Live unapologetically YOU....

 

 

 



Real talk; a lot of my Facebook friends and even family members think I have gone off the deep end….but here’s the truth; I’ve found my passion and I’m living a life I've only dreamt of.  Before I started my journey with Beachbody, I was tired, anxious, sick all the time, drinking wine every night to unwind, and waking up feeling just as tired the next day.  NOW, I’m living a healthier lifestyle, exercising regularly, drinking super food shakes, feeling awake and aLiVe and energized, challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and really LIVE, and helping others to do the same!!!  I’ve got this deep burning flame in my belly, and I’m worker harder and harder every day to achieve my goals with my own life and with my new business.

 

Am I driving you crazy on social media?  That’s okay with me J  There are SO many unhappy, hurting people that I can reach through social media, to make an impact in their lives just for being who I am, unapologetically!!  My passion, my goal is to HELP the broken who have fallen into depression and are living a life in fear of their health, in shame of the way they look and feel, to help them know they are worth it!

My life is not where I thought it would be. In fact, my life is WAY better! I still face fears, I still face disappointment, I still face hardships, yes, but I'm also being truly me!  I feel like I’ve truly found myself, my purpose, and I’m living a life by design. 

I challenge YOU to a life that is unapologetically YOU!  Live NOT for what others think, but for what brings you joy, for what and/or who is truly important to you.  Just be YOU……..there just might be someone waiting for you, to help them, to guide them, to give them the courage to face their fears and to find a better way of living.  Don’t apologize for being you! 



Thankful for this life...

WWJD- It sounds corny, but seriously....consider this...

I stood at the sink grumbling to myself, this morning, as I washed a pile of dishes that I had allowed to pile up over the last 2 days.  I HATE doing dishes!  I kept thinking that I wish my husband would pitch in with the dishes more often, or that I could get my 6 year old to unload the dishwasher every day like she's supposed to.  Then suddenly, I felt very convicted.  How selfish of me to stand there complaining about my beautiful life! 

I was standing in my warm, cozy kitchen with the oven preheating to bake some of Nana Cunningham's famous sweet potato casserole for my hard working, loving husband to take to work to share with his coworkers.  My beautiful, healthy daughter is with my parents, happily baking all morning long.  My gorgeous, healthy son is running around in fuzzy pajamas, eating cheerios and wrestling with Daddy.  Later, I'll take a group of teenagers to pick out a Christmas tree to decorate together in our youth group building.  Then, I'll swing over to my parents house for an early Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  I have NOTHING to complain about!  I have more than enough food to eat, I have more than enough money to support my family..........

I was born in a country where I'm not persecuted for my religion, where I don't have to worry about a a war that's going on right outside my front door, where I don't have to pack up my family, pay every cent that I own to take a treacherous journey to a safer land, only to be turned away because of the sin of others who are extremists. 

Many people are saying send them back to their own country; let them fight for themselves and for their land, but most are not armed, most are probably traumatized more than we know, many are women and children.  These are human beings!  Children of God, just like us, whether they worship our God or not.

I know there are homeless people in this country and that we as a people have not done enough for them; that our government has failed them!  But what if everyone who is using that as an argument goes out and does something about it themselves?  What if we take it upon ourselves to show other human beings love and compassion?  If we ALL did SOMETHING, maybe we could solve the problem.  We can't sit back and expect our government to do everything for us.

As we approach Thanksgiving, these things are weighing heavily on my heart.  I know LOTS of people will disagree with me, and I know the risks of bringing them into our country, I know I'll probably be verbally attacked by people who have strong feelings that are not the same as mine, but that's allowed in this country too.  We all have a voice!  I also know that I follow a God who does not want me to live in fear, who does not want me to make decisions based on fear, whom I trust to protect me, whom I know loves everyone, no matter where they come from or what God they believe in.  I know that I am called to love others and treat them the way I want to be treated, and to show love and compassion. 

That is all.  My heart is full of thanks this year, but it is also full of sadness for all of the pain, fear, and hate in the world.



Big News!!!

 

Big Changes Coming in the Cunningham Household!! 

(NO...I'm not pregnant)

 

 

 

I've been babysitting full-time for the last 3 years to help support our family.  While I love kids and was happy to be able to contribute to my family, I am THRILLED to announce that I have REPLACED the income that I was making babysitting with my new job as a Beachbody coach!!!!  As of January 1, I will no longer be babysitting!!!  My babysitting gig was a huge blessing to my family for years, and often kept us financially afloat, but I am beyond excited to focus all of my attention on my own family again, and also to have more time to devote to Beachbody, which has connected me with so many amazing people and has allowed me to help people live happier, healthier lives!

 

 

I can't tell you what a blessing this job has been to me, not just financially, but physically and spiritually.  I'm not at my goal body, but coaching keeps me accountable, and I'll never stop taking care of myself :)  It's also ridiculously fun and brings me SO much joy!!

