Entry 1 - Relax , Relate, Release

Entry 1

Week 1

November 3, 2014

Morning Motivation:

Quote for the day – “Relax – Relate - Release” I am somewhat slowly, yet surely, learning to live in the moment. If I have a success during the day, I am learning to enjoy it right then and cease burdening myself with whether or not I can recreate that moment again later. This has up to now been a LONG journey to say the least, but here is what I’m noting – I can’t live out Matthew 6:25-34 (about not worrying) if I am constantly concerned and consumed with whether or not everything will be “perfect” (which it won’t). I also cannot allow myself to stress about whether things will work out again the same way tomorrow (or sheez, for that matter, later today), This reminds me to “relax – relate – release!” Shout out to Whitley Gilbert- If you have no idea what I’m talking about, type it in on youtube ;) lol.

What am I saying and why does it matter? Stress is bad (yep I’m sure you have NEEEVER heard that before, I know). Seriously, though, it is and we rob ourselves of joy when we relent to it. I’m not saying life is perfect or that it ever will be (because I would be lying). What I am saying is that we would all do ourselves a favor if we took life moment by moment. I am NOT saying that you should not have goals or even a plan for the future, but we have to enjoy and learn from each moment God gives us. That’s just where I am right now ;). Enjoy and impact the moment.

“...live as the wise not as the unwise, making the most of every opportunity...” – Ephesians 5:15-20

Food Fun:

Last night, I found a new smoothie on FB made with turmeric. You can check it out in my fb group, The Journey. I was reading some of the many benefits of turmeric, with a few of them being that it

helps with:

1.       Liver and gallbladder problems

2.       Diarrhea

3.        Menstrual problems

4.       Headache

5.       Bruising

So, of course, I was concerned about the taste. I made a few modifications out of necessity. Here is my recipe with those modifications:

1 cup coconut milk – I used simple truth organic

½ tsp ginger – I used a piece of actual ginger root

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup black berries and 2 packets of stevia plus ice

Blend and eat

It was yummy! I like cinnamon and ginger anyway so they were both bonus for me.

Check out the article in The Journey. Make modifications of your own and let me know how they taste. J

Workout:

Back and Biceps – Back and legs are by far my favorite muscle groups to work. Check out The Journey on FaceBook for a back and biceps challenge along with exercises and tips. https://www.facebook.com/groups/197571027049153/

Workout song of the week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3nLF4hmzE

 Let’s Go!

Make it a great day! – Enjoy each moment

<3 Tam.

Go - Beautiful - Go

" The spirit says go - its cold out there go  - its a lonely road - but the spirit says go...I gotta keep going, even when my spirit is broken..." -  excerpt from Mali Music "Go"

Words have escaped me in regards to talking about this journey, I've gone back and forth and forth and back trying to figure out how on earth I would ever adequately explain in words what I gained from this journey.....what God did.

1. God is amazing - I think that phrase is used so often in our society especially by people of faith that many times it may sound trite, but God has a way of reminding us of His awesomeness and power, even through simple things like a bodybuilding competition ;).

2. Who you are is enough....I have spent many years apparently not believing or knowing that, as it was revealed over and over and yes over again through this prep. I'm not a man so I can't tell you what men think, but speaking as a woman I know we often overlook how amazing we are in lieu of looking to be more - more successful than, more fit than, prettier than or as pretty/fit as such and such and many of you are probably saying , " girl not me, that was a your issue", but I challenge you to be honest with yourself and take a deeper look at why you buy certain things, eat certain foods, do your hair this way or that, heck why you exercise and the list goes on and on....  no matter how we may not want to admit it we are influenced  to a certain extent by the culture that we live in. " be in this world , but not of it" - that takes work.

