So here’s our big news…

We are going to ALASKA!!!

We are not just going to Alaska we are making it an epic road trip of 6000 miles from Key West to Alaska. I’m so excited! Alaska has been on our dream list since we left but until now we’ve only talked about it. Honestly, driving the Alaskan highway seemed a little scary to me. I’ve heard it can be very remote at places. What if we run out of gas? What if we are in an accident and there isn’t reception? What if? What if? What if? But after seeing the 48 states we knew it was time to set those “what ifs” aside and make our dream a reality so here we go!

Go RVing is partnering with us on the trip so I’ll be sharing our weekly update on their blog. Our first week in Key West was posted this week. I’ll certainly be sharing parts of it here too but if you are interested in the details beyond food and fitness check out my posts on the Go RVing blog. Or you can like Newschool Nomads on Facebook. I post photos daily and share the Go RVing posts.

So going to Alaska means I get to film my 49th kettlebell workout. Filming another kettlebell workout also means I need to deal with some body image stuff.

It’s been 8 weeks since Thing 3 was born and my body is nowhere near where it was and to tell you the truth I have mixed feelings about it.

Don’t Care Days

Much of the time, I really don’t care.

Truly don’t care. It’s quite freeing.

(Although to be honest, most days my hair is a mess and I don’t brush my teeth until noon so maybe I’m just “letting myself go” in the name of freedom!)

I even have this vision of myself that’s smaller than reality. For instance, the other day I went shopping and I grabbed a few pairs of shorts that by looking at them I was SURE they were going to fit. Into the dressing room I went and was shocked that I couldn’t get them up over my thighs. I had to get two sizes bigger than what I thought.

Here’s the really good part.

I mentally shrugged my shoulders and felt nothing.

Nothing.

There was no emotional low afterwards because my self worth was not attached to my size. Grabbing a different size of short was like deciding a different color would look better.

It’s a sign I have either come a long way in regards to body image or I’m just too dang tired to care. Probably a bit of both.

Do Care Days

Then there are days when I button up my pants and notice my tummy pushing out and over the waistband and think, I really need to start working out again and maybe I shouldn’t have eaten those three heaping spoonfuls of almond butter.

And the tone I’m using with myself may not be so nice.

Then I think of filming my Alaska workout and feel a little horrified imagining how much my butt is going to jiggle when I do swings.

Images of all these other fit bloggers fill my mind with self doubt.

I remind myself….

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt

…and I move on.

___

When we first hit the road, I had all these grand ideas of filming a workout in every state with a six pack. Months before we left I thought I’ll get my six pack back but as our departure date grew close I didn’t get any leaner.

Once we hit the road, I still didn’t get leaner. In fact, I started to gain weight especially when I added sugar back into my diet. I decided I would rather indulge in the unique culinary experiences to be had all over the country than to chase after a body type that would require huge amounts of discipline. (Side note: I don’t see anything wrong with having this type of body and the discipline it requires as long as the person is still thriving emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. There’s too much body bashing out there from all directions and I don’t want to join the mob.)

Two and half years later, I’m back at a size that may have triggered depression 6 years ago.

Now things are different. There are days I care and days I don’t. The “don’t care” days far outnumber the “do care” days. Perhaps when I’m less sleep deprived I’ll care more.

But one thing is for sure whether I do dare or don’t care, I’m done attaching my self worth to my size.

Done.

So I’m heading up to Alaska and I’m going to film my 49th kettlebell workout and if I’m still two sizes bigger then so be it. Take it as a sign that I’m thoroughly enjoying my life and body as it is.

Or that I’m still seriously sleep deprived.

Or maybe that this little guy’s face melts aways all the worries in the world.

I hope all is well with you. Aside from being sleep deprived things are going well in our world on wheels!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at Newschool Nomads as we travel in our RV through the United States!

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The post Big News and Body Image appeared first on Girl Heroes.

We, as women, are bombarded every day with mixed messages. At the grocery store check out line we are told how to get flat abs, have better sex, and “perfect hair”. The ultimate message being we aren’t enough.

Then we log onto Facebook and see our friends sharing images or articles with the message “Real Women Have Curves” or  bashing (or praising) Maria Kang for posting a meme about excuses or a multitude of other anti-body shaming messages. Don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT for body shaming and I’ve seen some really really great articles on body loving. I’m glad women are speaking up and saying it’s okay to love our bodies as they are because that couldn’t be more true no matter what you look like.

No matter what you look like.

Not nice.

