I haven't been around much since last week, sorry about the lack of posts and engagement. I'm still here. Well, actually today my friend Heather from High Heels & Flip-Flops is back with her second Love Your Body post, take it away Heather...

Love Your Body: Jumping Into Fitness

I still remember it as if it were yesterday – all of the tall, athletic kids zipping right past me in slick new sneaks as I huffed and puffed my way around the middle school track in beat-up Kmart kicks, struggling to complete a three-mile run in the Southern California heat. Then, and for years afterward, I considered myself a fitness failure, assuming that if I couldn’t be as fast and fabulous as the other kids, I might as well not work out at all.

That unhealthy mindset stayed with me well into my mid-20s, when a slowing metabolism finally compelled me to start running and attending cardio classes, something I should have done much sooner – not out of vanity, but in an effort to keep my heart healthy and prevent disease. Still, try as I might, I never truly loved any of the workouts I attempted, and over time, I would lapse out of them and straight back into my old, unhealthy ways.

All of that changed, however, this time for good, when my husband and I discovered an hour-long Flight Fit class at a local Northern Virginia trampoline park last August, just one month ahead of my 31st birthday. I’d recently gotten back from a food- and drink-filled trip to my California hometown, felt tired and overweight, and was certainly not loving my body or doing all that I could to take care of it. Plus, jumping was something I’d done with my friends for fun as a teenager, so how hard could it be?

As it turned out, very. That first workout, and the ones that immediately followed, knocked me flat on my back, leaving me sore for days afterward. Slowly and surely, though, I started getting better over time and realizing that I’d finally found something I actually enjoyed and would happily stick with week after week, month after month.  

Today, I attend Flight Fit most Wednesdays and Saturdays, and try to do Jillian Michaels DVDs in between sessions to keep my strength up. I’ll never be the most athletic person in my class, or the most flexible. But rather than comparing myself to others, I now focus on my own abilities and accomplishments, celebrating just how strong my muscles are becoming, that I’m able to jump longer without getting winded, and that I’m actually having fun while doing something good for my body. 

At long last, I understand what I never grasped back in the middle school – that exercise isn’t about having the fastest time or wearing the trendiest sneakers. Instead, it’s about loving your body and valuing your health, embracing your imperfections and challenging yourself to be the very best you can be.

So, even if you don’t currently consider yourself an exerciser, or think you’ll never find the right workout, I encourage you to keep trying. Find something – anything – you enjoy, and stick with it. Listen to your body, knowing when to push harder and when to rest. Love yourself enough to value your health, but at the same time, don’t beat yourself up for having a rough day or skipping a workout. Be kind to yourself, and to your body, and cherish every day that you are here to live and love your life.


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Wow, I feel like Heather is reading my thoughts right now! I am learning to not beat myself up for having an off day, but I'm also realizing that I need to push myself a little harder. 

Whatever your health goals are for this year; eating more fruits and veggies, taking a walk every day, being more positive, make sure one of them is to love your body. 

Thanks for sharing your story with us Heather, you are an inspiration and I know someone reading will be motivated by your words. 

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Love Your Body: High Heels & Flip-Flops

Today one of my long time blogger friends is sharing a sneak peek into a post she originally featured last year on her own blog. Then next week she will be sharing a new perspective of what Love Your Body means to her. 

Say hello to my friend Heather from High Heels & Flip-Flops...

Love Your Body: Perfectly Porcelain

“You need to take off that rash guard and get some color.” While comments about my pale, porcelain skin could easily make me feel insecure, instead, they just make me all the more dedicated to preventing skin cancer and loving my natural tone. Check out my story excerpt below, and take a moment to feel gorgeous in your own spectacular skin!

Why I Don’t Tan (For Faux or For Real)

Originally published via High Heels & Flip-Flops

It’s that time of year again when everyone inevitably starts talking about tanning, whether it comes from a bottle or directly from the sun itself. It’s also the time when some people feel the need to state that this here porcelain-skinned blogger needs to “get some color.”

My response? I don’t do tans, nor will I ever. First and foremost, I have no desire to risk getting skin cancer, something I’ve seen people of all ages fight, just for the sake of obtaining a fleeting glow. Second, I have no interest in any bottled bronzer on the market, because the honest truth is, I don’t mind being pale. It’s just who I am, how I have always looked, and not something I feel the need to justify to anyone else.

It saddens me to hear fellow smart, talented, beautiful women saying things like, “Please excuse the circles under my eyes,” or “I'm so pale in that picture,” as if we need to apologize for the way we look or preempt others' negative judgment. This especially strikes a chord with me because I've done it, too, putting myself down verbally or in writing, allowing others’ opinions to make me feel insecure. And the one time I did break down and try one of those “facial glow” creams? Along with it causing my skin to freak out, I also thought I looked completely ridiculous.

Want to continue reading? Check out the full post at High Heels & Flip Flops. 

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Thanks for stopping by, be sure to email me if you'd like to share your own Love Your Body story. 

xoxo

Live, Love, Learn

We're never prepared for death, even if we know it's coming. We know death is eventually going to happen for us all, but it just never gets easier when we have to say goodbye. 

With social media connecting us again to friends and loved ones we haven't seen in a while, it feels even heavier when we learn of someone's passing. How is it possible that this person could be gone today when just yesterday we saw them share a photo on Facebook and Instagram? HOW?! 

I'm still trying to understand and wrap my head around a recent tragedy that happened to my childhood friend. Though I still don't understand it, I'm grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with her. My heart hurts for her family; her husband and three young children, her parents and in-laws, her siblings, and extended family.  

Death of someone so young always reminds me to appreciate every day a little more, to slow down and enjoy the moment instead of trying to share it on social media, and to capture more memories. 

So, while you may see less of me on social media, know that I am here; living, loving and learning. 

There is a fund my friend's family has put together in her memory and to help her husband and children who are 6, 4, and 2. If you can help, any dollar amount is appreciated. Click here.

Thanks for stopping by today. 

xoxo