But Why?

I get asked a lot why I would still choose to work out every day and aim for clean eating while I'm pregnant. Several friends have said to me "as soon as I'm pregnant again I'm eating whatever I want". I mean we've certainly earned the right havevn't we? For 9 months we grow, swell and ache...and those pregnancy cravings! There's nothing like a 3rd trimester craving for a bacon cheeseburger to make you realize how little it would take for you to cut someone. So why would I deprive myself the opportunity?

The reason why is the same reason I've chosen this non-traditional career path and the same reason I train outside of pregnancy. I push and train because I believe it is important to God that we are stewards of our bodies. Think about it we could have been designed anyway imaginable and it was God's choice that we be an intricate system fueled by food and strengthened by work. Ps. Rick Warren said "God created it. Jesus died for it. The Spirit lives in it. I'd better take care of it." I do the things that are not easy and require discipline because every time we tell our flesh to sit down and shut its mouth we turn up the volume on the Spirit.

Take your eyes off the bathing suit, off the shorts and focus on the heart of this issue. Gluttony and sloth have become excusable sins in the church. We tell our self its not worth the effort because its vanity, and it certainly could be, but the real reason is we think its about image when really its about honor. God doesn't bless dishonor. Imagine with me that you are adrift at sea. As you cry out to God for help you slowly punch poke holes in your raft. After a while the raft deflates and you drown at sea. Was it God's fault you sank? Now imagine with me you cry out to God for more energy, more confidence, to keep you from the heart disease that plagues your family history, as you pop another can of diet soda. God has not abandoned you to this place, we keep popping holes in our raft. You were made for more. You are capable of more.

This is why I do it and its the very reason I spend every day helping other women push too! Because, you friend, are a masterpiece designed with the very DNA of Christ. I do it because I want you to see what we were made to do! We aren't supposed to be pumping our bodies full of toxins, we were not created to manage our life with pills. You are the dwelling place of the most high God and you are worth the effort! If you know for you this battle has to be won in your heart subscribe to email list and I will send you my list of "Scriptures to Sweat By" so that you can begin to pray the word over your journey to health and wellness!

Pray, Sweat, Eat, Repeat. You've got this!

Women, Weight Lifting, and Why You Should Trade in Your Treadmill

Squats, deadlifts, bicep curls... Am I conjuring up visions of women whose veins pop out further than their chest? Maybe you're envisioning large Anglo Saxon blondes teetering on the edge of roid rage. Let me put your mind at ease from the start those women you envision don't hit the squat rack and magically explode into muscle. That takes extreme dedication, a TON of food, and in some of those ladies cases illegal substances. What if I told you that not only would weight lifting unlock something inside your soul but it could be the key to overcoming your weight loss hurdles and getting the body you've always wanted. Don't believe me? Here are 5 reasons you should trade in the treadmill.

1.) Unleash Your Inner Beastette
Is it not the dream of every woman to walk into a room and feel confident? Being a beast isn't about PR's or getting swole, its about pushing yourself. It's about educating yourself, creating new habits and a better version of you. When you take your "I can't" and turn it into an "I must" something happens inside you. Once you see yourself dedicated, disciplined and pushing through it won't matter if you're in a t-shirt and jeans or in your best cocktail dress you're gonna feel like a million bucks.

2.) Become a Calorie Burning Machine
You spend 30 mins on the treadmill and run a 10min mile, you burn 324 calories or so. 30 mins of weight training only gets you a burn of 97. So far it sounds like cardio for the win right? Now what if I told you once you are done your strength training regiment your body continues to burn calories for up to 72 hrs!!! Cardio you continue to burn for only 3-6 hrs. I don't know about you but I like a good deal. I'll take more bang for my buck every time, thank you!

3.) Eat all the food!
I can not tell you how often I hear "I would work out but I just love food too much." Really? Well great pick up a dumbbell and lets get to work. Because you are now a calorie burning machine you'll require more intake. An average daily calorie count for weight loss on a cardio heavy regiment is about 1400-1600 calories. Take the same person and switch the routine for a strength training routine and you're talking more like 1800-2200 calories a day! Divide those up into 5-6 clean eating meals a day and the weight is going to melt a way. So while all your girlfriends are enjoying their carrot sticks you'll be downing clean eating sweet potato fries and getting lean and mean!

4.) Don't just burn fat, but change your body!
Instead of just loosing a little on the scale what if you could reshape your body and be getting rid of that tricep wave wobble. Thought those wide hips are just in the genes and there's nothing you can do? Think again! Not only can weight training slim you down, but it can create new curves and chisel those problems areas. Can we say hello squat booty!! Beachbody Blog says not to worry about bulking up "women don’t have enough muscle-building hormones to gain a lot of mass like men do." 

5.) Better Body From the Inside Out

Weight bearing activities help you to build and maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis. Strong muscles help to support your joints and help keep you from injury and can even improve chronic knee and back pain. When I started P90X 5 years ago my knees were terrible, they constantly ached and back pain was like the guest that over stays its welcome. Now after completing multiple strength training programs I can jump I can squat all with no problem and I no longer wake up with back pain so bad I'm unable to move. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, found that mildly disabled participants who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work, with less pain and increased range of movement. 

So now you know what it can do for you but maybe you're still wondering how to start. There are tons of great blogs about simple weight lifting moves and proper form. I would love to help you like I have helped other women learn to love lifting and change their lives. I can provide you with all the nutritional information, a flexible at home fitness program (you don't even have to find a babysitter!!!), and support you need to crush your goals, just email me at moxiemaefitness@gmail.com. All that is needed to succeed is a committed decision! 

WHAT!!! Dude, I did that!!