Because sometimes the attempt at body love goes too far one way and depending on where you are on the spectrum of body types the message for many women still is “you are not enough”. Often this message is coming from (well intentioned) friends and family and that can be harder to hear than the messages we get from media outlets. We know that _____ (insert company) wants to sell us _____ (insert product) because it will supposedly make us more attractive, successful, or desirable. I think most of us also know that that message is also a load of crap.

It’s important in this social media backlash against the ideal (whatever that may be because depending on whether you are looking at Vogue, Fitness, or a mens magazine I see more than one ideal represent.) to remember that these women are human and no amount of dieting, makeup, or plastic surgery can change that fact. The woman with the tummy tuck, breast augmentation, face lift, and hair color is just as real as the crunchy hippy wearing nothing but a faded sundress.

NOT nice no matter how you look at it.

Just as we shouldn’t make an overweight person feel less than. We shouldn’t make the skinny woman feel as if she’s not a real woman because she doesn’t have curves. Or call the girl with the six pack abs and sculpted deltoids a “man” or worse (in my opinion) selfish because she chooses to make choices that keep her looking lean and fit. Or assume people who work hard on their appearance (physically or financially) are  self-centered. Or declared that someone is motivated by fitspo is shallow.

That’s not to say certain behaviors are not sometimes signs of underlying issues. Excessive plastic surgery, over exercising, over eating, or restrictive eating are potentially dangerous habits that should be addressed but last I heard having issues doesn’t make us less than human. Having issues makes us human. And humans, all humans, are worthy of love and respect.

People are so much more complex than the endless list stereotypes we stick on them.

You are valuable six pack or not.

You are valuable skinny or not.

You are valuable curves or not.

You are valuable with or without plastic surgery.

You are valuable as mother or not.

You are valuable in a relationship or single.

The list goes on.

Nothing can make you more or less valuable.

Nothing can you make you more or less “a real woman”.

Nothing.

You are enough as you are. You are valuable because you are you.

Don’t let any media with its narrow ideals or well intentioned social media meme tell you otherwise.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at Newschool Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States.

The post Are you a “real” woman? appeared first on Girl Heroes.

If you think you can’t do something Jen Bricker will challenge you to think again.

Jen Bricker has quite an athletic resume. She grew competing in softball, basketball, volleyball, power tumbling, and even competed in the Jr. Olympics, an impressive list of accomplishments for an average individual. However, Jen is far from average. Jen was born without legs due to a nonhereditary birth defect.

Jen Bricker was raised by adoptive parents in rural Illinois. Her mainstream upbringing allowed to her to grow up  and excel like any other kid. She never realized she was any different.  Like many small town girls (ahem), she grew up knowing nothing about nutrition and fitness programming. She grew up in the “world” of fried food and vegetables from a can.

In 2008, Jen decided to pursue a career in entertainment and moved to Orlando, Florida.  There she started to learn about working out and nutrition. She also began performing as an acrobrat/aerilist which eventually landed her a spot as a cast member on Britney Spears The Circus Tour.

Two years ago, Jen took yet another leap of courage and moved to Los Angeles to further her career. Quickly, she learned that in Los Angeles image is part of the game and she took her nutrition and fitness to an even new level and completely transformed her body.

You had an amazing transformation! What triggered your lifestyle change and can you share what your lifestyle, food and fitness wise, was like before and after?

My transformation came in steps, first entering the entertainment industry, I initially dropped 15lbs.  Then the biggest transformation came when I moved to L.A.  I knew that if I wanted to be the best at my field and achieve all my goals, I had to take care of everything I could control, to give myself the best advantage that I could.  In Hollywood, the better you look, the more you work.  I knew that was the cold hard truth for anyone out here.  Thankfully, I was blessed with an AMAZING trainer who changed my life completely, Eric The Trainer!!!  Everything about my lifestyle, diet, sleep, & exercise transformed, which is why I transformed!

What does your current fitness regime look like? What are your favorite exercises and why?

I currently workout 5 to 6 days a week for about 30-45 min.  I do a mixture of floor exercises all with my own body weight NO weights or machines.  The exercises are as if you are on your hands and knees doing variations of kicking your legs behind and beside you, as well as holding your body weight up during each exercise.  My trainer is very specific about his methods for females to maintain the lean, feminine look.  For me especially one of my biggest problem areas were my arms.  People always think I work them out and lift to get my big muscles, when actually it is quite the opposite.  I always hated having muscular arms, I wanted thin, feminine arms.  So I actively worked with Eric to shrink and tone them.

