We are in our kids’ sports era!

I spent the evening running around practicing soccer and basketball with my kids and the coolest thing is I can run around with my kids and not be exhausted from it!

When I was 240+ pounds, just walking around doing my daily life was hard. My feet hurt from the moment I woke up in the morning. My knees ached going up stairs. I couldn’t imagine a life where I was exercising for fun.

And I’ve never been someone who enjoyed exercise, even when I was thinner for most of my life. Here we are on my oldest daughter’s first birthday. I was 130 pounds and never worked out ever. It just wasn’t my thing!

When I started on this health journey in 2023, I knew that exercise was going to be a big part of my plan. Not for weight loss, but for health gain.

I started with walking and gave myself small, realistic goals. Like the goal was just to take a walk in the morning. Sometimes it was 10 minutes. Sometimes it was a little longer.

But every day, I took a walk.

How to run when you’re not a runner

When walking became easy and I was down 100 pounds, I started to run. Couch to 5K was way too hard for me! So I did my own thing with small goals.

I started running for 30 seconds at a time. My starting run routine:

* 5 minute walking warmup

* Alternate 30 seconds running/3 minutes walking for 20 minutes

* 5 minute walking cooldown

I did this routine for months. Then eventually started increasing the running time.

After about 6 months, I was up to running 3 minutes at a time.

After about 8 months, I decided to try running a mile straight. It was HARD, but I did it!!

Now a year later, I mostly do a routine of:

* 5 minute walking warmup

* Alternate 6 minutes running/2 minutes walking and repeat 4 times

* 5 minute walking cooldown

I time to run these intervals 2-3 days a week and every Monday I run a mile straight. My latest mile was at a 9:57 pace- under 10 minutes for the first time ever!

Strength Training

Since I started my health journey, I have done all of my weight lifting at home. It’s just easier and saves me so much time and allows me to fit it in as a busy mom of 3.

I have and love a Tonal Home Gym. I don’t know that I could be where I am without this machine. It has been a huge part of my journey.

My strength training routine has varied aver time but I generally aim for 4-5 days of strength training each week.

I am naturally inclined to be lazy and do the least amount possible. I love that Tonal chooses the weight for me and continues to challenge me every single workout.

Real Life & Fitness Options

Having different options for working out has been a game changer for me. I carry my jump rope around so that if I have 15 minutes to spare while I’m waiting on my kids I can get in an awesome jump rope workout.

I have a treadmill for when the weather doesn’t cooperate with walking or running outdoors.

I add in stretching and mobility 3-4 times a week to keep my body feeling good.

Whenever possible, exercising outdoors is an amazing way to boost my mood. I love to pair exercise with social time and often plan long hikes with friends or family on the weekends.

I also started playing pickleball as a way to pair fitness with fun and social time. Pickleball is a great way to improve cardio fitness and agility in a fun way.

The Why Behind Fitness

Finding fitness at 40 has been a weird thing! I am more fit now than I’ve ever been. I have visible muscles, and I get asked about them all the time.

The strangest part for me is that I still don’t love working out, but I am dedicated and committed to doing it for longevity.

My fitness routine has not only completely changed the way my body looks, but it has given me the gift of being able to do whatever I want to do.

I can go on an 8 mile hike with friends, I can play 4 hours of pickleball, I can shoot baskets with my kids, I can run home if it starts raining!

These kinds of things are my “why” and what keep me working out consistently because I know my life is more full and better than ever because I am strong and fit.

What’s your “why”?

Some links to things I mentioned in this episode (some may be affiliate links):

* LMNT Electrolytes- my favorite flavor is Citrus Salt

* My favorite starter jump rope

* Tonal Home Gym

Let’s take a walk and chat about how investing in yourself is so worth the time and effort.

I threw myself into motherhood and gave it my all.

For YEARS.

I don’t regret it, and much of it was necessary because I had a high needs baby and practiced attachment parenting, which I’m so thankful for.

But the mistake I think some of us make is pouring so much into kids that we don’t think we don’t have anything left for us.

The math doesn’t work out. When you lay down at the end of the night and look at all you did, it doesn’t seem like there’s a way you could have fit anything else in.

Wake up early? Work out? Eat a solid meal? Take a walk?

Impossible.

But making small investments in yourself is a way to make good things multiply. Suddenly you have more time. More energy. More love to give.

