Showing posts with label acceptance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acceptance. Show all posts

Tuesday

Doing What I Can with what I Got is Good Enough

When it comes to fitness and especially my workouts, I make them my own.  If you have read my "About Me" section,  you are aware of my medical issues requiring modification to certain exercises.  I do what I can with what I got and it is good enough.  I can recall feeling defeated after my injuries and especially during neuro-rehab when I could not even lift my head off an exercise ball. Tears of pain and frustration would flood over those appointments, and almost to the point of giving up.  I would pray every night for things to be different and wake up the same.  Ughhh ... what an ugly place to be, but there I was years ago.  I became so determined to fight, and I did.

Fast forward to now and I am in a much better place physically, mentally and spiritually. Going though tough times builds a tough inner and outer shell. The point of life is not to understand everything that happens to us, but handling it the best we can when "hard" knocks on the door.   Giving up would be easy and so would being angry but what good does that serve ... nothing.  Acceptance of me and what I can do became the focus.  Becoming my best at what I could do to maintain the body I worked so hard for took some creative program planning, but I am all about trial and error and finding what works.



I am in tune and listen to what my body is telling me and there is a difference between a "feel good" sore and this does not feel right sore.  If anything twinges in the "not right" direction, I put on the brakes and immediately modify and do something else.  I do not believe in pushing past something that will hurt my body and land me flat on my back or worse.  I appreciate the gift of what I can do and will not "fudge" this up.  Do I miss certain things ... yes, and I get so excited watching others perform what I used to do and want to jump in and do it with them.  That is just my inner athlete still alive and well, but my outer athlete will dictate what I can do now.  Exercise is about being smart and creating a quality life.  So many do not realize how good they are supposed to feel and accommodate pain day after day.  I am determined to increase my lean mass while decreasing or eliminating pain.  I know what it feels like to be in severe pain and how hard I have worked to achieve being pain free.

My fitness journey is not about doing what others can do, but doing the best at what I can do.  It is about acceptance of my body and the thoughts surrounding it that belong to me.  I believe in adopting a healthy lifestyle to create a quality life which is one of my motto's I teach daily.  It is about doing what I can with what I got and that is good enough.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and head on over to the about network and read my latest article "Holding Water? Herbal Diuretics Can Help."  We all struggle with feeling bloated and puffy from water retention.  The worst part is not being able to fit in our clothes, right?
Reduce Water Bloat with Herbs ... READ THE ARTICLE

Stay Healthy Fitness Tip:  IT'S GOOD ENOUGH
Strive to be your best you each day and do what you can with what you got!

Don't forget to subscribe below and never miss a free update!  
             DON'T MISS MY FREE UPDATES

Thanks for Reading and Stay Healthy!


Thursday

TOSSING OUT THE TRASH



So many of us have a hard time accepting the great things about ourselves, the accomplishments achieved, the results gained, and instead zero in on what we think is negative.  I have to admit that I am guilty of this on occasion and I know my hubby would like to beat me over the lack of “mental game” head when I have a vocal slip. Why do we go right for that juggler of what we “think” is not a great attribute on our bodies, even if it is a work in progress? I for one am going to toss any negative stuff that may pop out of my mouth about myself into the mental trash can.  I do not allow negative talk in my studio, and I will not be a hypocrite behind closed doors.  So, next time I complain about how my butt is not as lifted, and go for a squeeze of disappointment on the cheeks, I will slap my own backside for that behavior.



The journey of this life is to be our BEST self at every age, and joining the  50+ club now means my bootie will not be as high and tight as my twenty something beautiful backside daughter (btw … got it from her Mama J), but I applaud that I am happy with my body overall.  Sometimes I think it feels difficult mentally to grow old and more like an inability to believe or accept that it is happening.  We go through the process of living each day not thinking about what is going on with our bodies with each passing day, month, or year.  The reality is that we are all growing older and the changes that go along with that are not an option.  I am not counting the options of medical science elective processes that are chosen to hide what is happening with our aging process and let’s face it, minor elective procedures stop working or look absolutely ridiculous as the years add up.  In my mind I still feel twenty-something, but the mirror reveals a truth that sometimes blows my mind and I am sure many can relate to what I am saying.

It is not that I am being a negative Nancy about me or my body, but I do miss my younger self sometimes. I believe that is an OK feeling to have as long as it does not interfere with accepting the beautiful person that I am right now.  The years have gone by in what seems like a blink of an eye and that is what is so unbelievable.  I look at my daughter and see myself years younger and WOW, if that is not a reality check.  That is when the meaning of life and how generations are ready to step up and into the position of where I am hits home. It truly is a beautiful thing and growing older is an honor and privilege, but for many it is scary to face or accept.   It really is OK to say that I am fifty years old and that I am happy with my fitness level and body appearance. Loving ourselves right where we are is what starts the positive mental game process of improving and progressing.

Trashing who we are, verbally attacking our bodies, and feeling crappy or guilty about it is not a healthy way to live.  It is important to achieve the best health and fitness at every age and that is what matters in addition to being happy through the process.  No one enjoys being around a negative Nancy or Ned, and that can stop with each of us by holding our tongues and immediately changing our thought process to something positive when those negatives try to knock at our door. In fact, it is important to take it out of our door and right into the trash.








 THE HERBAL FACE FOOD
New Stay Healthy Fitness Happenings:  I have started accepting Ad Space submissions and excited to tell you about a new product that I am trying out and is also on the left sidebar of my page.  Herbal Face Food got in touch about their product and I am the type of person that needs to believe in any product that I would promote. I was excited to see the all organic ingredients that I could recognize and also knew they were fabulous for the body.  I have begun a 10-day trial period with the face serum, and will get back to you with the results on my face.  Take a look at Herbal Face Foodand let them know that Darla from Stay Healthy Fitness sent you.