3. Your beginning does NOT determine your ending.....my life verse is " For I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strengthens me" as simple as this verse may sound it is not for the feeble of heart...it requires believing that no matter the circumstance or situation that God is and He can and that YOU ARE CAPABLE.  I began the year preparing for a competition in June to which after three months of training God said NO - yep that's what I said very briefly (during my 5 minute pity part) my thoughts I've trained all this time and so and so gets to do this blah blah blah.....and then i said okay God you got it.  On to the next prep, its Yours anyway. Please understand that is a dangerous phrase;lol, true but dangerous none the less, because it demands that you surrender to whatever the outcome may be.

4. His answer probably won't look like what you expect.
I began prepping again....headed in the direction I thought He was leading me and nothing was happening....it seemed like my body was fighting me. Frustrated and stressed 14 days before my competition God revamped everything and ultimately I dropped 10 lbs and 4% body fat in 2 weeks. I just need us ALL to understand that's just God....Lots of hard work over here, but completely Him blessing my efforts. His answers won't always look like what we thought, they are always GREATER. :)

5. What you think about me really doesn't matter....What I know about me and What He says about me is all I really care about.
10lbs heavier and about 2 to 3% higher in body fat than my first comp. I took the stage, and I felt GREAT! There was true freedom in feeling complete, whole, and happy in my own skin (we will delve deeper into that in a forthcoming blog ;) ). God has called you BEAUTIFUL - He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made, in other words I am the BOMB ( I'm sure there is new lingo, but I'm old so whatever :p).
That is my prayer and hope for each of you and every person that I am blessed with the opportunity to journey with - that you will feel/be complete and whole in your own skin. So no matter if you are standing in glorified bedazzled underwear in front of a panel of judges or naked in front of your bathroom mirror -  that you would love ALL of you, because "you are not your hair" lol nor are you your jean size - you are much  much more than that.

All in all the tests/life circumstances we find ourselves in call us to walk the walk ( that we often talk about), they press us to see what is really inside, they call out our shortcomings and give us the opportunity to work at making them better.
The facebook poster really is right - we really should train our minds  to see the good in every situation.

You really do rock and I'm not just saying that.
Until next time - follow me on IG @ezefit7  or check for easy recipes, challenges, and encouragement on Face book at  Ezell Health and Fitness.
I hope you will give my blog a follow as well, there's lots I want to share with you.
Let's Journey together :)
<3  Walking in my Grace gift ;)
Tam.

YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU - PERIOD!!!! <3

Final Project - The Plan

“A sound mind in a sound body”. We are not merely a body or merely a spirit or brain, instead we are all three and each of those areas of our lives must be attended to and nourished. As humans we will never be perfect it is not in us to be able to do so; however we can strive for excellence. As a wellness professional it is essential that I attend to every part of my being (a) this is needed in order for me to function at my highest capacity and (b) because all three of those areas are called upon in my profession. It is necessary for me to make time for mental growth through reading and taking classes. Spiritually, I must be fit as well and this is achieved for me through spending time with God and taking breaks for myself and finally as a personal trainer it is necessary that I take care of my body as it is my primary billboard. My current goals for myself are to: (1) spend more quality time with God and I (2) take breaks and (3) read more. In order to reach these goals I will need to develop the spiritual part of my being more as well as sure up the psychological aspect as well.

    This class has forced me to look at myself more intently and challenged me to work harder at becoming more balanced. On a scale of one to ten I would rate my physical health at an 8.5 (because there is always room for improvement, I would rate my spirit man at a 7 because though I have found devotions for my phone I still need to spend more quality time and finally I would score my mental health as a 9 to 9.5 as I need to make the time to run anymore?

     Meditating with the Lord while running or lifting weights is one way I will address the growth of my physical and spiritual well- being and I will further make time to read in an effort to further grow in each area. Planning to take time to read is a bit trickier and requires a little more planning. One way I plan on implementing this plan is by scheduling house reading time – during this period of time everyone will pick a book and read, that way we will be reading together.

    One of the best tools for meeting any goal is (a) consistency and (b) accountability. It is essential in this process to have an accountability partner.  I will complete another as anything assessment at the three month point to insure that I am on the right track for reaching my goals.  Anything you do repeatedly for 21 days becomes habit. After 90 days I should note much less resistance to the above outlined changes. 