Here’s what I looked like on my 38th birthday at a beautiful winery in West Texas in the 100 degree heat. I’m wearing my trusty black leggings, a size XXL tank top from Target that barely covered my belly, and Target slides that could comfortably fit my swollen feet.

A decade of intense mothering put me last on the list of people to take care of. I am smiling, but dying inside. It would take another full year before I started to change my life.

A year later, we had moved and I started doing small things to invest in myself. I got my first Stitch Fix box and couldn’t believe what a difference wearing clothes that fit made! I loved these shorts so much!!!

I hadn’t lost even one pound at this point, but I was taking care of myself and I was truly happy in my body again. I was also becoming the mother and wife I had lost for a few years.

I’m taking this walk the day after our celebration of Holi, an Indian festival of colors and spring. My husband and I spent time in India before kids while he worked there, and it was so special to share a part of our history with our kids and friends and neighbors.

These kinds of days with my family filled with so much joy and adventure are the ones that I am so thankful for- the reason for getting healthy and losing 125lbs. All of the small investments in myself led me to here.

Who knows where I’ll end up next?

A few links to things I mentioned on this episode:

* The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

* My makeup routine

* Stitch Fix subscription

I’ve been maintaining my weight for six months! And after taking compounded tirzepatide for almost two years, I am ready to start weaning off of it.

My brain without meds is messed up around food. I didn’t realize it before starting the meds, but once I did, it was clear that my eating had become disordered. My brain impulsively made me eat anything and everything without being able to slow down enough to process the consequences.

And now for 20 months I’ve had a “normal” brain that allows me to consciously decide when and what and how much to eat. What a gift.

If you’re blessed with a normal brain, I’m sure that’s hard to understand, but I know those who have struggled with obesity will understand the gravity of this change on the brain.

As I’m weaning off the meds, my brain impulses are definitely coming back strong again. I’m having to focus on habits and use every tool I have to ensure I don’t revert back to my old eating habits.

One of the best tools I’ve been using is asking myself this simple questions before eating anything:

How is this going to make me feel?

One simple question that allows me to slow down enough to make informed decisions about what I put into my body.

One thing I mentioned was about the joy and enjoyment of food coming back too. Here’s the “recipe” for my favorite new snack:

* Quaker chocolate rice cake

* Fage full fat Greek yogurt

* Fruit- I like raspberries or sliced bananas

Some links to things I talked about in this episode:

* 100 Days of Real Food

* The New Whole 30 book by Melissa Urban

* Renpho Smart Scale

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, right?

So why are some of us spinning our wheels day in and day out and living for the weekend because there’s barely time to survive during the week?

Especially with kids in the mix and all that comes with being a present and loving parent, it can feel like there is literally no time in a day to spend on your own self care.

Add on things like medical issues, financial issues, going back to school, relationship issues, building a business…all of the hard things that happen in life…and it can be really hard.

I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to stay up late, wake up exhausted, and be barely able to keep up with the bare minimum to keep my household running.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s a lie that you don’t have time. The truth is that you’re not making your own self care a priority. When you know that you are worthy of love and care, making time for yourself a priority isn’t hard.

I can’t explain it, but just like love, time multiplies when you start taking care of your own needs first.

I spend several hours every single day doing things for myself .

This includes:

* Taking walks

* Working out

* Preparing food and cooking just for myself (not including our family meals)

* Reading and listening to audiobooks

* Playing pickleball

* Calling friends and family on the phone

* Working on crafts and hobbies

It didn’t happen overnight. It happened slowly with 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there. The key is to just start somewhere.

For most of us, the place to start is probably with going to bed earlier. When we go to bed earlier, it snowballs into the entire next day.

I am a recovered night owl so I know that going to bed earlier isn’t easy. But it is so worth it!

When you go to bed earlier, you get to decide what to go with your day instead of playing catch up from the moment you open your eyes.

It’s kind of a magical thing!

But wherever you need to start to be able to start investing some of your time in yourself…start there!

You are worth it, friend.

Some links to things I mentioned on this episode (I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links- thank you!):

* Tonal Home Gym

* Renpho Smart Scale

* Insight Timer sleep app

Back with another episode today to share more about how to grow muscle!

I lost 100lbs using a glp-1 medication in about 10 months. I drastically altered my diet and started moving my body.

When I reached a healthy weight for my height, I was so surprised that my body didn’t look the way I thought it would. Here I am in May 2024 after losing 100lbs and about 140-145lbs.

