Get Glowing!

Confession time:  I gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months of 2013.  True story.  Wow, it's, like, even more shocking now that I see it in writing.  Now before you think I was unhappy or using chocolate & cheese to soothe myself during another Seattle rainy day, I want to make something clear.  I totally loved every minute that I was making myself fat.

I know.  Gasp, right?

Here's the thing - 2013 was a great freaking year.  I celebrated early & often with amazing meals which included lots of wine, bread & dessert.  I also work from home which means getting from my bed to my workspace is a minimal commute, and I'm not spending the hours on my feet that I used to.  And while I embraced running in the early part of the year, later it just didn't seem as important as work, playing blocks with Boo, or binge-watching Friday Night Lights.  Basically, any kind of balance flew out the window, and my health & well-being became my lowest priorities. Sound familiar?

And then came mid-December.  Holy shit, friends.  I could, quite literally, only fit into 2 pairs of my pants - not including yoga pants. Yoga pants, I might add, for which I was clearly not wearing to do yoga.  Dude. That sucks.  That sucks so bad.

Something had to give.

I am a person that both puts weight on & takes it off pretty easily.  But I didn't need a crash diet or a quick fix.  I needed a lifestyle change.  A new way of thinking.  A mindset reboot.  I needed a new balance.

And then I found Jenn Jordan, the Resolution Challenge, and For The Glow.

Long story short - the Resolution Challenge is a 6-week program for women only that includes personal coaching from the amazing Jenn, a detox diet, meal plans, webinars, tons of recipes, participation in a private Facebook community, daily online workout videos plus loads of additional workout options including in-person here in Seattle.  At this point, I am only 4 1/2 weeks in, and I swear to God, my life has changed.  And because I could not imagine not being a Glow Girl anymore after my 6 weeks is up, I am now a Lifetime For The Glow Member.

Aside:  I am not usually the type of person that schills things via my blog, right?  You've got to know how much I love this program if I'm writing about it.  In addition, I'm really not the type of person that talks about eating healthy & working out either so that also speaks to my passion.  End of aside.

And this is why I'm writing this blog post.  While I'm not going to give you my results just yet - hey, I still have a week and a half to go - I will tell you, a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear in 7 months, fit again.  My super skinny-haven't-been-able-to-wear-them-since-2008-jeans are thisclose to looking amazing. (Although stylish may be a different story.)  But it's not about the weight loss anymore.  It's about the complete & total lifestyle change.  It's about feeling, looking, and actually being strong.  It's about positivity & mindfulness & inner beauty.  It's about making the best choices for myself.  It's about balance.  It's about community.  It's about realizing that I'm stronger that I think I am. It's about kicking ass.

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy.  I'm telling you it's going to be worth it."

I wanted to blog about For The Glow right now because I know there are a lot of ladies out there that feel the same as me.  You want a change.  You need a change.  You're seeking balance.  You're ready to kick some ass.  If that sounds like you, I highly, highly recommend joining me as a Glow Girl right now.

Cause here's the thing - from now through Feb 11, you can become a Lifetime Member for $189.  That means you'll get tons of meal plans, diets, workouts, connection to an amazing community of women, and coaching from Jenn.  Oh, and when you do those workouts, first you'll get your ass kicked.  But before you know it, you'll be kicking ass.  And no, you don't have to be in Seattle. You can totally have your ass kicked virtually.  You'll also automatically be enrolled in each year's Resolution Challenge (Jan/Feb) plus Bikini Boot Camp (Apr/May).  But if you decide to do this after Feb 11, the price goes up to $799.  Rightfully so.  I seriously feel incredibly lucky to have met Jenn, discovered For The Glow and become a Lifetime Member for such a great value.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now.  (Fortunately, these days said soapbox does not buckle under the pressure of my person.)  I'm just so unbelievably excited at how I look & feel right now that I just want you all to come Glow with me.

Note:  The For The Glow website is under construction right now so while this link will work for you to learn more about Jenn & the program as well as sign up, you won't be able to poke around the rest of it right now. But that will all change when the new site goes live on 2/11! 

Additional note:  I'm not, like, getting paid by Jenn for telling you guys about her program or for anyone who signs up.  I really & truly just wanted to share my experience with you.  That, and my newfound love of green smoothies, Amazing Grass and chia seeds. 

Badges of Honor

The other day I was at the hair salon, and I was eavesdropping - as you do - on the women at the station next to me. 

"I cannot believe that's Beyoncé.  She's way too skinny.  That's airbrushed to hell."
"Do you think she really had her baby?"
"NO."
"I don't either."
"There's no way that girl would have only gained that tiny bit of weight.  If Beyoncé was pregnant, she would've been HUGE.  She would have had fat freakin' arms.  Her face would be all bloated and huge.  Girlfriend puts on WEIGHT.  You just know she'd be that pregnant woman with the nasty gas, zits and a mustache."

It was at this point that I began to interrupt to say, "And clearly, you have children too.  Cause that's the only way you're allowed to even comment about pregnancy...and get away with it."

I was thisclose.  But I chose to keep my mouth shut.  Hey man, I really like this place, and I am not trying to start fights with random strangers.  Especially as I was 99% sure that this woman did not have children have her own. 

Okay, Gentle Reader, here's the thing.  If you haven't been there, you don't know.  And if you don't know, you need to shut the hell up.  Pregnancy is a messy business.  Yes, some of us get huge.  Our bodies do crazy things, make crazy sounds, turn crazy colors.  And the horrors that come along with giving birth?  Yikes.  And the post-baby experience - even years later - is still no picnic. 

Listen up - We were GROWING A PERSON inside us. Perhaps we could be cut a little bit of slack as we're rocking meaty arms, swollen faces, and acne better suited to a 13 year old boy.  Just a little bit?

And later, after that little person has officially joined our world, I say we wear our new bodies like uniforms - and with pride.  My little(ish) tummy pooch?  An achievement medal.  My less-than-perky breasts?  Life-saving gear.  Thick arms?  Necessary for combat.  Stretch marks?  Service ribbons.   

Our imperfect bodies are worthy of this recognition.  They went above and beyond the call of duty, my friends.  They are heroes.    

So what if we need a little camouflage every once in a while?

What's the Skinny?

The word "skinny" is really beginning to irritate me.  It's everywhere, and it always relates to women.  Jump on the social network of your choice and see how many times you encounter the word "skinny" in a 5 minute period.  Skinnygirl Cocktails, Skinny Bitch, Skinny Mommy, Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker (!), the list goes on.

Why are we always talking about skinny?  Why do I not see any blogs by Fit Bitch?  (Apologies to Jillian Michaels' if this is the name of her blog.)  Granted, Healthygirl Cocktails just doesn't sound right, but Healthy Mommy has a nice ring to it.

It's time this conversation stopped thinking thin and started focusing on fit.  Let's let go of the skinny and embrace the strong.  Let's start naming our blogs and Twitter handles after our real accomplishments in life, instead of something that signifies we were born with good genes.  Let's stop weighing our self-worth in calories and fat grams.  And for the love of Jillian Michaels, let's stop beating ourselves up over numbers on a damn scale.

You can keep your Skinnygirl Margarita.  This Pretty-Healthy, Fairly Fit Mommy is having a martini.