This past week was intensely good. Sure, there were some attempts to ruin the good God things going, but the Lord has taught me how to be keenly aware and able to recognize circumstances for what they are. Thank You Jesus! This week’s celebrations consisted of finishing a six week commitment, maintaining 80% on point with nutrition and fitness, and being more intentional with nourishing the nine pound tent known as my skin ;)

The Rise & Shine, Click wrapped up our six week commitment to meet for a devotional, workout and prayer three times each week. WE set out to meet at 5am Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for six whole weeks. Yes, it was early!

​​​I’m not sure I can claim 100% on point in the nutrition department, either. According to Whole30 protocol, SWYPO items are not allowed. And well, I made and enjoyed some modified recipes. The non-dairy cheesecake bites were yummy! I couldn’t choose between strawberry cheesecake bites or chocolate, so I topped a few pieces with BOTH. Yumm-o! And I decided to create healthier versions of the peanut butter cups. I’m going for lifestyle changes that are sustainable and I don’t “quit” after a certain period of time. Plus, it feels much more successful than reporting I gave into more peanut butter cups ;) This week, I’m also going to experiment with juicing by adding kale to the mix. Do you have any suggestions or juice concoctions you would like to share? I’m open to recipes!!

​​Last week my daughters and I took bold steps in nourishing our skin in a new way. My oldest daughter ditched the four skin care products she utilizes every single day, for one. My youngest wasn’t ready to take the plunge in ditching her entire regimen, but she substituted one item in trade for a couple others. I ditched the product I have used for close to twenty years now. With our oily and acne prone skin, we were nervous. But holy smokes, has it been a great week in this department as well! My oldest daughter’s skin was actually smoother and clearer – DESPITE the onset of her period.

​I hope we are all looking forward to the upcoming week! Community, God appointments, commissions, and maybe even closing a couple chapters we’ve been in. How do we keep it all together and maintain peace and joy amidst it all? Plan out the week ahead, prepare meals, resolve to get into the gym, and then let Jesus do His thang! I am praying you have an amazing week this week. And I mean it, if you want to meet for a workout, share your juice recipes or learn more about the royal beauty skin treatment I am experimenting with – PLEASE REACH OUT. Seriously! Life is so much richer, joyous and vibrant when we are walking this walk TOGETHER with like-minded souls.
​Blessings!

​Well folks, we’ve all heard the saying, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”. Haven’t we? Last week was a success in the fact that I spent time researching and planning, maintained my commitment to work out and only had a peanut butter cup every other day ;)
 
In my last post I shared my “Weekly action steps to get there include: lifting heavy weights three times per week, Whole30 and intermittent fasting, and being intentional with nourishing my skin with high quality skin products.”
 
I made my way to the gym three times last week (woot woot!) – I am SO THANKFUL for the gals I meet with bright and early on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (you’re welcome to join us)! The past five weeks they have helped me to establish a healthy active regimen. It’s now time to graduate from the circuit room and get back into the weights, but next week. I’m going to mentally prepare one last week before going to the “big girl” weights. Oh how I have missed them!
 
Waiting to be “ALL IN” to Whole30 wasn’t the plan, but something I did. If 100% whole foods was my nutrition target, I met it about 70% of the way (darn you peanut butter cups!). But I will say, finally summiting the scale and having the pinnacle of that moment on the forefront of my mind, helped deter me from consuming too much outside of my goal. Thank goodness! My hormones seem to be bolstering a stronghold when it comes to the sweets.

exercise, nix dairy, poop one to two times per day (helps eliminate excess hormones and reabsorbing “bad” ones), drink water, supplement and remove/reduce exposure to environmental estrogens. Whole30 aligns perfectly with all this. Yay! With the addition of a few other elements, I should have a great protocol taking me into the new year.
 
Supplementing a healthy fat, leafy green, juicing and intermittent fasting nutrition plan with D3, B12, magnesium, probiotics, and thyroid support, will establish a healthy, vibrant and transformative-fostering environment on the inside of my body. Happy Dance! The exposure to the outside? This is where the skin care comes in. Again, having had skin cancer in the past and living with a couple questionable spots at the moment, along with the understanding everything I place on my body is absorbed into my blood stream (skin products can carry extra estrogens), carries the conviction to be intentional in this area. Not surprisingly, what appears to be the right regimen came along last week. It is a little too early to share (you know me, I only endorse after I have read, encounter, taste or experience myself), but I love the fact what I am experimenting with was birthed from a God vision and dream. Plus, the comprehensive solution seems to align with a vision I had earlier in the year. The fact that I could turn the products into dinner should I get stranded on an island with only my makeup bag and no food, is pretty cool too!
 
Thank you for stopping by and checking in! No earth shattering updates just yet, but I tell you what, I have a strong sense things they are a changing…

I did it! I summited two inches to the top of my scale and overcame! Thank you, thank you, thank you… If you’re just stopping in for a quick read, I shared yesterday, stepping on the scale was perhaps the biggest step of faith I’m being asked to take right now. Really, Shanon? Yes. Really.

But I did it. Was I happy with the numbers? No. Can I do something about them? Absolutely! And I will because it is time to build muscle, lose fat and nurture my skin (the largest organ of my body).
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During a four month post lumpectomy follow-up in January of this year, I hopped on the scale and was not happy then, either – 167 – ouch! At least I have lost 4.6 pounds since the beginning of the year, which is shocking.

It is time to lose body fat with a laser focused nutrition program. Whole30 coupled with intermittent fasting will help lose the visceral (deep fat around my organs) and the fat closer to the surface. Both of these numbers came in too high on the scale this morning. Both carry risk for disease. Carrying too much visceral fat is a serious health problem. Studies have shown that excess visceral fat is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease and even certain cancers.
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The higher your BMI (related to increased body fat percentage), the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.
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It is time to take care of my skin – also the largest organ I have. Sure I would like to reduce wrinkles and not get “droopy” in places, but it is bigger than that. Adults carry some 8 pounds (hey this is how much both my girls weighed when they were born!) and 22 square feet of it (about the size of your favorite snuggie in the winter time). 

I want to keep on keepin’ on for the Lord as long a He will allow me. Sure I look forward to dancing in the streets of gold one day, but there are so many lives here who still need to know Jesus! AND – Holy Spirit deserves to live in a healthy vessel, the place He now resides.

I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to share the journey. I mean, who doesn’t like a good transformation story? I’m a sucker. Plus, hopefully you will be inspired to take a step of faith wherever God is calling you to in this season.
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​​My goal is to settle into a healthy lifestyle, it is not about a size, number or date to “get skinny”. I’m in this for the long haul baby. Weekly action steps to get there include: lifting heavy weights three times per week, Whole30 and intermittent fasting, and being intentional with nourishing my skin with high quality skin products. One faithful step at a time, and I know I will be right where God needs me to be, to truly live vivaciously in the calling He needs me to press in and press on towards. See you next week, blessings!