Reflecting on my physical and emotional fitness.

I may or may not catch some slack for this but I just want to get the fact out there that it shouldn't matter how you choose to be fit, what should matter is the fact that you're doing it. In no way shape or form does exercise mean you are only spending hours on a machine at the gym, lifting weights, running, taking a class, or doing an at-home program. I don't understand why some people feel the need to discredit or look down other forms of fitness when in reality, we are all in it together! We are all doing what we can, where we can. It is all about finding motivation and balance to thrive! At-home programs work for me because I don't have a gym membership, nor a sitter for when I want to go to the gym. I've had to make it work at home, and I will run or walk or take an opportunity to go somewhere and train when I get the chance, and for those who do train at the gym or in a studio I give props to you because you have that ability and found your motivation there! ...

This past week has flown by, heck, this whole MONTH has flown by! I just wanted to let you all know what's been on the agenda for my summer thus far as far as my fitness regiment. I started Les Mills Combat some time in May, and have recently just finished the program. I absolutely loved it! The cardio portions were awesome and went by so quickly because of all of the music tracks and energy the trainers gave! The lifting and plyometric workouts were awesome as well. I loved the variety of the calendar because it kept me from getting burnt out due to repeated workouts multiple times weekly, and the program was just long enough to where I wasn't feeling overwhelmed. I had great results (no inches or weight lost, but my goal since February has been to maintain), but I did see a little more definition in the core, which is ALWAYS welcomed and appreciated! I love the satisfaction of completing a program, knowing that at one time I was worried about sticking to a 10 day challenge. I...

scale skāl/ noun noun:  pair of scales ; plural noun:  pairs of scales ; plural noun:  scales ; noun:  scale 1 . an instrument for weighing.  mir·ror ˈmirər     noun 1 . a reflective surface, now typically of glass coated with a metal amalgam, that reflects a clear image. verb 1 . (of a reflective surface) show a reflection of. These two objects I've defined have caused me so much pain, frustration, feelings of success, failure and grief in the past. The mirror is only a "reflective surface" and the scale is only an "instrument for weighing," so why should I feel all those emotions when I think of them?  The scale measured my weight as I impacted gravity. I let the number it read decide my self-worth, and whether I was going to have a good day (when I liked what it said) or a bad day (when I didn't). I gave a lot of power to that simple tool for weighing, and it was because I...

My 1 YEAR #TransformationTuesday ...  Coming from someone who thought 10 days of healthy eating and exercise would be hard without a gym let alone making it 3 months till her wedding, then through the winter, making it through spring time and forget about sticking with it through the following summer! I never thought I could have the discipline and self control to workout at home, let alone complete 4 BeachBody and 1 cheap starter program. I never thought I would give up my precious red bull, become a BeachBody coach, RUN a mile and then shoot for more, train with a stroller and run a 4.5k with my family, do multiple push ups, squats, and sit ups just for fun, find the best support system anyone could ever ask for. I wouldn't have dared show my body to anyone else but my husband, let alone wear a bikini (with no cover up) to the beach  multiple times, let start a body positive group or become confident enough to wear a crop top in a public place! The physical changes may ...

I will start off by saying that I am EXHAUSTED after this weekend. With all the running around we did, early mornings and the late nights, I definitely could use a good nap! Over all, I think it was a great weekend though. We tried catching fireflies, had a fish fry (on the grill), got some ice cream, went to a friend's camp, saw some fireworks, went to the beach, got sun burnt, and had a blast! I got to spend some quality time with family and friends, I indulged just enough to get it out of my system, but still stayed on track as far as workouts are concerned, and passed up some goodies when I really didn't want them. Brady, Bristol and I had a nice family day after all the chaos of the holiday weekend too! We took her to the Maine Wildlife Park to see all the animals, and she even pointed and named some in her book when we got home! Our beach trip was very impromptu however, and the decision was made after we left MWP and needed to cool off. So we stopped at WalMart and went...

The purpose behind the Body Positive Project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/654463427969478/ As you may or may not know from my introduction, I have struggled with body positivity for as long as I can remember. I may have looked a certain way, but I never felt like I did. I saw my body differently than others did, and was so negative towards myself. Despite losing 20+ pounds and all my baby weight, having no stretch marks, and despite my “assets” not being as perky as they used to be, they were still “aesthetically pleasing” as my husband would so politely put it. I had reached out to some councilors and therapists in college even before having my daughter and had no success in seeing myself in a more positive light. It wasn’t until I found my fitness and saw changes in me that I had decided I wanted to change myself for my own sake and to set an example for my daughter.  The first rule of therapy is wanting to change. I had never wanted to, and that was why I had never su...

I guess it would be appropriate as my first EVER blog post to be done as an introduction to who I am, what I am doing and why I am doing what I'm doing. Especially since this is the foundation and basis for my Body Positive Project group on Facebook. Firstly, my name is Gina Johnson, I am a SAHM of the wildest, craziest, most adorably fearless 18 month old I've ever known. I am also the wife of a wild, crazy, adorably fearless husband who works on the road the majority of the time, so I operate as the sole provider of said 18 month old about 5/7 days a week. I started my fitness journey just shy of a year ago and with the help of my very own accountability group I have been able to stick with it thanks to the support and relationships I've formed along the way. I was always one of those who gave up when it got hard, and even when I was "losing weight" I was only doing the bare minimum required, sticking to 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 more minutes on the tr...