I have come SO FAR. It almost feels crazy to say I wasn’t happy with how my body looked. I have truly loved and accepted my body at every size.

My husband and I snapped some pics before we headed to a Dexa scan in June 2024. I love that I have these pictures because I think they shows how happy I was in this changing body.

I felt so good in both of these pictures!!

I think it’s important to know that you can love your self from the inside out AND have a desire to change your appearance. So that’s what I set out to do last summer. I started lifting heavy weights and focused on super boring, repetitive workouts consistently all summer and fall to grow specific muscles.

How I grew my muscles

I started with my upper body to target my bat wings and had such success that I moved on to my lower body in August 2024.

These workouts were BORING. Nothing fancy. Just repeating the same workouts week after for a month at a time.

I have a Tonal Home Gym that tracks my weights and automatically increases the weight for me each workout. But if I didn’t have that, I’d find a good workout program to do at home or the gym and just stick with it.

Write down your weights for each workout and then increase them when you repeat the same workouts for several weeks in a row. Don’t think you have to be doing anything fancy. My workouts have been super simple and honestly boring!

When I was focused on my upper body I did two days of upper body, a leg day, and a full body day. When I was focused on my lower body, I did two days of legs, an upper body day, and a full body day.

The magic is in doing the same workout week after week with heavier weights each week. Consistent work pays off.

On other days I did Pilates, core work, running, pickleball, hiking, and other fun ways to incorporate movement. I also walk an average of 12,000 steps a day.

I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but through this journey of building muscle I also lost an additional 25lbs. I had a Dexa scan in October and was able to see that they bulk of that 25lbs came from my trunk area. Which is great because now my abs are visible, but I also completely lost my big booty.

Like it was just gone. Flat as a pancake!

So I got to work. And after five months of focusing on growing my booty, I finally started to see some results.

I will never be someone with tiny, twig legs. I’ve always been bottom heavy and pear shaped. But now my legs are so toned and look athletic!

My journey to build muscle looked a lot like my journey to lose weight. It was all about consistency and honoring the plans I made for myself. There aren’t any shortcuts.

You just have to get to work and start lifting weights.

But it has been so worth it!!

I not only love and accept my body from the inside out, I am so comfortable now (even with loose skin and imperfections everywhere) because I know I am strong and healthy.

A few links to things I mentioned in today’s episode (I may receive a small commission when you purchase from one of my links- thank you!):

* Tonal Home Gym

* Kitchen scale for tracking and measuring food

* Creatine I started using in the fall to help with muscle growth

* Measuring tape for body measurements

Happy New Year!

I’m so glad to be back here with Episode 16 of my walking podcast. It’s a cold, chilly afternoon here in Texas with a lot of wind which makes this episode a little windy, but we’re all moving and grooving so I hope you don’t mind!

The holidays were filled with family, fun, and relaxation which was just what we needed. I laughed looking at this picture because I used to try to hide in any photo and it was impossible, my weight was always front and center. But now, my kids are so big, and I’m short so they hide me anyway!

My mom got to visit for Christmas. She is down 250+ pounds and I just love that we get to experience this new life together! You can find her on Youtube to hear more of her amazing story!

As we embark on this new year, I am energized to share more about my journey to health. I have been maintaining my weight with the help of weight loss meds, but have been slowly weaning off.

Life post glp-1s is kind of new frontier so I’m just making it up as I go! But I want to share for others who are also on this journey so decided to start a new Instagram account.

Find me at @small.things.daily where I’ll be sharing the nitty gritty of what I did to lose 125 pounds and the daily habits I’m focused on now for maintenance. If you want me to answer a specific question, send me a message and I’ll do my best!

In today’s episode, I dive into how small habits are the backbone of my success- and hopefully yours!

When staring at a mountain before a climb, it seems insurmountable. But each step is not impossible. Each individual step might even seem easy. Put all of those easy steps together and you will have climbed the mountain.

I started small with the most inconsequential habits.

Step one: Get out of bed as soon as I wake up instead of wasting an hour on my phone.

Step two: Weigh myself daily. This helps me get information about how my daily choices are affecting my body.

Step three: Put on workout clothes.

Step four: Drink a full glass of water with my supplements.

Once I’ve done these things, I have set myself up for success for the day. I have poured more love and care into myself with these small things than I gave myself for years.