 

 

NOW it's time for me to Pay it Forward!  I see the growth potential in this business now, and I'm never going to stop reaching out to others and helping them get healthy!!  At first my goal was just to help a few people and to make enough to cover my own program purchases and Shakeology, which I LOVE!!  I've been making enough to cover my own monthly Shakeology order since my first month as a coach!  NOW I see that this can be my STAY-AT-HOME-FOREVER job, and I want to mentor others to do the same! 

**If you are self motivated and have a heart for helping others, I'd love to add you to my upcoming Coach Apprenticeship** 

 

 

 

 

I'm opening up 3 spots on my team for people who want to make a difference in the lives of others, and change their own in the process!!!!  If you're interested, please use the link below to apply...

 

https://journeydynasty.wufoo.com/forms/za22h4i14ar0z9/

And Hope Arises....

 

 

And Hope Arises.....

 

 

I'm having a hard time finding the words to explain how I'm feeling today. Last night I did a hop, skip, jump, and then a triple back flip out of my comfort zone. I've struggled with anxiety, including social anxiety, for years. In the last year, I've been on a journey of self love and working on living a healthier lifestyle. God has put so many amazing people in my life during this time, and I've been really trying to do what I feel like he's calling me to do. I took a leap of faith and became a Beachbody coach, even though I'm not super fit or a picture of perfection in that area, I listened to a calling that had been pulling on my heart for months and became a youth leader in a local youth group, even though I don't feel qualified, and more recently, I agreed to sing back-up in a concert with my beautiful friend, Stephanie Slaybaugh, even though the thought of standing up on a stage in front of people made me feel like I might have a heart attack and die! All of these things have brought me so much joy and I've gained SO much by giving of myself and serving others!!

 

I love to sing, and God has given me a gift that I've chosen to only use in my kitchen and in my mini van since I quit performing in high school. It felt amazing to get all glammed up last night, something that I rarely do as a stay at home mom. In the last few days I've been feeling so much doubt in my ability. I was terrified that I would ruin the concert for my friend, I was terrified to wear clothes that someone else chose for me, I thought I'd be SO self concious and was SO stressed over my appearance this week. As my friends and I prepared for the show, my anxiety grew, but I began to feel such a peace inside. As I took the stage, I pulled at my clothes, that were amazing, but again, way outside of my comfort zone. My legs and hands trembled, and I was too terrified to look out in the crowd, so I closed my eyes. I closed my eyes and everything melted away. The truth of the matter is that it wasn't about me AT ALL; it was about God. It was about praising God and sharing our gift to move the spirit in others; to give them hope. I forgot about worrying about my hair, my makeup, my clothes, the people in the audience, EVERYTHING, and just focused on WHY I was there. I sang a duet with my best friend and it was terrifying, but such a rush. People told me that I was amazing, but the truth is that God gave me the strength, the courage, and the gift to do what I did last night. All I had to do was be brave enough to let Him use me!

 

I've learned that going outside of our comfort zone only grows us! It's not easy, but I encourage you to pray, and ask God how He wants to use you, and do it, even if it terrifies you; TRY! 

 

  

Shameless plug, check out my beautiful, talented friend on iTunes. Stephanie Slaybaugh. She is changing lives and I am proud to have been a tiny part of her incredible ministry.

 

#andHopeArises #StephanieOfficial

My first Beachbody 3 Day Refresh

My first 3 Day Refresh!!

 

 

I Feel Freaking Ah-Mazing!!

 

I decided to try the Beachbody 3 Day Refresh for the first time because I have trouble with SUGAR!! I tend to do really well for several months, and then I slowly start to spiral. I end of feeling crappy and gaining 3 to 5 pounds every time... SO FRUSTRATING!  

 

The 3 Day Refresh claims to give you a clean break from bad habits, and that's EXACTLY what I needed.  I was also hoping to get rid of the bloating that I've been dealing with from making poor food choices. 

 

All I can say is, BAZINGA, people!!!! BAZINGA!!!  I had an awesome experience with my Refresh!!  I feel SO REFRESHED!!  For real, I woke up today feeling incredible!! I haven't had coffee in 3 days, and I have SO much energy, I feel lighter (no more bloat), I'm not as gassy (tmi), and my mental clarity is restored!  Let's talk about what my 3 Days looked like... I kept things SUPER simple. 

 

 

I woke up, my usual exhausted self on Monday.  I was excited to start my Refresh, but SUPER bummed that I wouldn't be having my beloved cup of morning coffee (....or 3)  The meal plan suggests that you refrain from drinking coffee to get the full benefit of the program, but does allow black or naturally sweetened (stevia)coffee if you HAVE to have it! I wanted to give this my ALL, so I went for it! 

 

The meal plan starts you off with an 8-10 oz glass of water first thing to get our system going!!  (I usually do this anyway..)

Breakfast consists of a Shakeology shake (I used my FAV; vegan chocolate) and 1 serving from the Fruit options listed on the plan.  I chose to have half a banana every morning.  This was about the time I expected a caffeine headache to kick in, but, to my surprise, I was totally fine and completely satisfied with this meal. 

