Hello, my name is Jill, and I'm an emotional eater....

It's so difficult to watch someone that you love dearly struggling; to helplessly watch them face big scary stuff that you can't do ANYTHING about!  I rely strongly on the power of prayer, but I am human, and I, my friends, am an EMOTIONAL EATER.  My mind seeks comfort in a few glasses of wine, a donut, some chocolate...all things that are fine in moderation, but they make me feel miserable.  It's SO frustrating to have spent a week really focusing on putting only healthy things that make me feel good into my body, and then, BAM....a few hundred calories in a 24 hour period and I'm bloated, tired, gassy (sorry, tmi, but true) and REALLY frustrated with myself.  I've been on a good path. I've been making better choices for myself and for my life, and I'll continue to push. I am, after all, a work in progress.  I will NOT let this journey that I'm on be defined by my mistakes, but by how many times I get back up and keep going.  You've probably seen me post videos and posts about this before, and this might not be the last time, but tomorrow, I'll wake up, and do what's best for my body again, and when I falter again, because we all do, I'll get back up again.

This problem weighs on me heavier now because I'm trying to help others to achieve their fitness/nutrition/weight loss goals.  My first instinct is usually to HIDE these incidents.  I mean, come on, I'm trying to be a wellness coach for goodness sake!!!  But I don't want to hide.  I know I'm not the only person out there who struggles with emotional eating, and I want you to know that you're not defined by this weakness!!!  Get back up and Keep Going! We only get this one life here on Earth, and I don't know about you, but I'm not going to spend it feeling bad about myself!!

This is me...imperfect, but NEVER giving up :)

My prayer as I send my sweet girl to First Grade!!

Lord, Heavenly Father, hold my sweet girl in your loving arms as she lets go of my hand and walks into a big brick building; a place where I can't protect her or guide her, where she could face big scary things like rejection, hate, even violence.  Guard her body, her mind, and her heart. 

Lord, help my sweet girl to be a good friend; kind, compassionate, and welcoming.  I've seen glimpses of mean spiritedness in her that sometimes girls use against one another; why do we do that?!  I'll send her to school with a reminder to treat others how she wants to be treated; please help her not to forget!

Lord, my sweet girl is loud, impulsive, and opinionated.  Please help her teacher to remember that this sometimes difficult child is my BABY.  I pray that her teacher is loving, patient, and kind.  I pray that she guides her gently in the right direction.

I pray that my sweet girl never feels alone or afraid, but if she does that she turns to you for comfort, as I've tried to teach her to do.  I pray that she misses me when she's away, but that she continues to grow into the confident, independent girl that she's turning into. 

Lord, I pray that you give me strength and ease my anxiety as we enter this next stage of my sweet girl's life, because I know my prayers can be unrealistic. I know she has to face the world on her own; she has to experience things that I wish she didn't have to, she has to be punished and guided by someone else's rules, she has to live her own life.  Give me the strength to smile and push back the tears as she kisses me and walks away, so that I don't cause her any stress or anxiety. 

Thank you, Lord, for my sweet girl. 

It's that time of year, ladies...BACK TO SCHOOL!!

For those of you with school age children, things are about to crazy OR some of you may have a little more down time on your hands. Whichever the case may be, it's difficult to maintain a fitness and nutrition routine during the summer, and it's time to make time for yourself! Make time to give your body the fitness and proper nutrition it needs to get you functioning at your best! My September Challenge Group will focus ...on clean(er) eating and quick, 30 minute workouts with the 21 Day Fix! Some people will even be using Cize!!! 
 

Join us for support, accountability, tips and recipes, and FUN! You deserve to look and feel your best!

 Group starts on Tuesday, September 8! I've got 10 spots available. This one will fill up FAST, so comment below or message me if you're interested :)

 

Becoming a Beachbody Coach - It's about SO much more than working out.

I became a Beachbody coach because I wanted to help others get on a path to good fitness and nutrition, because it made such a difference in my physical and mental health.  I struggle with anxiety and Fibromyalgia.  I'm medicated for my anxiety, but I was still struggling, and worried that I'd just always feel this way.  The clean eating and Shakeology have made my anxiety SO much more manageable. It's no longer something that I struggle with everyday, but rather just when there are BIG things going on; probably more like normal people :)  The exercise makes me feel like a rockstar, and I continue to surprise myself with what I can do physically. 

Becoming a Beachbody coach, however, is a whole other thing.  It feels incredible to hear people say that I'm inspiring them. ME??!  What?! I don't think I've ever inspired anyone in my whole life.  I certainly don't feel inspiring as I'm struggling to make good food choices, and stumbling a lot along the way.  Encouraging others is what I feel comfortable with.  It's always been my thing, even though I didn't always realize it.  Pouring into others is what I live for now, and coaching has given that to me.  I can't wait to wake up in the morning, log into Facebook, and check in with my Challengers.  Sometimes they're killing it with their workouts and meal plans, and sometimes they're really struggling; both I can completely relate to!  I love having these conversations and leaving them feeling more hopeful, more motivated, and ready for action!  I'm NOT perfect, but leading others fulfills me and keeps me motivated and accountable with my own fitness and nutrition.  I'm NOT an expert in any of these areas!! I'm just a girl who decided to make a change in her own life, and has been sharing my journey with others.

