Kara

Sharing Our Successes: Meet Becky!!

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I am SO excited to share our most recent “Real Life Success Story” with you. I met Becky through my blog and I know her story is one that will motivate and inspire you.

Meet Becky: 

My name is Becky Ash.  I was a 2nd grade teacher for 10 years before getting married and having children.  I married my best friend, Tim, and now have two boys (ages 4.5 and almost 2).  I have struggled with my weight since I was a small child.  My parents were big proponents of cleaning your plate before you could be excused.  They also used food (especially desserts) as rewards.  I was overweight as a child and bullied at school because of it.  This definitely turned me into an emotional eater.  I would be so sad that I would eat to comfort myself.  Both of my parents were overweight, so they didn’t really “do anything” about me being overweight.  
By the time I was in college, I was so ashamed of my weight that I took matters into my own hands.  The summer after my freshman year, I decided to start running at the park near my home.  I worked my way up to 3 miles at a time.  I also made much healthier choices with my food.  In 3 months, I lost 60 pounds!  I remember thinking there was no way I would be able to keep up with the running and healthy eating once I went back to college after the summer.  So, I thought that if I just made myself throw up, then that would help keep the weight off.  I was bulimic for 15 years…getting sick anywhere from 1-5 times a day.  
I gained back about 2/3 of the weight that I had lost.  I made myself believe that if I didn’t eat breakfast and if I didn’t pack a lunch when I was teaching, then I would be able to lost the weight again.  I would then go to the grocery or a drive thru on the way home and buy enough food for 3 or 4 people and eat it all.  This clearly didn’t work.
After I had my first son, I developed severe anxiety.  Feeling this way, I didn’t eat much and was busy taking care of him, so I lost all of the baby weight fairly quickly.  Two and a half years later, I had my second son and had gained about 50 pounds with him.  Having two young boys now, my priority was them and I neglected my own health.  
In May of 2014, after being motivated by a friend from high school posting her workouts and weight loss statuses on Facebook, and frankly, just hitting an all time low as far as my energy level, poor eating habits, and negative body image issues, I decided to make a plan.  At first, I started small.  I  knew that if I made big goals and didn’t reach them quickly, I would get discouraged and quit.  My first goal, was to give up Diet Coke and only drink water.  I had been drinking 5-8 cans of Diet Coke a day, so this was actually a huge step for me.  The first two weeks were rough (headaches and mood swings), but I kept at it and haven’t had a Coke to this day!  I also committed to walking on the treadmill at least 30 minutes a day.  I soon began to see how many miles I could walk in an hour (the amount of time I knew I was guaranteed that my boys would nap).  In the beginning, I would be sweating profusely and out of breath after 10 minutes.  I worked my way up to walking 3-5 miles 5 days a week.
I lost 25 pounds the first three months, but the treadmill was getting kind of boring.  I signed up for Curves and LOVED it!  I loved the 30 minute workouts, especially the Curves circuits with Jillian Michaels moves on the mats.  After a short 4 months, the Curves I was going to closed.  Rather than get discouraged, I went back to my trusty treadmill and started the c25k app on my phone.  I am now running 3-4 miles 5 days a week!  I also do the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD on off days to keep up with strength training.  I know that the stronger I get, the better I am at running/cardio workouts.  I also use the LoseIt! app to journal my eating.  Based on my current weight and my goal weight, it gives me a “bank account” of calories I can have in a day.  If I have a really good workout (burning up to 700 calories), I allow myself more calories…I know I need the fuel.  I am eating lots of fruits, veggies, and protein.  I haven’t cut out carbs completely, but I don’t eat them all day long like I used to.  
I have currently lost 50 pounds.  I still have another 20-30 to go to reach my goal.  My favorite part of this journey has been the example I am setting for my boys.  They carry their water bottles around like I do and get on the treadmill and pretend they are working out.  I love the energy I have!  I can actually keep up with my boys…most days.  I am also happy to report that after 4 years of taking Zoloft for anxiety, I have been off of the medication for 9 months now!!!  I also used to have migraine headaches up to 3 days a week.  Since working out, giving up Coke, and eating healthy, I have only had 2 migraines in the past 9 months!  The weight loss and smaller clothes are definitely a perk, but the physical feelings and medical conditions that have now disappeared are what it’s all about.  
I have loved finding blogs like Wellness Witness that provide encouragement to me while I am on this new journey.  I have added studying the Bible and journaling daily to my wellness routine.  My one little word for 2015 is CONQUER, and our family verse is John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  i have overcome the world.” 
 I have learned that my body is a temple and the only way that I can be a great wife and mother is to take care of myself first!  I no longer look at this as a diet…it is a life EDIT (switch those letters around in diet).  I am not depriving myself.  I have some cake at my boys’ birthday parties.  I eat pizza now and then.  I just make sure the rest of my day is full of super healthy choices.  
If anyone would ask me advice for getting started on a wellness journey, I would say:
1) Start small.  Make small, reachable goals for yourself.
2) Look to God and his Word for encouragement!   
3) Ask a close friend (or group of friends) to help hold you accountable.  I would post on Instagram or FB when I would workout.  I didn’t do this as a way of bragging, but rather a way of holding myself accountable.  If I didn’t post, then I had a couple friends who would text me and ask how things were going.  
4) Keep at it!  The weight will come off quickly in the beginning.  You will hit a plateau.  Change things up a little if you want.  Find a new workout or change your eating habits.  As long as health and wellness (mind, body, and spirit) is your main goal, God’s got you!  
   