How or where do you find motivation when it starts to run low?

I mainly workout in groups with people whom I now have formed great friendships with through working out.  That is a great motivation to look beside you and see your friend working just as hard and uplifting you.  Also my trainer is always such a motivation and a happy face!

What made you want to learn acrobatics and how did you get involved? 

Ever since I can remember I was magnetically drawn to gymnastics.  In fact when I was about 7, I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast!  I knew the balance beam would be hard, but I didn’t care.

Did people ever doubt you? If so how did you respond?

If people ever doubted me, I never knew about it.  When I was younger I really had no clue I was THAT different.  No one at home, at school, or at the gym, ever treated me any different.

How has living with a disability made you stronger?

For me living with a “disability” is all I’ve ever known.  I’ve always been able to do everything I’ve ever wanted to do, so I don’t really see myself as disabled.  I don’t really think my life is drastically different than others?

Is there something about living with a disability you would like others to know about?

I think in some ways living with a “disability” has made me mature faster and see the world in a different way.  Looking different or standing out definitely draws attention and I think I get to see a person’s true self a lot quicker than maybe someone else.  I think it has allowed me to have a great perspective of reading others quickly and really seeing someone’s true self.  It is a gift I’m actually really thankful for.

I think most women struggle with body image. You work in the entertainment industry and live in Los Angeles, a city that know for image! I’d love to hear your perspective. What does healthy body image mean to you?

Living in Los Angeles can absolutely throw your mind for a total head spin!!  It can be very hard to maintain a healthy perspective on your body, when your surrounded by image,image,image.  Honestly, I have struggled just like anyone else feeling that I am not small enough, pretty enough, etc…  But I always try to remember my true purpose in life and why I was born this way and that was to help inspire and motivate others through the gifts and talents I was given.  That always puts things in perspective & gives me a reality check.  Also I go and volunteer with the homeless on Skid row, being around people who are out of the entertainment industry is a great way to un-plug and gain perspective.

What goals are you working towards right now?

My main goals are to write a book in the next 5 years, be on the cover of a women’s fitness magazine, get more involved in voice-over work and my ultimate goal is to be a TV personality/talk show host!

You performed in The Circus staring Britney Spears. What was that like? Did you even imagine you would perform in front of thousands of people growing up?!?

I honestly can’t believe that was part of my life, being on the Britney tour was one of the most surreal highs of my life.  Sometimes we would perform in front of 20,000 people LIVE!!  We were CENTER stage, ALL eyes on us!  It was the most adrenaline racing, heart pumping, ALIVE moments over and over again.  I am so thankful and blessed to have that be a part of my life!

Who inspires (or has inspired) you?

I would say my family inspires me the most, just seeing how constant and steady they are.  How they truly value and cherish the things that really matter in life, how selfless they are. They would always put us kids before themselves and they would give you the shirt off their back.  I am SO ridiculously blessed that I was able to have such amazing people raise me.

Just for fun…if your life was a song what would the title be?

“This One’s for the Girl’s”  by: Martina McBride.  SUCH a great song of empowerment for any girl/woman!!

Thank you Jen for sharing your story with us. You are an inspiration in the truest sense of the word!

You can connect with Jen Bricker on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post Girl Hero Jen Bricker appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I admit when I first came across the new MAC Strength ad with a female bodybuilder, I was a bit startled.

Is this real?

Yes it is, unlike, the fake “My butt is big” Nike ad that circulated the internet a few years ago.

Who is this beautiful woman in the ad?

Her name is Jelena Abbou. She is a Serbian-American bodybuilder and fitness model.

Most importantly…

Is the new MAC Strength ad beautiful or another version of an almost impossible ideal for most women? 

First of all I LOVE this picture. I’m a huge fan of muscles on women. It’s strong, beautiful, unique, and in your face.

I love the message that muscles are beautiful. It has always bothered me that men who have six pack abs get labeled ripped and women get labeled “mannish”.  (It wasn’t toooo long  ago that I had a ripped six pack of my own.) It’s another one of those unfair double standards attempting to put female beauty in a box.

However…this is still another ideal. Albeit, a healthier ideal than bone thin, it’s still an ideal that most women aren’t going to be able to achieve without an extremely strict fitness regime and diet.

Jolene Abbou is lean like really LEAN. After all, she is a fitness model and that’s a part of the job.

My point is just as it’s important to remember most women in magazines are photoshopped, it’s important to remember that a body like this is a mixture of genetics, crazy strict discipline, and time. I guarantee she didn’t build this body overnight.