I've created Journey Dynasty because I want women to embrace the journey and learn to love themselves where they're at RIGHT NOW; trust the process and keep pushing, even when the scale isn't moving, even when they screw up big time and go on a binge, even when they miss a workout (or 2).  Keep moving forward and never give up on your goals.  I would honestly do this job for free, because I love it, BUT I'm actually making money to do this.  It still amazes me, and it sweetens the deal even more.  I'm fulfilled and LOVE what I do AND I'm making money to help support my family!!!  I'm now building a team of coaches who share my vision; women who have a heart for helping and encouraging others, who could use some extra accountability with their own fitness journey, and who would LOVE to earn some extra money!  I'm watching my paychecks grow and dreaming about what will be as I press on with this business!  I see financial freedom in my future, and it's SO motivating.  Helping people, staying accountable with my own health and fitness, and earning a living?!?!?!  WHAT?!?!  It sounds too good to be true, but the truth is that you get out of it what you put into it.  If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please reach out to me. I'd love to share how I'm achieving all of this.

Make a change! Look and FEEL better!

A few things have changed for me since December...I've lost weight, I'm building muscle, I'm feeling great, my anxiety is much more manageable. *I also dyed my hair brown smile emoticon *
I've also had a lot of mental changes happening. I have often struggled with brain fog, some due to mom brain, but also as a symptom of my fibromyalgia. Eating clean, drinking Shakeology, and regular exercise has made a HUGE difference in my mental clarity!
I've also started "coaching" others as a Beachbody coach. Aside from parenting, of course, I've never had a job that was SO fulfilling. It feels amazing to help others achieve their goals, build confidence, and feel better overall! I love this journey that I'm on and I'd love to help YOU get started on a path to better health. Please message me for info!!

 

Never EVER give up on yourself!

Before I started with Beachbody, the anxiety that I've dealt with my whole life was at an all time HiGh!!! I had a very hard time leaving the house and in any social situation. I desperately WANTED to be with my friends, but my anxiety made me feel overwhelmed, afraid, paralyzed, trapped. I would force myself to get out to of the house, and never regretted it, but it was so difficult to force myself to do things that I was always physically and mentally exhausted. It's hard to explain, but it was just easier for me to stay home then to get myself all worked up just to go out in the world. I have amazing friends and family, but I felt very alone. I even had a hard time making myself go to church, which is right across the street from my house! I really wanted to contribute there in some way. I wanted to serve others, but I didn't feel like I had anything to offer. One Sunday morning, I read about a class that was being offered that would help you identify your spiritual gifts, and how to use them to serve others. I quickly signed up, but dropped out after my first class because it just made me TOO anxious. Ridiculous, I know!

Within a few weeks, I had decided to try some medication to help with my anxiety. After the initial haze of my first week on the medication, I felt quite a bit better, but not amazing. I was worried that nothing would help and that I'd feel that way forever. I also started gaining weight, which in turn, made my chronic pain from my Fibromyalgia worse. It's a vicious cycle with fibromyalgia, you're sore and in pain, so you want to lay around, but laying around makes you more sore and more miserable. UGH!

One evening, I was talking with one of my best friends, and somehow the topic of spiritual gifts came up. I shared how I was struggling with figuring out what I had to offer in that area. She smiled, and said, "Jill, your spiritual gift is that you're an encourager." I'm pretty sure I screamed, and said, "OH MY GOSH!! IS that a "thing" like a FOR REAL spiritual gift or are you just making that up?!" I adore you, Stephanie Slaybaugh; I call her my spiritual guide :)
So anyway, I had been reading about Shakeology and Beachbody programs, and decided to sign up as a coach with one of my dear friends. The clean eating and Shakeology had me feeling better by the end of week 1! My anxiety was under control, the brain fog that's associated with my Fibromyalgia was much better, and I had more energy than I'd had in a long time! I started sharing my story on Facebook, and couldn't believe the response from others! I slowly started getting customers, and they thanked me over and over for helping them, for inspiring them, for encouraging them!! It makes my heart SO happy to help others in this way. I would honestly do this job for free, but amazingly, I'm also making money to help support my family.

*MORAL OF THE STORY* NEVER EVER give up on yourself. I felt lost, I felt hopeless, I could feel the downward spiral happening within myself, but I made CHANGES. It wasn't always easy, but I MADE TIME, I PUT IN THE EFFORT, and I'm headed back in the right direction. Certainly my anxiety and fibromyalgia are not cured, but they're much more manageable. I thank God for Beachbody and the amazing people I've met as a result; other coaches and all of my customers.