Heather Agnew Photography
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding!

Stay Healthy!

Darla

Saturday

CONSTANT STATE OF CHANGE

Change can be necessary, change can be a challenge, change is inevitable, and what do we do with all this change?  Whether the change is to adapt a healthier lifestyle through nutrition and exercise, modifying exercises to accommodate injury, or going through the changes that naturally occur to the body as we age, it is a fact, that change is a big part of this journey of life.  None of us are exempt from a constant state of change in this life in one form or another.  Our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge that it is even happening for the most part.

Personally, I have undergone a lot of change in this life and have to say that I embrace the positive that has come through incorporating a healthy lifestyle.  The tough physical changes that challenged me were the rehabilitation from injury and the will to persevere and not give up, and finally accept through it all that I am forever changed and require modification of exercise to fit the body that is under the skin I wear.  The inevitable change that seems difficult for me in the present is the changes that occur with the aging process.  No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and the overall body requirements that scream loud and clear…CHANGE. Acceptance and embracing of the inevitable change I have discovered is also going to be a challenge.   

We are all aging each day, our bodies changing through the process and when I was younger I did not think too much about it, but as I stare 50 in the face, I find my mind consumed by the “different” feelings of heading into menopause.  Both men and women face the inevitable changes that occur with the aging process, whether prostate issues for men or night sweats and lowered libido for women, it is a situation that can SUCK.  I am straight up open about everything health related and I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the “taboo” not to be discussed in public are fair game.  In fact they need to be addressed and shared because so many people are searching for answers or at least support that they are not alone in their experience.  If Dr. Oz can openly share the perfect “poo” shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it. 

All change can feel difficult, or extremely fantastic depending on the situation.  Adapting a healthy lifestyle through eating “real” nutrient dense foods and regular exercise will bring about a body that feels better, functions better, and that change can be embraced and celebrated almost immediately.  Although the process can feel like a challenge, eventually the change will provide an overall healthy state of mind and wellbeing.  The challenge change that occurs with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning.  I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, faith and a will to WANT the best of me in all areas of health, no matter what that looks like.  Moving into the inevitable change of aging is also an area that I now realize will require my patience, and continued research into natural ways of transitioning into another “new me” so to speak.  Changes are a part of aging and transition into another part of our life, not that we need to feel great about them, but important to realize and accept them, and I am now on this journey.  I am not going to sit here and celebrate hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in libido…are you kidding me, this is where I long for the young Darla because outwardly, my brain says what the heck is going on, and this should not be going on.  This is where I reach for new goals of discovery of the woman I am now, and embrace that woman with full understanding, grace, love and adventure of this new chapter. Am I there yet…not quite…but I am working on it.  

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding!




Darla

                                                                            





Sunday

It has to be GOOD ENOUGH


I AM GOOD ENOUGH!
In this world of extreme perfection and nothing being good enough, I say it has to be good enough…I will go farther than that and say IT IS GOOD ENOUGH…I mean really…YUCK…otherwise I would be such a miserable person always searching for something to fill some void I think I am missing.  You know what…I AM good enough.  I can recall a time in my life where I did struggle with the whole “not good enough” thing, always trying to please someone and giving so much consideration into what others thought of me…OMG…what a horrible way to be and so anxiety producing…just thinking back about it…I now laugh and am so thankful for being older, wiser, and so much better.  I guess it had to be a part of my journey of learning and maturing into the healthy woman I am today. 


Perfection and pleasing are tossed to the side, and just being the BEST version of ME each day is my goal.  I am not saying that I do not enjoy pleasing people with my cooking or something fabulous like that…I am talking about the warped thinking of “why did they not approve of this or that about me, or not like how I did something”…there is truly a difference.  Why did I even care???  WOW…talk about unhealthy thinking of the past.  What the heck does this have to do with maintaining my now 48 year young physique…I SAY EVERYTHING. 

It is my state of positive thinking and ACCEPTANCE of Darla, with all my imperfections and physical limitations that motivate me each day.  It is that “feel good” feeling that completely coats my spirit and provides an “AH HA” moment each day for me…I mean it can make me feel like a kid, not take things so serious, and free me to be ME…IT IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!  It is that whole not sweating the small stuff in life anymore and letting go of things I can’t control… YAHOOO …. YES…this is healthy, I feel healthy, I love how I take care of ME and I accept that about ME,  and it feels better than good.   I will go farther than good and say that it feels pretty darn GREAT! 


Starting the Weekend with this In Your Face Motivation!



Personal Goal:  OK everyone…I want to blog more and I am praying for more time to do this.  My goal is to MOTIVATE through my writing at least one time per week.  I have been utilizing my Stay Healthy Facebook because of its’ quick and easy download of this or that in seconds and I still plan to maintain that as long as FB does not continue to try and regulate business pages.  My passion and “want” is to channel the same feel of what I like to call “In Your Face” MOTIVATION posters here, along with helpful links, recipes, and exercise ideas.  I like that the Blog is individual and very personal…this is more down to earth and ME to MOTIVATE you.  So, even if I write a brief paragraph about my thoughts for the day or week, I am on board for that…how about you?


Stay Healthy Quinoa Chicken with Fresh Basil


Looking for an In Your Face MOTIVATION to move IDEA…I LOVE HIIT Workouts!
(My modifications...negative pullups for the pushups to protect my neck)
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  Let me know if you LIKE this entry, I look forward to reading your comments, and I am always in the mood for a Protein Shake;)

Have a Fabulous Weekend!




Stay Healthy!
Darla