Reflections Unit 3 - Guide me.....hmmm probably not.....

Oh it's been a crazy busy few weeks, ok month, alright let's be real, its been a busy year. Lots of action, new adventures, school, work, family and the list continues. Typically I looooove this type of atmosphere albeit I do not always fair well in the midst of it. I do enjoy the chaos of it all for a little while, its very similar to the anticipation of a big family gathering - that sort of high. And then the realization that you can not on your best day do "EVERYTHING" lol, I am reminded that I am human and that God has only given us so many hours in a day and that some of them were actual meant for sleep (go figure that;LOL). So as I endeavor to complete this week's relaxation exercise and then answer the overall health assessment it is with the realization that just maybe I need to trim some fat from my life.

So here goes: 

Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), where do you rate your A-physical wellbeing, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

Physical well being I would give an 8/10, I would say I am probably the most physically fit I have been in my life. At the time of my competition my body fat was 12.7% at 137lbs. I was pretty lean, post comp I have put a few lbs back on and my Bodyfat percent has increased to 15% this is due to a less stringent way of eating which has also equalled more strength when I am lifting in the gym and a faster pace when I run, so though I see room for improvement If I am honest and reasonable with myself, then where I am physically is pretty good. 

Spiritual well being I would give a 7/10. My relationship with Christ is a continual journey and like all relationships I think that it ebbs and flows, not because Christ wavers, but because as a human I do. Christ has never left me, but I have wandered off at times and through gentle coaching been brought back. I will note that I could spend more time reading my Bible and in prayer, but I am making a concerted effort in this area by completing a daily devotional on my phone. Thankfully, God does not tally how many times I fail, but instead He rejoices every time I come back and in my desire to do better and just be with Him.

Psychological well being, I would say about 8.5/10 primarily because I am finally learning to talk about the things that bother me - let me tell you, this is FREEING and makes for a happier, healthier Tammy. 

Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

Physical - increased strength and muscle gain, as well as decreased mile time. To be completely comfortable with my physical appearance, realizing that it is just the outer and it will fade eventually. :)

Spiritual - Consistent devotional time and increased living it out.

Psychological - re- institute consistent journal writing. 

What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

Physical: i'm not sure.

Spiritual: I think it really is just about being consistent. 

Psychological: Journal writing. 

My attempts at the relaxation exercise - I would say somewhat frustrating, though I did not today another reason that I am having problems with the exercise outside of having to work hard to relax is I do not want to give up control. Note it is a "guided" exercise. The proctor said, "I am going to guide  your mind" and I noted that I do not want anyone guiding my mind anywhere, thus making the relaxation exercise difficult.

Lots of work points. - Have a fantastic week peeps! :)

Get free ya'll!

Tammy 

Just needed to get it out and into print. I failed today. Made it through the entire day , then I failed and allowed stress to get the better of me.
If a plant is not connected to the vine it will wither and die, as it is for us, if we are not connected to the vine (Jesus) we will wither and die - be tossed or lead astray.
At the end of the day eating a luna bar and about 15 walnuts ( yes, this is how I mess up;lol) will not kill me, it will set my goals back but it will not kill me. Its not what I ate that is a problem, its why I ate. There is a fantastic song by Andy Mineo called Superhuman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BF88Y4i1Vg, that hopefully reminds everyone that we are NOT superhuman, we are not superheroes in disguise, even those that work hard on a daily basis to do what is right will fail at some point - why because we are human and by virtue of that flawed and imperfect. This is made manifest by the decision for God to send His only baby, His only son Jesus to die so that we could be made whole in Him and be reconciled unto Him.
If any of you are like me then failing is an ISSUE;lol , though much can be gained from the process, the thought of failing is typically hard to chew, swallow and digest ;).
So what are we to do, when faced with ourselves - our imperfect selves - my answer, what I plan on doing - Reconnect to the vine and allow Him to redirect my steps, so that I can forgive my failures (learn from them) and go forth.  Your failures do NOT define you.
So how is this hashed out? You are human and because of that please cut yourself some slack - NO that does not mean go around just sinning just because and it doesn't give you a pass to wallow in your failures etc, but it does give you a pass to forgive yourself  and DO BETTER- Jesus has forgiven you, as a matter of fact He has died for you, so who are you really not to forgive yourself.
Fail - Live - Learn! (and go to bed early to beat your cravings and stress;LOL) ;)
I'll leave you with a few thoughts:
"be anxious for NOTHING, but in all things by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which passeth ALL understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippiance 4:6-7

