Unchained Health and Wellness with Dana

I’ve spent the past year really learning what it means to rest. The hare has been my spirit animal most of my life, but I’m learning the way of the tortoise. My go-go-go-crash-repeat cycle is being broken. I’m proof you can teach an old rabbit new tricks.

I’m not perfect at it yet. I still overdo it sometimes. But I’m learning to protect my energy.

Amazing things happen when you don’t run yourself into the ground, friends! I’ve got more energy, less fatigue, a better mood, my cortisol levels are back in the normal range, and I feel more in control. Who knew!?!?!🤷🏻‍♀️

If your body has to call a time out on you because you’re going-going-going like I used to, it’s time to reevaluate.

Here are my top tortoise tips…

🛌 Stuck to a consistent bedtime and try not to vary it by more than an hour.

🚫Learn to say “no.” Yes, it’s hard at first. No, it’s not rude. Put your own oxygen mask on first. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary. (Need an example? Look at Jesus. He did it.)

🗓️ Schedule rest. Put it on the calendar.

📖 Put anything you want on your “to do” list, but only do three things a day. Pick the three most important. Don’t worry. The world won’t end if your list isn’t finished.

Remember…slow and steady wins the race.

Anxiety.
Depression.
Obesity.
Fibromyalgia.
Divorce.
ADHD.
Binge Eating.
Family Death.
Debt.
Poor Gut Health.
Job Loss.
Starting Over.

These are my adversities. My tragedies. The things I’ve battled. Some I’ve overcome. Some I’m still battling.

You guys, God wants to recycle my adversity and turn it into ministry! He is in the business of recycling our pain and using it for someone else’s gain.

If you don’t turn your adversity into a ministry, then your pain remains YOUR pain. (And I’d share my story a billion times over to rescue YOU!! DANG IT! If I’ve had to go THROUGH the pain, I’m sure as heck not going to waste the experience!) Actually, the more problems I have, the more potential I have to help people.

I spent a whole lot of years owning my pain. Complaining about life to anyone who would listen. I exhausted all my friends until I had none. That just further proved to me I was one big failure at life. At everything. Powerless.

Wrong.

It took a while, but I changed my heart and renewed my mind! (Yes, you can do that! It’s called the reticular activating system! It’s in your brain. Read about it.)

And NOW I know this...

No one rolls out the red carpet and invites tragedy into their life, but our greatest gifts and passions are often the byproduct of our worst tragedies and failures! Our ability to help others is limited to where we’ve been wounded.

None of it felt good at the time. The parts I’m growing through now DON’T FEEL GOOD. (Notice I said “growing through” and not “going through.”). But I have peace knowing...

❤️ I have to grow through it if I’m going to use it to lead others.

❤️ My story will be the keys to unlock someone else’s prison cell.

❤️ My adversity is temporary. And if there are new adversities in my future, there are new opportunities.

❤️ That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

❤️ I know someone stronger than ANY adversity I face.

Friends, I’m still learning where all this is going. But I know this...

I’m going to share my story. On Facebook. On Instagram. On a stage. On the phone. Over coffee. To a friend. To a large audience. Whenever. Wherever.

Because what good would it be if All that stuff I listed👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻was for nothing???

It’s Transformation Tuesday, y’all!

This is my sweet friend Mackenzie. She is a busy wife, nurse practitioner, mama, and friend. And she made a decision, got surrounded in bootcamps, and has worked so hard towards a healthier life for her and her family. She’s lost 50 pounds and had no intention of stopping on this health transformation! I’m so stinkin’ proud of her! Help me cheer her on!

I want to share her encouraging post from our January Bootcamp today in her own words….

“I just wanted to come share some of my progress pics that I was able to accomplish through Beachbody and groups like this! I am definitely not where I want to be, but as Dana talked about yesterday, we have to love ourselves where we are currently. After I had my son I gained a signifant amount of weight back and almost got back up to my highest pregnancy weight postpartum. I had major complications and had to have a would vac for 6 weeks on my stomach. I felt defeated and I was so unhappy with my body and how I looked. Beachbody and groups like this have helped me to get my life back! I have had ups and downs in this journey, but I have never given up on myself! I like to say the come back is better than the set back! I am ready to rock this bootcamp and start off 2023 strong! I can’t wait for everyone to go through this journey with me! We can do anything we set our minds to! And don’t forget to KEEP SHOWING UP, the progress will come! 💪🏽♥️.”

I used to be one of those “New Years Resolution” makers who was going to "do better" for the new year. So I'd get my gym membership, buy a bunch of Lean Cuisines and apples on December 31st, and then about 8 days into January, it would all fall apart. That wasn't even the worst part! The worst part was that when I failed, I gave up. Every time. Every year. That just reinforced in my mind I wasn't capable! This fitness stuff wasn't for me. My goals were unattainable. 😞

Who else has done this??✋🏻✋🏻✋🏻

Want to know what made the difference for me? I had someone holding my hand. 👭I had someone who was going to check in with me every day to pay attention to what I was eating and whether I had done my workout. And when I didn't do my workout, I had someone to find out why, answer my questions and put me back on track for the next day.

This was so effective for me, that now I'm a hand-holder leading people through their own fitness journey. But I'm not alone! I've got a whole team ready to embrace, encourage, cheer and you on. 🎉👍🏻

If you're ready to make this year the year you DON'T give up on your goals before February, please take my hand. I'd love to help you reach those goals! You can do so much more than you think you can! 💪🏻

When all the ads and offers for gym memberships or detox cleanses or the latest-greatest diet start to fill your inbox (and your mind) this week...

Remember that you are ALREADY 💯 lovable, capable, worthy and enough just as you are. Just how God made you.

The love for yourself you ‘think’ you’ll have only after you’ve lost that 10 or 15 pounds is actually available to you right NOW.

Today. ❤️

Here’s the thing: the greatest of health journeys starts in the heart and mind. But you don’t have to tackle that alone.

Are you ready for a new way? Send me a message and we will chat!

This super exciting date night brought to you by Meijer. What can I say? 🤷🏻‍♀️ We’re Party animals!

Hey, at least since he’s a full-service date! He’s even going to take me home and help me meal prep these groceries! 🙌🏻

I cried over this one, friends! I can’t tell you how much this outing meant!

I wanted to catch a movie since our theater closes down after tonight. I was SO disappointed they stopped showing The Empire Strikes Back last night. In addition to it being my number one ranked Star Wars film, it reminds me of my dad. I remember seeing it with him in the theater 40 years ago.

And today...would’ve been his birthday. Dad’s favorite thing was movies. So I really wanted to see it.

Well, some sweet soul pulled some strings.....and it got on the screen for one last night.

To top it all off, I got to have all my people with me!

Happy 40th Anniversary, Episode V, and Happy Birthday, Dad! Love miss you every single day. @ Regal Entertainment

It’s a great day to have a great day! Every morning I write down my gratitudes. What are you grateful for today?

Yeti is Pet if the Month in our community. So, yesterday he got a Bark Box....and proceeded to rip the ears of his new toy in 10 minutes.