(Of course, “crazy strict” is relative. One person’s strict is another person’s walk in the park.)

Regardless of the questions this ad raises for me, I’m thrilled to see mainstream advertising embracing different side of beauty. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to what we are used to seeing.

From the MAC site–

“Flex your femininity with a colour collection that’s fearless, elegant and strong. Strike a powerful pose, stand out, redefine the notion of beauty – and do it with strength too irresistible to ignore.”

Yes “redefine the notion of beauty” and start by resisting the temptation to compare yourself to anyone and embrace your unique beauty as you are.

How do you feel about the new MAC Strength ad? Do you think it’s beautiful, another ideal, or both?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post The MAC Strength Ad appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I’ll admit when I first came across Adrian’s blog, Chase Fear, it was her before and after pictures that caught my eye. It didn’t take much reading to see that her blog was about so much more than weight loss. It’s about perseverance and overcoming fears. Adrian knows what it’s like to over eat and under eat. After a long journey she has come to a place of peace with her food and has run two marathons in the process. Find out how Adrian found peace with food, overcomes depression, and why she loves to run!

How is your lifestyle now different to your lifestyle before?

Before: For me, food wasn’t a means of survival. My life became evolved around food. When I think back to my relationship with food, it’s actually quite alarming how common it is amongst today’s society. It’s no surprise to me that I often ate because I had “nothing better to do,” but I believe the root of the issue was much deeper than keeping myself busy for several moments. Recently, I came across a quote by Ann Wigmore; “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” I read this quote dozens of times because it’s as if Ann knew me herself. You often hear about individuals who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc., but you rarely hear about food addictions. Food is cheap, easily accessible, and will always be legal, no matter the age of a person. Why? Well, we need food to survive. What we don’t need is excess. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Unfortunately, these thoughts never crossed my mind every time another morsel of food made its way to my mouth. Food was my drug of choice, and it gave me intense feelings…almost like a high. It helped to fill an empty void. What I didn’t know is that I was slowly killing myself.

After: This question is going to take me into the 2^nd leg of my journey…my 26.2 mile long journey. Upon losing 110 pounds, I was suddenly faced with a huge wall of fear, which was constructed with bricks depicting failure, depression, bullying, and a strong sense of worthlessness. My caloric intake started reaching dangerously low levels in the summer of 2010, and I was confronted by concerned family and friends on more than one occasion. I was in denial, my life near the point of jeopardy…until I met a runner in October of 2010, which I will explain in more detail below. Running has saved my life and allowed me to view food as fuel for my performance. I depend on proper nourishment in order to feed my passion. Since becoming a runner, I’ve stopped daily weigh-ins, I’ve gained 14 pounds of muscle, I consume twice as many calories, and I’ve learned to love healthy, natural foods. Food gives me the energy that I need during my training cycles, and it’s a constant learning process. And, when I do treat myself, it actually feels like a treat. Cake tastes so much better when you don’t eat it often!

You seem to have a lot of discipline! How did you develop your discipline?

When it comes to my running discipline, it’s simple. Running is an amazing sport for many reasons. You just never ever know what’s going to happen, and something about that notion drives me. You have good days, and you have bad days. The bad days allow you to appreciate the good days. I also love being able to catch a glimpse of the world by foot. It’s miraculous how much I’m able to see/take in during a run, many things that I couldn’t possibly experience otherwise. 

I also love what running has done for me. I run to challenge myself. I run to be fearless. I run to clear my my wildly rampant thoughts. I’m a runner, and I love every painstakingly triumphant moment. I sometimes think, “Why do I do this to myself?” But when I reach a new personal best or cross another finish line, that’s when I get my answer. I love the feeling of the ground pounding beneath my feet. I love the wind blowing through my hair and the sweat pouring down my face. An overwhelming sense of pride rushes through me every single time I lace up my shoes. Running doesn’t define me. I define running. I gained so much insight from running. I’ve developed new outlooks, built numerous friendships, and created lasting memories because of running. Running is an adventure, and I’m always up for the challenge. I’m chasing every fear that I’ve ever possessed, and I’m using these fears to drive me forward on a daily basis.

When it comes to leading a healthy life, I like to compare my body to a car, my internal structure the engine, and my stomach the gas tank. You wouldn’t put regular fuel into a diesel engine, would you? That’s how I feel about poisoning my body with unhealthy foods.

You say depression runs in your family and I gather from your blog you have dealt with some depression yourself. (Me too.) What have you found helps keep those dark days at bay?

