A couple years ago when I started this leg of my journey, it wasn't the first time I had tried losing weight. I was still scared to try again because I "failed". I seriously thought I had failed before and I didn't want to fail again, but I got over my fear of failure and started again. And I am so glad that I did because it has led me to here and to recognize that I have never failed before. I stumbled. Do not let fear get in the way. This time is different because you have more support, more motivation, and more determination to kick butt and make this work!

If you are not getting the results you want, I want you to find sometime today to think about what might be holding you back. And Fear might be one of those reason. You have to release the fear and once you do you will see changes going.

How do you release the fear?

1) Make a list of the things that give you fear. Fear of failure. Fear of hitting a plateau. Fear of not following the food plan. Fear of actually losing the weight and life being different. These are all normal fears.

2) Look at your list and write down the opposite of fear. What good would come out of your fears in the end.

3) Don't be defined by your list. Because FEAR can be overcome!

4) Work everyday to overcome your fear to show yourself that you can do it!

WELCOME! If you are new CLICK HERE!

Hi! I'm Becky, the FIT GINGER! Are you having a hard time losing weight after having kids? Or do you struggle trying to find time to exercise daily and be the best version of you? I used to be a Yo-Yo dieter who struggled to lose weight and keep it off. Who put her kids first and didn't make the time to work on myself. I was uncomfortable in my own skin because of my shape and size. But not any more! Check out my site for info, tips, motivation and to learn about the tools that I use plus more to help you get the results you really want. Be sure to subscribe above for more tips right in your inbox!