 

Isn’t she amazing?!? Such a cool story and testament to how small changes can bring about BIG results when done in His strength! 

Head over to the WellnessWitness facebook page and show Becky some love! 

Monday Morning Motivation and Habit #3 Week 3:SLEEP

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Hey, friends! Happy Monday!

Here’s your Monday morning motivation video based on Colossians 1:10-14 MSG.

(If reading this in an email, click HERE to view the video).

Also, today starts week 3 of our Healthy Habit #3: SLEEP!

For the past 8 weeks, we have been working on building in life-long sustainable
healthy habits. For the first three weeks we worked on drinking water (find
those posts here, here, and here), and then we spent three weeks working
on moving our bodies (find those posts here, here, and here). Two weeks ago we began working on Sleep. Read those posts here and here.

How is it going? head over to the Wellness Witness Facebook Page and let me know how you’re doing in each of these areas: 1- Water Consumption 2- Physical Activity 3- SLEEP!

I did not make a new checklist for you this week, but want you to really focus on mastering these habits. YOU CAN DO THIS, friends!

Next week we move onto a new habit: Limiting SUGAR!!!

And check back tomorrow. I hope to have a new post up for you with a Real- Life weight loss success story that you are going to LOVE!

At Home Workout- FULL VIDEO included

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In case you’re at home snowed in like we are today, I decided to share with you a full length workout that you can do.

This is a 20 minute metabolic workout which is meant to be done with a
challenging set of hand weights. I partnered together a strength move
with a cardio move and then repeat through those two moves several times
each before moving on to the next pair of moves.

This is rest
based, so you are to work as hard as you can until you need to stop and
rest, and then rest until you’re ready to go again all out. YOUR
PERSONAL BEST is the goal.

I uploaded the full video to YouTube and you can access it here:

If you’re viewing this in your email reader, you will possibly need to click HERE to view it.

The focus of this video was from Psalms 138:8 . “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands. ”

Make sure you warm up fully before beginning this workout and then cool down and stretch once you are done.

If you decide to do it, head over to the Facebook Page and let me know how you liked it! GOOD LUCK!!

(Exercise at your own risk. WellnessWitness is not responsible or liable for any injuries sustained during or after participating. )

Monday Morning Motivation and Habit 3 Week 2 Post

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Today’s Monday Morning Motivation video is about something I think many of us struggle with. I pray that it blesses you and gives you some new insight.

If you’re reading this in your email, you may need to click HERE to see the video.

And for week 2 of our healthy habit challenge. Remember we’re working on our third habit: SLEEP.

For the past 7 weeks, we have been working on building in life-long sustainable
healthy habits. For the first three weeks we worked on drinking water (find
those posts here, here, and here), and then we spent three weeks working
on moving our bodies (find those posts here, here, and here). Last week we began working on Sleep. Read that post here.

How did last week go? Were you able to implement some
practices that may help you get more rest? This is NOT an easy habit to master,
so keep persevering and trying to gain ground when you can.

I did NOT make much progress in this area, but I’ll keep working on it. It’s worth pursuing!