An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness still strikes me at random moments. Often times, I can’t even explain why I feel sad. However, I can say without any regards, that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole entire life. When depression lands on my plate, I’m MUCH more open about my feelings and the things that are bothering me. In the past, my book was closed and left on a shelf to collect dust. Now, I often open up to my mom, my loving boyfriend Sean, or my close family-like friends. For the most part, they are able to lift my spirit enough to get me through my brief bouts of sadness. When that doesn’t work, I turn to running. A lot of people say that ‘running is cheaper than therapy.’ That’s because it’s true. When I run, it’s my own personal time to reflect upon my life. Sometimes, I even zone out and completely forget about whatever is stressing me out at the moment.

How did you start running? What kept you running?

Running. Just the idea of running made me cringe. In the past, I never viewed running as a sport. I viewed it as a form of torture or punishment. All I had were painful memories from gym class where I could barely run for short bursts without being struck with fatigue and shortness of breath. Running always made me feel completely weak and defeated. I’ve even heard chuckles and rude comments from fellow students. I dreaded every single second of gym class, never hoping to run again. It wasn’t until I met a runner myself that I changed my outlook. He already had ultra-marathons and the Pittsburgh Marathon under his belt and I often thought, why? Why does he run so much? “It’s not fun,” I thought. The more I heard him talk about it and reveal his passion for running, the more intrigued I became. I started reading about running on the internet and came across the term most runners are familiar with, “runner’s high.” I didn’t get it, and for some time, I don’t think I wanted to understand it. Although, reading stories about this notion left me with a sort of empty feeling. I ultimately ended up wanting to experience this feeling for myself, so I could understand why people run, and more importantly, why my friend runs. I did a lot of research on my own through magazines, websites, and asking my friend for a few pointers here and there. I began testing my limits on the treadmill in January of 2011 and once I discovered how quickly I was progressing, I didn’t want to give up. I became my own motivator. Once I showed a genuine interest in running, my friend convinced me to sign up for the Mt. Summit Challenge. The rest is history. I still don’t see running as a sport. I see it as a lifestyle. It’s what I do. This friend I’m referring to is no longer a part of my life, but I’ve learned that people come into your life for a reason. Perhaps I was born a runner, but I just needed that extra push. He was there to open the door and for that, I will always be grateful. 

How do you stay motivated?

I love every “I want to quit” moment because it drives me to push harder and break through my barriers. Even I have days when I don’t want to do anything but sit on my couch and watch television. It’s especially true now that I work 40+ hours per week. When I find myself in a running funk, I just imagine the 230 lb shy, awkward girl. I think about how far I’ve come, and that’s what motivates me to lace up my sneakers and get my butt out the door. That’s definitely the hardest part of any run. I’ve certainly been at this for way too long to give up now. I constantly want to prove to myself that the little voice inside my head is a liar for ever telling me that this is impossible. It’s not. And once I found that motivation to become the best version of myself, I refused to let go of it. It’s astonishing of how much your body and mind tie into one another.

Did your weight loss journey change you on the inside?

Yes. I feel like I was in a coma for the last 20+ years, and I’m finally waking up. I think the best reward of this entire journey is being able to say “I’m happy” and truly mean it 100%. After losing the weight, my silence was still something that needed to be worked on. I had no other choice but to find the volume button and start living. Now that I’ve discovered my identity and found happiness, I can finally speak now and not forever hold my peace. I think losing the weight was my first speak now moment. I trusted my journey. I conquered what seemed like an endless battle, and I’ve gained so much insight as a result. Life is a crazy, beautiful ride, and I want to experience everything that I possibly can since I missed out on so much in the past. I feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life, and I’m not about to waste another given moment.

 Any advice for people beginning their own weight loss journey?

We were all given 24 hours in a day. The gap between success and failure in life is dependent upon how a person chooses to use their time.

Get your mind ready for the battle. Your greatest opponent is yourself. When your mind tells you that losing weight is “impossible,” use that as a dare. Dare yourself to become a better you. Say to yourself, “I’m not going to disappoint anyone except for that little voice inside of my head telling me I can’t.” Next, slow and steady wins the race. Just like a marathon, it’s important not to start out too fast because it will lead to burn out early in the race. They key is to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Document everything in a food journal, and hold yourself accountable (find a support group). You run your body, nobody else, so take good care of it.

