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Have you ever felt that the new year didn’t really “get started” until February? That January is a reeeeally long December?
It’s been that way for me for that last few years and this year is no different as it’s only starting to feel like the new year. Last week I mentioned we gave our kitchen a refresh and cleaned out the garage. That energy has stayed with me and we’ve been finishing up little things for the kitchen, beginning a little project for the girls bathroom, completing semiannual state taxes and getting a jump start on federal taxes. These last 6 weeks have been all about head down doing the work prepping the environment in all things so that 2024 will be what it will be for us. What do you envision for yourself for 2024? What are you working toward? Family Faith Fitness Finances Career Travel Mindset Adventure Social Love …as examples What do you need to simplify to make it happen? What needs to take a back seat for a while (not your health of course). What areas are already doing great? Perhaps family and faith are doing great and have become second nature in your way of living. So we don’t really need to make it a “goal.” It’s already a part of you. You live and breathe it. But perhaps your fitness and health need attention. Perhaps you’ve been feeling tired and rundown or you’re not eating healthy enough Perhaps you aren’t feeling as strong as you’d like and your body feels tight and bound up. Or perhaps your job or career is taking up more time and energy than you can muster and that’s where you need to find a solution to start scaling back and simplify or have a plan to look forward too… Here’s the thing, we can’t do all the things all at once. There needs to be a shift -because I can guarantee you that not everything is a priority even though we’ve been conditioned to believe it is. Jim Rohn always said “if you have more than 1/2 dozen priorities then you don’t have any.” And I could not agree more. That line of thinking has always served me well, especially when I’ve gotten overwhelmed with EVERYTHING that I HAD to get done. We need to be able to put something down either temporarily or permanently. We need to be able to slow down to speed up. I was absent on emails and socials last year. I needed to put my attention on the year long applied neurology course and the fascia stretch therapy program I was in- plus adapting to Sophie’s extracurriculars among other things! Even though I love writing, I needed to set it aside. But now, I can put my attention to it again and other things I have been envisioning. I’d love to hear what you have in store for ‘24 Becs
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Happy New Year!
How did 2023 go for you? I always like to take the end of the year or the first part of the new year to reflect on how things went. What did I accomplish? What am I most proud of? What didn’t go so well? What would I like to change for the new year? What do I envision the new year to be? What do I want? What am I creating? After I reflect a bit and pull the thoughts together I ask- What do I have to do in order to get started? What needs to be in place? This might be cleaning and organizing my environment, changing schedule, asking for help on a project, going grocery shopping on a consistent schedule to make healthier meals, setting quiet time aside to plan for the next day, packing your gym clothes in your car so you can go straight to the gym after work... Then put it into action. We spent the holiday break giving our kitchen a much needed refresh followed by cleaning and purging the garage. For me, environment matters. If things are all over the place or disorganized my mental focus is too. Here’s the thing, there is so much that can distract us from taking care of ourselves. If we can simplify things we can put our attention on what’s important so that we’re not trying to do all of the things all at once. What do you need to do in order to recommit to yourself this year? Here’s to creating the best year possible, Becs Our parents are our greatest teachers.
There was so much about my mom that I wanted to be like- not only who she was as a person and a mom but in how she worked. I often hear her voice when I’m talking to my own kiddos or working on a project. But there has always been one area where I didn’t want to be like her. Her health. From the early age of 16, I was eager to help her get healthy. Remember those VHS tapes with Tony Little? Yeah, I would do those with her in the living room. And Richard Simmons! It didn’t matter. I believe at that time she was recently diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and she was trying to work on herself and I was all in with her. But over the years her commitment to herself took a back seat. To work To family To life circumstances Over the years I kept trying to help her but I really didn’t know what I was doing. So the obvious choice for me was to change my major from Art Studio and Art History to Exercise Science and Nutrition. She was my why She was my everything And anything I could learn to help her was my mission It was this mission that I started to look at my own health habits. I was extremely active but didn’t really think about the foods I consumed and if they were healthy or not. I mean, I lived of off Frontier, Saggios and tacos so it couldn’t have been that bad! Shortly after my new journey began she suffered a heart attack. 90% blockage. 2 stents and an amazing cardiologist later she was gifted 7+ more years of life. And it was in those moments where I knew this lifestyle thing was indeed for life. Take extra special care of your heart now and every day. And if you need help along the way, reach out, I’m here for ya. Becs I've been sharing a lot about thyroid lately but really this can apply to any season of life.