Monday:
Sleep helps your brain to work properly and to function at its best. When
you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It’s forming new
neural pathways that will help you remember important information and to learn
new skills. Your task for today: Continue the practices from last week of
limiting caffeine after 2 p.m., relaxation/stretching before bed, no electronic
devices in 20 minutes before sleep, setting a ‘go to bed’ alarm, and covering
any lights in the room. Today, add in a new practice: Brain Dumping. Keep a
notepad by your bed. Before lying down to go to sleep for the evening, make a
list of what all you have that needs to be accomplished tomorrow. Not a list of
every single task you have looming over you for the next several days, but just
the critical things that must be done when you wake.

Tuesday:
Did writing down your Brain Dump list help? 
Today, continue focusing on each of the tasks you have been given up to
this point. You are not suddenly going to be able to go from sleeping 5-6 hours
a night to sleeping 8+ hours a night, but keep working your way towards this.

Wednesday: 
We will spend roughly one third of our life sleeping, so the right environment
for sleeping should be a priority. We have discussed the importance of limiting
lights in your bedroom, but here are some other helpful tips:
-The use of a sound machine device has been shown to improve quality of sleep
and decrease the number of times you wake through the night.
-The ideal sleeping temperature is 68 degrees or below.
-Blackout curtains are a great way to keep the room dark.
-By having a set bedtime that is consistently followed each day, and a set wake
time (even on the weekends) sleep quality is improved drastically as it can
improve your hormone cycle.

Today’s task: Write down what your ideal sleep time and wake time should be.
Each week, take steps to get closer to these times.

Thursday:
Studies have shown that several nights of losing sleep of even just 1-2 hours
per night can affect your ability to function as much as if you haven’t slept
at all for a day or two. Lack of sleep can also cause microsleep which are
brief moments when you are awake and then briefly sleep. The scary part of
microsleep is that you cannot control it and you may not even be aware of it.
This can be increasingly dangerous for those of us that drive often or work in
the medical or industrial field.

Keep practicing the habits we have been working on!

Friday:
Because it’s the weekend you will be tempted to stay up extra late tonight and
to sleep late tomorrow. Remember, keeping a standard sleep time and wake time
is best for regulating your system and your hormones. Try to keep to your
schedule if at all possible. If you want to sleep in a bit tomorrow, try not to
vary from your standard wake time by more than an hour or so.

Saturday:
Realistically, there are just seasons in life where getting 7-8 hours of sleep
each night is not possible. If you find yourself in this situation due to work
or family commitments, (hello Moms of young children), just do the best you
can. I know it’s tempting to want to stay up and enjoy some time to yourself
once the kids are finally asleep, but by going to bed, you’re going to be more
patient and in control during your day with them. If you can, sneak in a short
nap when the kids are napping, or at some point during the day. Since you may
not be able to meet your sleep needs fully, be sure you are stretching and
doing restorative activities such as walking or yoga when you can to lower
cortisol levels.

Sunday:
Continue working on these habits. Finds what works for you. Look back over your
motivation journal and see how much progress you’ve made. It is hard, but it’s
also worth it. Press on today, friends. Go check in on the Facebook page and let
us know how you have done with this habit.

Proud of you!
 
Here’s your checklist. You can also download and print it from HERE.

Date
Task
Complete?
Water?
Activity?
2/23
Work on your first
Brain Dump. Continue all previous tasks.  
2/24
Brain dump plus all
previous tasks.  
2/25
Read through the
suggested ideas for making your bedroom a better space for sleeping.
Implement any you can.  
2/26
Keep practicing all
that we have talked about over the last week and a half!
2/27
Keep your regular
sleep and wake schedule even though it’s Friday night!
2/28
Keep practicing!
3/1
Keep practicing! Go
check in on the Wellness Witness Facebook page.  

My Revelation Wellness Journey from beginning ’til now

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 This coming Thursday, February 26th, another platoon of fearless men and women will begin their journey towards Revelation Wellness Instructor certification.I have received messages from many of you that have specific questions about this journey, what to expect, if you are qualified, if it’s worth it, and more.

In order to make sure you can follow my journey from beginning to end, I thought it would be helpful to put up this post that chronicles my RevelationWellness journey from Day 1 until now.

My answers to your messages are always along these lines:
Worth it.
If He has called you, He will equip you.
Don’t run- submit.
If it’s in your heart to do but it seems impossible financially or otherwise, PRAY. Ask some trusted friends to pray. He will bring it about if it is part of His plan for your life.
This is about so much more than fitness. This is freedom and Original Design.
It is family.
It is life changing.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I know it is scary. I know it seems like a big financial investment. I know the calling may make no sense to you right now and I know you may not be a “fitness person”. Even if you never lead one fitness class or teach 1 Weigh Less to Feed More session, it will be worth it. The insight and truth I gained are invaluable.