 

An hour later, you are allowed to consume an 8oz cup of unsweeted herbal or green tea.  (stevia sweetener allowed)  I had a cup of herbal tea sweetened with a packet of stevia, which made me happy :)

 

An hour later it was time for my first Fiber Sweep (digestive health drink) I WAS TERRIFIED that I would gag.  I mixed it with 8 oz of VERY cold water and shook it like crazy.  To my surprise, it tasted lemonade-ish...I chugged that baby down, no problem!!  I didn't want to let it get clumpy.

 

  Fiber Sweep!!!

 

 

Lunch consisted of a Vanilla Fresh shake, 1 serving from the fruit option list, 1 serving from the vegetable option list, and 1 serving from the Healthy Fats list.  The Vanilla Fresh shake is a high protein shake that helps to satisfy hunger.  It delivers essential nutrition that your body needs for healthy weight loss.  It's also a good source of Fiber, and it's both dairy and soy free.  I'm not a vanilla person, and I DON'T like Vanilla Shakeology, so I didn't think I would like this.  On day 1, I chose to mix it with my fruit option; strawberries!  It was actually REALLY good with the strawberries.  I also chose to have baby carrots with hummus.  I felt completely satisfied with this meal.

 

  mmmmmm....

 

 

The afternoon snack was a choice from the vegetable list and 1 serving from the healthy fats list.  I mixed tomato and avocado.  DELISH and satisfying.

 

There's another option for afternoon tea, and I enjoyed it again. THIS is when a caffeine headache hit me like to of bricks.  YOWZA!!  I powered through!

 

Dinner consisted of a Vanilla Fresh shake and 1 serving from the Dinner Recipes that come with the program.  You are also allowed to have 1 cup of organic vegetable broth, if you want, but I didn't.  Since I wasn't allowed to add fruit to my shake, I added cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and to my surprise, I LOVED IT!  I chose to make the Cucumber and tomato salad for dinner every night.  Easy peasy and yummy!  I was satisfied with this every night. 

 

 

 

To finish off the day, there was an option for evening tea, which I took advantage of every night. 

 

I got hungry every night around 9:30, but chose to chug some water and go to bed! I slept great!!!

 

The only thing I changed in the 2nd and 3rd day was at lunch time.  I had an apple with almond butter with my shake and carrots on Tuesday, and steamed green beans with my lunch on Wednesday. 

 

I did not experience another caffeine headache and felt great!!  My husband prepared some amazing paninis for himself and our children for dinner on Tuesday night, which was tough to turn down, but I did.  We also took our kids to the movies.  The fam had popcorn, and I did NOT! I chose to sip water and chew sugar free gum.  I was worried that I'd cave, but I had my Vanilla Fresh shake right before we left, and I was surprisingly fine :) 

 

NOW FOR MY RESULTS: 

 

The BEST result for me was the way that I feel.  My mental clarity is restored, my bloating is gone, I feel energized and fabulous!  I feel much more in control of my cravings and I have a better sense of when I'm truly hungry.  I also struggle with emotional eating, so this is super valuable!!  I'll definitely be doing this again after the holidays!! 

 

My physical results:  I lost 4 pounds in 3 days!! 

 

Oops...I gained 5 pounds....

This was my face this morning when I stepped on the scale!! 

 

 

Real Talk: I've been slowly spiraling out of control with my eating lately, and despite keeping up with my workouts, I've put on 5 pounds!! This would usually be a huge crash and burn moment for me, but I've been working on learning to love myself and giving myself grace; I AM human after all. I hadn't been weighing myself lately, and today when I went to slip into some jeans, I thought "UH OH! These bad boys are getting TIGHT." RED ALERT RED ALERT!!

The very LAST thing I wanted to do was tell anyone, though. I mean HELLO, I'm a beachbody coach. How embarrassing! But thanks to my Beachbody family, I have a lot of support. This morning my coach shared the importance of being honest and sharing my own imperfect journey. I'm a coach, I'm helping people reach their goals and get healthy, but I need accountability too!! SO, moral of the story, IF you happen to see me out with a donut in one hand and a sugary Starbucks beverage in the other, you have my permission to smack me :)   ....maybe just warn me first.  

 

My First Stitch Fix!!

Got my Stitch Fix in the mail today!!! I had requested a great pair of jeans, and they sent me 2 options; a pair of skinnies and a pair of boyfriend jeans. The boyfriend jeans were too short and very unflattering. The skinnies, though, fit like a glove! I love them, and I'll be buying them. I loved the elephant shirt too, but everything was a bit expensive, so I'm just getting the jeans this time. These jeans were $98.  The shirts were $48 each.

 

Don't mind my dirty mirror :)

I did not include a picture of the boyfriend jeans.

 They also sent me a beautiful green purse, but I dont need any purses.  The jeans were more than I would usually spend, but I'm trying to build a wardrobe of quality basics.  I'll be doing another Fix when I lose my next 10 pounds :)  ‪#‎onamission‬

If you'd like to try a Stitch Fix, please let me know. I'd appreciate it if you use my code :)

https://stitchfix.com/referral/3170695