The Tongue is One Strong Muscle

My husband Justin and I are very aware of the importance of physical health and the role nutrition plays. We work to fuel our body and our workouts with good foods, but I believe some times we forget a very important aspect of health - mental health. I believe each and every day the majority of us determine our own mental health. You can get out of bed grumbling because it's early or because you don't want to go to work, or you can get up rejoicing in the fact that God has created another day and is ready to present you with opportunities to touch people's lives. It's all in your mindset.

Don't get me wrong, being positive does not mean ignoring your circumstances. There are many mornings I would rather stay in bed and not have to hear my alarm clock, but it's important to quickly replace those thoughts before they turn into words. I read a great saying this week - "Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character and your character determines you destiny." So you have to watch more than your words, you  have to watch your thoughts.

The bible talks a great deal about the power of our words. It tells us life and death are in the power of your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). When Jesus talked about having faith that moves mountains in Luke 11, he said we could have whatsoever we say. Faith isn't ignoring your circumstances - you just know and confess that God is bigger than anything your facing and that you know what you are facing isn't going to last forever.

Justin and I have really put an emphasis on this in one area. We want children, but it hasn't come as easily as we would like. We have had lots of opportunities to speak doubt and frustration about the situation, but we have really watched each other to make sure that doesn't happen. We have by no means been perfect, but we have tried to make sure that we don't dwell on those negative statements; we quickly switch back and thank God for our healthy babies. We talk about them like they are here and call them by name. There is not a doubt in my mind we'll have children. We don't deny the struggle, but we know that God hears our prayers and has promised to give us the desires of our hearts.

Maybe you need a mental check of your own. Watch your thoughts and words over the next few days (or seven like we're doing). Are you speaking life into your life and the lives of those around you, or are you being negative? Every time you open your mouth, remember, you have the opportunity to either speak life or death into that situation. I guess that's why they says if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Mental & Physical Nutrition Challenge Day 1 Update:

As with many things, day one was fairly smooth. Motivation was high! I had opportunities to get frustrated and be negative; but I made myself stop, and I quickly replaced those negative thoughts. On the food side, the hardest part was just not eating between meals/snacks. Eating Zone meals and snacks was easy, but I found myself wanting to grab a handful of cashews or a little bit of cereal in between meals/snacks. It was very hard not to nibble while I cooked dinner, but I didn't give in. I don't want to have to start over!

Dinner tonight was excellent! This is my version of taco salad (I don't do lettuce) - ground beef, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and black olives. I measured out everything according to the Zone and then dug in! As long as I don't verbalize a negative thought the rest of the evening, day one is in the books. Just six days to go!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

The Importance of Nutrition: Physical & Mental

"You are what you eat."


Does that thought scare you? It kind of does me; although, it doesn't scare me as much as it used to. I have made progress and now eat healthier than I ever have in my life. It has been a long, slow and some times frustrating journey. I'm not where I want to be, but I've made progress. I think that it the thought process we as CrossFitters should all have. Fitness is a life-long journey. I don't have to be able to do a kipping pullup, a muscle up or a 200-pound backsquat today, but I am working toward those goals. Just like with my nutrition, I don't have to be perfect or have the exact perfect balance everyday of carbs, protein and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. I just have to make sure I am working down that path. Just like my performance in the gym can always be better, so can my diet. This is a very difficult concept for me because ...

"You are your own worst critic."


... I can beat myself up with the best of them. You can ask my husband. If the WOD was 'Beat yourself up for time', I'd be the fittest woman on earth. It's easy for me to encourage other people, celebrate their small victories and tell them not to get discouraged, but I am awful at practicing what I preach. That is why Justin (my husband) and I are embarking on a seven-day physical and mental challenge. Our diet is the physical side. For seven days beginning Monday, June 25, Justin and I will eat strict Zone, focusing on strictly measuring our meals and getting our carbs from fruits and vegetables. That part will be challenging, but the hardest part for me will be the mental challenge. For seven days, we will work to consume only positive words and thoughts. I will not tell myself that I can't do something or that I am not good at something. I will work to replace those thoughts with positive ones, such as "I can do this," "I will give this everything I've got," and "I am getting stronger and better." I will not compare myself to other people or be negative. If I have a negative thought, I must immediately replace it with a positive one. If I verbalize a negative thought, the challenge immediately starts over; and if the mental part starts over, so does the physical part. If I want to have a sugar cheat, I better be positive!! I will keep all of you posted, and I promise to be honest.

I understand the importance of nutrition. Nutrition is the basis of our training. According to Coach Greg Glassman's pyramid, if your nutrition isn't sound, your metabolic conditioning, weightlifting, gymnastics and sport will all suffer as well. That means you can't ignore nutrition and just focus on training; they go hand-in-hand. Like I said at the beginning, what we do as CrossFitters is a life-long journey; so even if your nutrition isn't going to be perfect, start making positive changes. Get headed in the right direction. You will start to notice a difference in your performance and in the way you feel. Take a challenge of your own. Eat better for a week or two and see how you feel. I know I've rambled (I could keep going, believe me), but this is a subject I am getting more and more passionate about, but I haven't arrived myself. We can all work on getting there together!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

That First Step

I'm baaaack. Sorry about the short hiatus, but we were moving from Rogersville to Branson. We're starting to get settled, and it is so nice to live so close to the gym. It was a hectic couple of days, but it didn't have to be. When the gym began to come together, Justin and I began praying that somehow we would be able to move to Branson. We knew it would take a miracle from God to help get out of our house in Branson. One morning during praise and worship at church, I really felt God tell me, "Get ready to move." After church I excitedly told Justin what had happened, but we never did any packing. Our disobedience cost me sleep and both of us a lot of stress.

We were believing God for a miracle, and he was trying to help us out and make our lives easier; but we chose not to act. How many times in our lives have we been believing God for something and really felt that we should take a step of faith, but never did anything? Had Justin and I just obeyed, life would have been a lot simpler. It really is amazing that we ask God for so many things, but we are so hesitant to take one small step. If we believe, God will do the hard part, but we have to be willing to step out in faith.

So, my challenge this week doesn't have anything to do with food or exercise directly. I challenge you to believe God to help you with every area in your life, big and small. That is followed up by a challenge to be willing to step out in faith, knowing God is faithful and will not leave you hanging. Maybe this challenge does have to do with diet and exercise. Maybe you are believing God to help you eat better and workout more regularly or to lose weight. God won't do thrusters for you, but he definitely wants to help you through the workout and bless your results. It's so comforting to know, you don't have to do anything alone - but you do have to be willing to do something.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!