Also, weight loss involves behavior modification. Poor habits didn’t develop overnight, so in contrast, they won’t disappear overnight. Trust me when I say this: changing habits isn’t easy, but if you’re aiming for positive changes, I can guarantee the worth. With a triple D effort, dedication, discipline, and determination, you’ll soon find yourself heading in the right direction. The key to permanent success (keeping the weight off FOREVER) is finding the best way for you to stay on the path. Key word: YOU. What works for someone else may not work for you, vise versa. Sure, there will be wrong turns, dead ends, and unknown paths, but as long as you’re willing to find your way back, you’ll keep traveling along the road of success. You have to trust your journey.

Can you share one of your favorite quotes with us?

“Greatness. It’s just something we made up. Somehow we come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few for prodigies, for superstars, and the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It’s not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We are all capable of it, all of us.” -NIKE

Adrian, thank you so much for sharing your journey with us! I know you given me a lot to think about! You didn’t send me this picture but I found it on your blog and I think it encapsulates the reason why you are a Girl Hero!

You can find Adrian on her blog Chase Fear, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post Girl Hero Adrian appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Dannii is proof that small changes can have real lasting results. Three years ago Dannii began a journey to lose 98 pounds. Not only did she reach her goal she has maintained for over two years!

Danni lives in the UK with her husband.  She works from home as a freelance writer and an online researcher. Despite her sometimes 10-12 hour work days she finds the time to cook healthy food and workout. Dannii also writes her blog, Hungry Healthy Happy. Like the title suggests her blog is full of tips to reach your goals without losing your mind in the process!

Girl Hero Dannii

How does your lifestyle now compare to your lifestyle then? In other words, how do your before and after weight loss stories compare?

They are drastically different. My lifestyle before my weight loss was mostly sedentary and revolved around junk food. Constantly thinking when my next chocolate bar was going to be or what day we would be having a takeaway. It was a time filled with negative body image and a lot of unhappiness. Fast forward a few years and I am happier than I have ever been. I am active and I still love food and I still eat a lot, but I am eating things that are better for my body and most importantly I have found a balance. A balance between doing the things that I know will help me live longer and doing all the things that I enjoy too, like ocassionally eating cake and drinking wine.

What was the catalyst for your journey to health?

I got the kick I needed when I had a health scare in 2008. I was unable to breathe properly and my heart was skipping a beat often (sometimes 10 times a day) and causing me to have huge panic attacks. After having several heart monitors fitted, I was told that I did have a “normal” mild heart condition that caused my heart to skip sometimes, but my weight was likely making it worse. I knew that I was slowing (or maybe even quickly) killing myself and I knew that I needed to change.

You started with gentle yoga, then swimming, and zumba. What do you do now for fitness?

Now I do a little bit of everything. To be honest, I am not one of those people who always loves working out, but I do always love how I feel after it. I get bored very easily, so if I don’t change it up all the time, I probably wouldn’t work out. So I usually do a different workout 6 days a week. I still do yoga, swimming and zumba, but I have also started running and I love doing kettlebell workouts. I also found a love of kick boxing – it is a great stress relief.

Did you hit more than one plateau on your journey to lose 98 pounds? If so how did you overcome the plateaus?

Yes, I hit several plateaus – some were a few weeks long. There are perfectly natural and I think they are your bodies was of preparing you for maintenance. I got through them by mixing things up. I did a few different workouts, ate some new foods, even upped my calories for a while and it got things moving again. Your body gets used to a routine, and you need to keep it guessing.

You’ve maintained your weight loss for almost 2 years. Many people find maintaining harder than losing. Any advice for maintaining?

I really do feel that for me, maintenance is harder than losing the weight was (not that that was easy at all). My main piece of advice would be to remind yourself that it is an adjustment. Your body has gone from you teaching it to lose weight, to you know trying to keep your weight the same. You might initially gain a little weight, but it will regulate itself again, just be patient. Maintenance is how your life is going to be, so you have some time to get used to it. Also, remember that once you reach your goal, you can’t just go back to making the decisions you made before you started. There is not end point.

What motivates you?

My health is my biggest motivator. Feeling better about the way I look is an added bonus, but being able to do so many things that I couldn’t do, like run up some stairs and feeling myself getting stronger every day makes it so worth it and it motivates me to keep going. I am also motivated to inspire others and show them that they can do it. The people that follow me on Facebook motivate me with their amazing achievements every day.

You discovered you love to cook! Do you have a favorite recipe you could share?

A favourite recipe? That is like asking someone to pick their favourite child haha. I think it would have to be my healthy chicken tortilla soup. I made it recently for the first time and it was a bit of a revelation. I LOVE Mexican food, and soup, so this was a big hit. 