Don’t underestimate the small things!

Links to a few things I talk about in this episode (some may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission):

* Atomic Habits by James Clear

* Outlive by Peter Attia

* My favorite 30oz tumbler

* LMNT Citrus Salt Electrolytes

* German Creatine

* HLTH Code Protein Powder- get $10 off your first order

* DIM supplement for hormone balancing

* Inositol supplement

On today’s 2.75-mile walk, I dive in to the hard work that has happened behind the scenes to lose 125lbs which *spoiler alert* are a lot of the same things people do when they lose weight naturally.

Weight loss medications aren’t magic. You don’t just lose weight instantly when you take them. But they are an amazing tool that helps rewire the brain so that people who have disordered habits with food can heal and build new habits.

I talk about how weight loss medications (specifically compounded tirzepetide) helped me change my entire life. This experience is so different than a typical “diet” to lose weight. With a goal of true health and longevity, we can build habits in all areas of our lives that result not only in weight loss, but a complete lifestyle change.

When people downplay weight loss because someone uses weight loss medication as a tool, they are missing the point.

You still have to put in the work. The medication makes it possible to make the decisions we need to take the best care of ourselves by slowing down the brain and the gut so that we can eat the food we need and not everything in sight.

Things I did while on a weight loss medication that helped me lose 125lbs:

* Ate under 1500 calories a day

* Ate about 100g of protein daily

* Ate mostly whole foods with a focus on protein and vegetables

* Mostly avoided sugar and white processed carbs

* Walked 10k steps daily

* Exercised an average of 90 minutes daily

* Strength training 5-6 days a week

* Pilates reformer classes

* intermittent fasting

* Run 2-3 miles a few times a week

I know how much work it takes to lose weight no matter how you choose to do it. It’s amazing that we have tools like glp-1 medications to help us reach our goals.

Some links to things I mentioned on today’s episode (some may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission, but these are all things I use and love!):

* Tonal Home Gym that I use almost every day and LOVE!

* My smart scale that I use every day

* My favorite protein shake. Get $10 off your order through my link!

Join me on this 2.4-mile walk while we talk about how to stay focused on your goals even with things are out of your control.

It’s the day after the election and we also just hit the one year anniversary of my husband’s stroke. I have a lot of thoughts about how we keep moving forward when challenges come our way.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for us, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to continue to focus on my health even when life gets busy.

We celebrated our 18th anniversary at Disney World! A lot has happened in 18 years. It was crazy to go back to the same place where we honeymooned 18 years ago as completely changed people.

I was 22 when we got married and weighed about 145lbs. Now I’m 40 and weighing around 120lbs and so much more fit!

Here we are at our engagement party in 2002. I was 21 years old. Such babies!

We celebrated the one year anniversary of my husband’s stroke with a fun cards and dice themed party with some friends. Here’s my fun outfit- mostly thrifted from Goodwill!

Some links to things I mentioned on today’s episode (some may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission, but these are all things I use and love!):

* My anniversary dress. I have worn this dress so much and love it! It’s easy to pack and you can dress it up or down.

* My white sneakers that go awesome with dresses or jeans.

* My black ankle boots. Obsessed with these because they are so comfortable!

Join me on a 2.6-mile walk on a beautiful fall morning to talk all about how I fully enjoyed a Disney World vacation without worrying about my weight or backtracking on my health journey.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending a week at Disney! I ate ice cream every day and enjoyed seasonal treats and have zero regrets.

Some links to things I mentioned on today’s episode (some may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission, but these are all things I use and love!):

* My inexpensive smart scale

* My favorite workout gear from Old Navy

* Tonal Home Gym

* Fairlife Core Power shakes we took on the go

* My favorite protein shake. Get $10 off your order through my link!

On today’s 2.6-mile walk, we chat all about food! I share our family’s philosophy on food, foods I ate that caused me to gain weight, foods I ate every day on my weight loss journey, low carb swaps I make, and so much more!

Some links to things I mentioned on today’s episode (some may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission, but these are all things I use and love!):

* Today’s outfit- navy blue leggings and cream ribbed longline sports bra

* No Food Rules on Instagram

* Peanut butter cups I eat almost every single day

* Vitamix blender we’ve had for 10+ years

* My favorite greek yogurt

* My favorite grain-free granola

* My favorite protein shake. Get $10 off your order through my link!