I am praying you in to this family, friends. I don’t stand to gain anything if you join, other than the beauty and joy of seeing a sister or brother learning to walk in freedom and being equipped to teach others to do the same. There is an army rising up and I am so incredibly grateful to be a part.
If you’ve got time, read each of the following posts and then if you have any questions, please feel free to email me or facebook me through my facebook page .
And if you’re interested, DON’T WASTE ONE SECOND. Head over to their website
 and click on this link and then enter your information to LEARN MORE so you can get your enrollment conversation started.
My Revelation Wellness Instructor Journey
The Dream Begins:Answered Prayer: 

Teaching my first class (before training began): 
Revelation Wellness Training begins!:
Pre-Retreat Anxieties and Reflection:

 

Enough-Lessons learned at RevWell Retreat:

Retreat Recap Post #1:
Retreat Recap Post #2:
Reflection on what God has done over the past year for myministry (including RevWell):

2 years later. 

Whole30 Ideas and Recipes

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If you read my earlier post, you
know that I did NOT complete the Whole30. However, for those who are
considering doing your own Whole30 or who are looking for some new ideas, I
wanted to share with you my experience and also some food ideas.

Keep in mind, everyone’s journey will look different. Also, I don’t mind eating
the same foods often, so you’ll notice there isn’t a whole lot of variety.
B= Breakfast
L= Lunch
S= Supper


Day 1:
B- Scrambled eggs with peppers and
onions. Guacamole (yuck!), fresh pineapple and a few pecan halves. 

L= Salad plus apple and walnuts. Grilled chicken, half a larabar and almonds.
S= Green beans topped with my meat sauce recipe. Almond butter on a spoon. 



Day 2– Beginning to feel tired and had incredible difficulty sleeping.
B= Eggs, Bacon (compliant bacon from WholeFoods), Greenbeans, and pineapple
 

 Snack= Turkey (compliant brand from WholeFoods), pineapple and kiwi

 

L= Salad with Roasted Turkey breast


S= Grilled steak, roasted sweet potato, asparagus and sautéed onions


Snack 2= dried apples with almond butter

Day 3- More energy today, but feeling frustrated. Really it’s only day 3 ?!?
Experienced a bit of nausea off and on towards the end of the day and felt
angry that we were doing this thing. HEADACHE.
B= eggs, sweet potato, sausage links (compliant from WholeFoods), pineapple

L= Salad with deli turkey

S= Steak, Asparagus, Green beans, baked potato and turnips


Snacks today were half a Larabar Cashew Cookie flavor, dried apples, and raw
cashews

Day 4– Felt great today until about 7 p.m. and then I was TIRED. Headache all
day long today and upset tummy most of the day. Frequent trips to the bathroom.

B= half a banana, half an apple, 3 slices compliant bacon, 1 TB Almond Butter
L= Hamburger Soup Recipe from Pioneer Woman, 1 cutie orange, cashews


S= Grilled Salmon, turnips, green beans, baked potato, sautéed spinach and
almond butter.

 



Day 5– having some pretty serious “brain fog” today. Finally slept GREAT and am
not as tired. I also have the skin of a 15 year old right now in regards to
pimples. Good times.
B= 2 egg muffins and half a Larabar before my morning workout.
Snack- Cashews and applesauce
L= Salad, grilled chicken, assorted nuts, cutie orange
Snack 2- Apple with almond butter
S= Pot Roast, potatoes, carrots and raw veggies with homemade ranch

 


Side note here: the recipe below for Ranch dressing is so SO good. Seriously good. I attribute much of the fact that I didn’t really lose much weight during this journey to this one food product. SO stinking good. Use with caution!
 Day 6- Energy levels are GOOD today, but temper is not. Short fuse with
everyone. Praying my way through this day.
B- Steak, Asparagus and half a banana
snack- applesauce and assorted nuts
L= Veggie Soup, Turkey breast, and an orange
snack 2- raw veggies and homemade ranch
S= Lettuce wraps with Hamburger, cashews