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us fom ALL unrighteousness." I John 1:9

Here is a great Monday scripture:
"He will never leave you nor will He forsake you" :D definitely need that reminder ;lol

Have a fantastic week peeps. It's Tuesday! Monday is over ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BF88Y4i1Vg

Get Free ya'll!

Re-focus......

I have been asked many times this week if I would compete again.....answer to some I'll let you know, to others I would give the proposed dated....the truth I have had doubts about having the tenacity to do it again (i'm real...we all have doubts).....I've wondered if God would have me do it again or if this was just a one time deal......I've feared the expectation of competing again and not placing first (I am fiercely competitive....and now striving for excellence instead of perfection - that's growth;lol, but I have the desire to win all the same....) but the emotion was real all the same......the rebound has been difficult to deal with and readjusting a bit more than I imagined (though I am feeling and doing much better now)........I guess I just got scared (ha) started leaning to my own understanding (always a FAIL! ;).......so I logged on and I see the two pictures I posted below and it was not the fact that she eats meat and competes at 70 years old that drew my interested or released me to believe its okay to go for it again, I'm honestly not really sure what it was, but something about seeing her sparked the desire to compete just for the sake of having the opportunity to do, because maybe God will see fit to use it again to inspire someone or open the door to share Him with someone that otherwise I would not meet.....not sure, but thankful that God can use anything to get our attention and help us to refocus......yep its body building and yep it seems vain, but the process if surrendered to God (as with ALL things) can be used to build and bless.
Real talk - its been a difficult week.....but the same God who brought me through not only the process of competing for the first time, but the same one who has brought me to this current point, will insure in whatever the situation that I have ALL that I need to complete every task that He places in front of me. He will do the same for you.....Do not be discouraged, do not fear, do not worry (as we all are so prone to do) my Daddy will take care of us according to His riches and glory, He will do exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all that we could hope or imagine for....If our ways are committed and surrendered to Him He will establish us and lead us. No need to fear for He is with us and no matter the situation He will NOT leave us nor will He forsake us.
You can trust Him for anything.
Bless each and everyone of you.
Tam :)

Journey on....

Phil 1:6 - (paraphrased) - God will complete the work He began in you.

It's funny to think that this journey began seven years ago while pregnant with our third baby. I was done, up to that point I had spent the better part of my twenties 200+ and with her pregnancy I topped out at 250lbs. I needed help and God provided it. I am a living breathing testimony that commitment will render results (as we had two more children after her). This journey has consisted of continual lifestyle changes not just in my diet, but primarily in my mind and spirit, that is what has made the greatest impact. "As a man thinketh so is he (or as his heart goes)". Your worldview is what has to change for your "world" life to see any major lasting changes. 

As we enter this new year I am at the cusp of yet another goal and that is to become a figure competitor, seven years ago I just wanted to weigh less than 200lbs - amazing how a things change isn't it :).

I would like to encourage anyone who is beginning their journey towards greater health and fitness (inside and out) to set some action goals - I think those are the best because they require you to move and that movement assist in what we see as our ultimate goals (like lose 20lbs etc.). In my journey a few of my action goals have included:

1. Run my first 5k

2. Run my first 10k

3. Run a half marathon

Current goal complete my first figure competition.

This has provided a means to continue to have something to train for and help push me to continue live healthfully. 

I hope you will allow me to be a part of your journey and that you will take part in mine this year as well.

Journey on friends.

New Day - New Year - New Opportunities

Tam. :)