You’ve clearly changed on the outside but I’m curious if your journey affected the inside? In other words, did you change on the inside as well?

Changing on the inside is possibly the biggest change for me and one that not many people notice. People are wowed by the before and after photos, but if only they could see the change to my health and the change mentally, that would be what really wowed them. Apart from my improved health (lower blood pressure and cholesterol), I am just a much happier and positive person. I was the girl who always saw the worst in every situation and I would put myself down all the time and thing that I wasn’t worthy of anything because of my weight. But, the truth is, I was worthy then and I am still worthy now. I am more than my body and my body is capable of more than I ever gave it credit for. It sounds cheesy, but I didn’t change as a person when losing weight, I just discovered the person I really was.

From your blog, “I’m not going to say it will be easy, but it WILL be worth it.”  I love your honesty. In what ways is it worth it?

In what ways isn’t it worth it would be the easier question (the answer to that would be financially, I buy too many clothes now haha). To be able to wake up every day and not get out of breathe by just getting out of bed or putting socks on and to finally have found a balance in my life. For me as well, it made me find direction. Inspiring and helping other people on similar journeys is my direction and I never would have found that is I had not of done it myself. It is hard work and you will be challenged every day and you will have some bad day, but at the end of it when you look at how far you have come, there are no words to describe how incredible that feels. I can wear any outfit I want, not just the one that covers me up the most and my heart and head are much healthier.

Thank you Dannii for sharing your story! You are an inspiration!

You can find Dannii on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course her blog, Hungry Healthy Happy!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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A few weeks ago, while scrolling through Facebook status updates I noticed a self-portrait, or a “body shot”, of girl who was a friend of a friend (she had tagged my friend) taken from the hips to the shoulders revealing a very smooth flat tummy. I’ll be honest the flat tummy caught my eye long enough for me to read the caption that said something about wanting to lose weight and fight fat.

My first thought was “what fat?”. (I should also say that she didn’t look to be at an unhealthy low weight either.) Then I remembered that I have been there and can understand wanting to lose a few vanity pounds that only you notice. Nothing wrong with that.

Then, I thought a little more about the body shot and wondered how it might make other people on FB feel.

Were people motivated? Good for them.

Were people annoyed? Get over it.

But what if they were hurt? Did she have truly overweight friends who felt bad about themselves after looking at her photos what our culture might call a “perfect tummy” and declaring to her FB world that it’s time to get rid of the “fat”. Should we even care about other’s people’s feelings or should we take a “hide me then” attitude?

Would her flat tummy picture had been different if there would have been a “before” picture along side it? It wasn’t a “look at my progress!” picture. I was an essentially “before” pictures as she was claiming it was time to get rid of the very very little fat she still had clinging to her waist.

My thoughts were complex and confused.

Why did she post it?

Did she want attention?

Did she really think she was fat?

Was she another woman comparing herself to the unrealistic pictures in the media? Did her perfect tummy not look so perfect because it was taken in bathroom lighting instead of studio lighting?

Body image is so complicated.

Couple it with social media and it’s a recipe for angst rivaling that of politics.

I’ll admit it, I treat my Facebook profile differently than I treat my blog or other social media platforms.

For one, like most people I have a wide range of friends I personally know on Facebook that I don’t have on other social media platforms. I have church friends, friends from my acting class days, high school friends, taekwondo friends, college friends, ect. While I never “add” kids, sometimes a friend’s child will ask to be my friend and I accept. Because of the wide variety of “friends”, I feel a certain sense of responsibility to only post “family friendly” updates. I also make an effort to keep things positive. (If there is one thing I despise on FB, it’s passive agressive updates. Updates that you know are talking unfavorably about someone but you aren’t sure who. I’m surprised by how many adults I see doing this. GROW. UP.) While I can’t control how other people feel, I do try to be conscious of how my posts and pictures may affect my friend’s positively or negatively.

On the other hand, I assume people coming to my health blog are looking to read about food, fitness, and body image. If not they can easily click away. In the past, I have posted “progress pictures” or “body shots” on my blog without giving it much thought. On my personal Facebook page, I haven’t posted a “body shot”, a picture that was taken with the sole purpose of sharing my body composition with anyone who hasn’t hidden me. Seeing that over half of our population is obese, it’s likely that while my current body composition won’t land me on the cover of Oxygen magazine my current composition might be someone else’s, a friend’s, goal composition. Or it might very well be a body composition that a friend on FB can only emotionally “dream of” at the moment. If I show dissatisfaction with my body at a healthy body weight on FB what am I saying about my friends who are at an unhealthy body weight? And what is “healthy” and “unhealthy” anyway?