Day 7– They recommend that you don’t snack while on the Whole30 but I am hungry
all the live long day. I’ve tried increasing my fat and protein and am still
hungry. It may be due to teaching fitness classes in the morning, but hunger is
definitely more than normal. Today I went to bed at 8 p.m.
B= Hamburger left over from the lettuce wraps with green beans and fresh
pineapple.
snack 1- apple with almond butter
L= Hamburger Soup 
snack 2- hard boiled egg, veggies and ranch
S= steak, sautéed spinach, small baked potato and grilled veggies

Day 8– Stomach issues returned today but can’t pinpoint what is triggering
this. I had a full, heavy feeling most of the day today, so that was a nice
change from the previous days hunger pains.
B= half a banana, 2 friend eggs, 2 slices bacon, fresh pineapple
snack- half a Larabar
L= Vegetable soup, grilled chicken, a kiwifruit, almond butter
snack 2- cashews, raw veggies
S= Ground Beef with peppers and onions, ranch dressing and green beans all
mixed together.

Day 9-
B= 2 fried eggs, bacon, pineapple
snack 1- applesauce and mixed nuts
L= vegetable soup, chicken breast, kiwifruit
snack 2- larabar (cashew cookie flavor)
S= Almond crusted chicken nuggets, skillet cabbage, and raw veggies with Ranch



Day 10– stomach feels so much better, not as hungry, but afternoon headaches
return. Major cravings today for Skittles J
B= 3 fried eggs, 2 slices compliant bacon, skillet potatoes.
L= Hamburger soup with an orange
snack- veggies with ranch
S= steak kabobs, baked potato, grilled veggies, asparagus, a deviled egg and
fresh strawberries

Day 11– Brain fog has lifted! Feeling like maybe I actually CAN do this!
B= 3 fried eggs, 2 slices bacon, skillet cabbage plus strawberries
snack- dried apples and almond butter
L= Beef roast and veggies, potato and cabbage
S= Chocolate Chili

Day 12– Victory today- I stayed up past 9 p.m.! In fact, I made it all the way
to 10:15!
B= 2 eggs, steak kabob leftovers, and veggies
L= large salad with nuts, chicken breast, orange, nuts and apple
S= a few bits of leftover steak kabobs, a hamburger pattie, baked potato, green
beans and skillet cabbage
snack- nuts and apple






Day 13- Upset tummy back again.
B= Eggs, Bacon, half a banana and pineapple
L= Large salad with buts, chicken breast and a cutie orange
snack- apple and almond butter
S= Pork Chops, asparagus, spinach

Day 14– Hardest day yet. Ready to quit this thing. Feel like every moment I’m
thinking about what I cannot eat.  Tired of meal prepping.
B= Eggs, half a hamburger pattie, orange
snack- apple with nuts
L= Salad, grilled chicken, pineapple
snack 2- carrots and ranch
S= steak, potato, spinach, skillet cabbage
BANANA MUFFIN!!!! (FYI: Although this recipe uses only approved ingredients,
the Whole30 folks say that baked goods of any sort are NOT allowed while on the
Whole30.

(From the blog Today’s Letters)

Day 15– Experiencing a lot of tooth pain which I thought might be related to
the amount of steak I’ve been eating, but my friend who is doing this with me
is experiencing the exact same thing. Weird, huh? Also craving oatmeal with
Peanut Butter which is strange because I never eat oatmeal. Ever.
B= eggs, bacon, applesauce
snack- Larabar
L= Hamburger patty, Green Soup, Orange
snack 2- Banana Muffin
S= Chocolate Chili, apple, almond butter

Day 16– Energy is level, cravings are low. Hunger is low.
B= Eggs, bacon, kiwifruit
L= Hamburger, Green Soup, Orange
snack- banana muffin
S= steak, baked potato, green beans, salad

Day 17-
B= banana muffin, eggs
L= Chocolate Chili
Snack- orange and nuts
S= Hamburger, potato, green beans

I stopped journaling at this point as I started realizing where this was
headed.
I eventually ended this after 21 days. Read here for my explanation.

Overall, I would say that I felt better while eating this way ONCE I had
detoxed from it being in my system. As soon as I added back some of the food
groups I experienced headaches, energy crashes, joint pain, and upset stomach.

Here are some pictures of my favorite foods and recipes:


Some Great sites you can visit to gather more info are:
www.whole9life.com/recipes
www.theclothesmakethegirl.com
www.wholelifeeating.com
www.nomnompaleon.com
www.primal-palate.com
www.chowstalker.com/whole30
www.thefoodee.com/tag/whole30

Good luck to you!!!