There’s tired and then there’s tiiiiiiirrrred. It’s a different kind of tired. Like your soul is exhausted. Like your entire body is screaming for rest. No matter how much you sleep, it still isn’t enough. Everything in you is just fighting an uphill battle. …and then that becomes your story. …or at least, it became my story. I remember when I made the realization that it was indeed just that. A story. A story that I kept repeating over and over to myself. I’m tired. I’m so tired. I’m so tired of being tired. I don’t know if you’ve ever said those things to yourself. But when your thyroid isn’t functioning properly or medication not up to par, it’s something that was on repeat. I mean, that’s how I felt. BUT!! One day, I caught myself…”gosh, I’m so tired….wait a minute…I’m not tired. Why am I saying that?” It had become so ingrained in me and that’s what my body responded too. And when I told myself I wasn’t tired, my body opened up. I had a different physical response. I was met with energy and a verve for life again. The language I was continually telling myself became my story. Yes, I had been tired. Yes, my body was screaming for rest. All of those things were true at one point. But my brain didn’t let go of that story. Thyroid issues or not, awareness is crucial, especially when we’re not feeling well or feel something is off. Thyroid levels may not stay linear forever. So when they fluctuate and some of those symptoms come back, that story can come creeping back up again. The same can be said about life in general. Telling ourselves that this (whatever experience you may be going through) is only temporary and this isn’t how life is going to be forever can help navigate those stories popping up. What stories do you keep saying to yourself that might be holding you back? Happy to chat Becs Ladies!!! Come join me in my FREE private Facebook group, The Recommit to YOU Daily, where I post motivational content on health, wellness, mindset and self-discovery every day! If you go down the rabbit hole of research of eating right, it can seem pretty restricting. Add an autoimmune or other health condition and that restriction may seem even more restricted.
I’ve gone gluten free I’ve gone dairy free I’ve gone egg free I’ve gone caffeine free I’ve gone grain free I’ve gone soy free I’ve gone plant based I’ve gone legume free I’ve gone AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) OMG, what the heck is left to eat?! Have you ever asked yourself that? Over the last almost 15 years I’ve experimented in virtually every way of eating to better my thyroid health. But here’s the biggest lesson where SO many people get trapped, stressed and feeling lost. **We have to respect the law of individuality** One size does not fit all. Our bodies are unique. Truth is, there is plenty to eat! Having experimented and tracked my food for years, I know now what works for my body and what doesn’t. What I need to watch and where I can indulge, because hey, I'm human and I like tacos! Thyroid issues or not, it is a practice. Not only is it a practice of what to eat, but it’s a practice to track and read your body…what feels good and what gives you energy or what completely drains you. And sometimes, it may not even be the food. Often we need to look upstream. What are your stress levels? What is your sleep like? How much water are you consuming? Are you moving enough throughout the day? It doesn’t have to as complicated as we make it. If you need help with this, or your mindset around it, I’m here to coach. Becs Ladies!!! Come join me in my FREE private Facebook group, The Recommit to YOU Daily, where I post motivational content on health, wellness, mindset and self-discovery every day! Want to feel like yourself again?
Can you even remember what that feels like? Looking back to my young adult life before I was consistently active, I was always exhausted. I assumed it was because I was working ridiculous hours and full-time school on top of it all. I felt sluggish in mind and body. But after I started getting active consistently I was feeling full of life, always on the go, mind just clicking and having a systematic way of doing things. I was even more busy now that I added in daily strength training and cycling time but it all flowed perfectly throughout my day. Life was great! Insanely busy, but great for years. My mind and body felt connected in all areas. Then after my first pregnancy I could barely think My legs felt like lead going up the stairs I felt like I was glued to the bed when I woke up like I was trapped in a weird dream. I started having heart palpitations My hair started falling out ZERO energy to get though the day …and my primary care said “welcome to motherhood.” Pfft, thanks. I think. Thankfully, during my 6 week post-partum checkup I shared these symptoms with my OB and she ran blood work and sure enough, my thyroid levels were WAY off the spectrum. This was the beginning of a life long journey. A life long journey of managing thyroid levels but also a life long journey of being an advocate for my own health. For 50 years my mom suffered. She would share her complaints but wasn’t HEARD. I realized that I needed to do my own due diligence. There have been numerous times I’ve had to challenge a practitioner to get the bloodwork or even certain medication that I’ve needed. And I will do it a million times over. Had I accepted my primary doctor’s comment of being a new mom and not listened to my own body, I’m not sure how things would have turned out. And this is why I’m sharing my experience. Because who knows how many others have been passed over and just accepted the story that someone else has given them. If you want to feel like yourself again, thyroid issues or not, you must stand up for YOURSELF. And if you need someone by your side, I’m more than happy to walk alongside you. Becs Ladies!!! Come join me in my FREE private Facebook group, The Recommit to YOU Daily, where I post motivational content on health, wellness, mindset and self-discovery every day! It's Thyroid Awareness Month and I'd like to share some stories these next few weeks.