It’s all so complicated.

This post feels like a muddled mess. Welcome to my brain.

How do you feel about “body shots” on Facebook? On blogs? Is there a difference? How much sensitivity should we show others on social media? Should it change from outlet to outlet? Don’t you love the “hide” feature! 

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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I’ve been doing some thinking.

Thinking about how this year is going too fast. Wondering if there is a way to slow down time? About our next adventure. Europe possibly? And about how much I’d love a hairless cat.

I’ve also been thinking about something I said a few weeks ago.

“I feel slightly self-conscious filming my videos. As you can see I’m NOT fat but I’m not as lean as I was. People can be really harsh and it makes me nervous especially on YouTube although I haven’t had anyone say anything mean yet.”

Last week, I saw this t-shirt at Disney Hollywood Studios. Here is the complete quote from the Star Wars movie.

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.” – Yoda

“Luminous beings are we”, indeed. We are so much more than our bodies.

I don’t want to care about what others may or may not think, be it positive or negative, about my body. I want to say “this is my body” and own it.

I’m not the strongest. I’m not the leanest. I’m not the fittest. I’m not the most beautiful. I’m not the curviest. I’m not the _____.

But I am ME. I, alone, can be me.

Me. A woman created in the image of God and that is enough. Yes, the Force God is my ally and what a powerful ally I have in this sometimes unfriendly galaxy.

So to those who may judge me on my size.

It matters not.

May the Force be with you.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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A “better body” is so much more than a number on the scale, the size of my pants, or the reflection in the mirror.

No doubt, those things matter to me but they are only a fraction of the big picture.  My body exists in 4 “realms” (Is that the right word to use?): physical, mental/intellectual, social, and spiritual.  I’m like a table and if I ignore one “leg” things start to shift and slide out of balance.   My strengths lie in the physical and mental/intellectual realms.   Taking care of my body physically and (after over 8 years of therapy) mentally comes fairly easily for me.  Socially, I do well although I’m fairly shy and most definitely an introvert (which isn’t a bad thing).  I don’t mind large crowds but, boy, do they drain my energy.

I don’t talk a lot about my faith.  I’ve always felt like I should just “live it” and I’m not interested in preaching it.

Today, all I’m going to say is daily prayer is invaluable part of my life.  It affects my choices, my thoughts and how I feel about my body, my family, my friends, everything.

Yet…

While it may be arguably the most beneficial thing I could do for my life, it’s also the hardest thing for me to do regularly.  It requires me to slow down and set aside time that could be filled doing something with very immediate tangible results.  Mop the floor.  See a clean floor.  Prayer, for me, is different.  I pray and sometimes I feel deep a connection with God.  Other times, I pray and I feel as I might as well be praying to chair. Most of the time, what happens when I pray is I have a deep sense of peace that life is beautiful despite all the twists and turns.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we plan to take a year long road trip through the United States!

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The post 31 Days to a Better Body: Day 14 – Prayer and Meditation appeared first on Girl Heroes.

When it comes to people I love, I’m a major somewhat of a control freak.

Don’t believe me?

I have goodbye letters written to all my family members and directions on how to “run my funeral” if I should die an untimely death. Where to find pictures, who to contact to put together a slide show should Brent and I leap into the next realm together, who might want to share a few words. It’s all in a fire proof safe.

Told ya.

I did write all those letters and “directions” when Brent and I traveled to China, India, and South Africa to shoot a documentary without our children. But still…I don’t think “funeral directions” are something everyone writes. When my boys were little I would type hour by hour instructions for the babysitters. Don’t worry, I’m saving for their therapy.

Why?

Fear. I’m afraid of pain, loss, essentially I’m afraid of, losing control.

The thing is control is an illusion.

There are no guarantees no matter the precautions that are taken.

The reality is an apple a day may or may not keep the doctor away

For someone like me, it’s necessary to learn to loosen the the knot or else I’ll slowly strangle myself trying to “stay safe”.

For sanity, for peace, for health, it’s important to learn to let it go.

When I let it go my body relaxes and I can almost hear each cell breath a sigh of relief.

The older I grow the easier it becomes.

Let it go. It may or may not add years but it will certainly add happiness.

It takes practice but what a feeling.

Breathe deep and trust.

The sun always rises and always sets.

Let it go.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we plan to take a year long road trip through the United States!

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