I used to think I had a learning disability and was even tested when I was younger. I’ve always had a hard time remembering the curriculum I just learned. It would take me forever to write things out. I had a hard time articulating out loud what I know in my head. Sometimes this still happens. This created a ton of self-doubt and low self-esteem. Until I realized years later, that I probably had Hashimotos since I was a teenager. The brain fog and stumbling to find the words. The constant tiredness and falling asleep in class. Everything I look back on leads to undiagnosed Hashimotos. But having a diagnosis doesn’t solve the problem. Even having the “right” medication doesn’t solve the problem, completely. There’s always that little bit of sludge that still keeps the thoughts stuck. What has helped me tremendously was focusing on 5 keys areas: movement, mindset, meals, sleep, hydration. Not only does the brain fog clear up but it helped bring back the energy that was being zapped from my body and my body back into the clothes I want to wear. To get a handle on it, we need to train it to serve us and not keep us stuck. It’s SOOOOO easy to let it sink us into all the bound nature feels. But we CAN pull ourselves out of that sludge. Happy to chat if you or someone you know has been feeling this way. Becs While we're getting in the swing of making changes to our health and wellness, I can’t stress enough the importance of what is often overlooked, especially for my friends with thyroid or metabolism issues.
What is often overlooked is also needed to build our foundation. If we keep adding more to unstable foundation, things will eventually fall. Then we're back to trying all the shiny objects that come across our screens or struggling to make our non-serving behaviors work. Metabolism issues or not, focus on building your foundation before adding more and more. And overtime, these can become your non-negotiables.
If these 1/2 dozen things aren’t being done consistently, there’s no point in going all in on magic potions, the super secret fat loss programs, or restricting everything to cardboard for the rest of your life. Sitting all day at work and restricting food then grinding it out in the gym will probably do the opposite of what you’re hoping for. It is possible to get in shape It is possible getting in shape being hypothyroid/Hashimotos. Focus on your foundation and everything else will come into place. And if you need help along the way, reach out, I’m here for ya! Becs Ladies!!! Come join me in my FREE private Facebook group, The Recommit to YOU Daily, where I post motivational content on health, wellness, mindset and self-discovery every day! As we begin our new year, this is the time when we start focusing on our health and wellness.
People start going to the gym, hiring a coach or personal trainer, and start cleaning up their nutrition. Being in the field for over 17 years, one thing I see during this time is the all-in perspective. Everything must change. Now! That's usually not sustainable in the long-term and often leads to repeating behaviors that didn't serve you in the first place. Instead, pick ONE thing that you’re going to be consistent with. Here are some things to help you along
Whichever one you pick, even if it’s somethings else not listed, be consistent with it. Think about your vision of who you want to become. Hold the vision in your mind in order to get that. Choose it to bring it to your mind and awareness everyday. Keep it simple and count your wins along the way. Not motivated but you know you need to do something? Reach out. Let’s hop on a discovery call and simplify this together. Becs Ladies!!! Come join me in my FREE private Facebook group, The Recommit to YOU Daily, where I post motivational content on health, wellness, mindset and self-discovery every day! When my mom passed I felt compelled to do something in honor of her.
It took some time to figure it out but we decided to have our gym host a scavenger hunt…because if you knew mom you knew she loved her yard sales and treasure hunting. All proceeds were donated to our local diabetes advisory council. That was 8 years ago. Grief has a way of getting us lost in life. Even years later. 2002 when I changed my degree to Exercise Science and Nutrition and started this path of being a fitness professional it was all to help my mom live healthier. She was unhealthy, overweight, had thyroid issues and diabetes. So when she passed, a lot of that ambition got lost along the way. But over the years I kept going back that vision and the people I wanted to help.
And here we are 20 years later and my work is transitioning to thyroid wellness and a couple of other things in the works, while still coaching others on all things exercise, nutrition and mindset. 78% of women put themselves last in terms of taking care of themselves. A place where I know most of us have been. My mom lived that life for so long. A life that I wish she made more time for her own self-care. Thyroid, diabetes, coronary heart disease…that’s a lot. As we start to wind down the year, ask yourself if you’re taking care of YOU.
If not, I want you to ask yourself why and why not now…. There will always be something going on in life where it isn’t the perfect timing. There will never be perfect timing. It’s within the mess that we find our way to adapt and pivot to move forward, even if moving forward is 2mm. Most will wait until the year is over to recommit to themselves again. Most will wait until life gets easier to start taking care of themselves. Most will mask symptoms with medication yet wonder why they still don’t feel like themselves. Most will. And most will also find themselves right back in the same patterns a month later. Ask yourself what you could do NOW to break that cycle and move forward 2mm. Happy to chat if you need guidance along the way. Becs |
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