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Posts tagged ‘Weight loss journey’

What’s stopping you from getting started on your Wellness Journey? • Fly by July Campaign

February 7, 2023

Mia The Diva

Hi Divas!

Here we are into February of this New Year! I hope you found the last post helpful in helping you envision your best 2023!

What’s stopping you from getting started on your Wellness Journey?

So here we are, where do we start? We know everything we need to do but somehow we’re not showing up for ourselves. Turning over when we set that early alarm.

Our beds are soooo comfy and it’s cold outside. We love our pillows, fluffy duvets, and warmth from our beds it’s so cozy here. I realized l didn’t want to get out of bed after having good intentions and setting that early alarm because ultimately it’s comfortable. It’s secure. It’s what l know.

I started thinking about other areas of my life and everything is comfortable, secure and what l know. I found myself having this aha moment of being in status quo.

Especially working from home my days are running into each other and look much of the same from day to day. I realized if l continue to stay in this bed (metaphorically) nothing is ever going to change in my life.

Shortly after the new year started, l was having a conversation and discussing my health goals for the new year with a friend. I work long days and was figuring out ways to make time so that l can get my walk in daily.

During our conversation I asked: “ Is this really realistic? Am l really going to wake up at 6am everyday?”

My friend responded simply and with the most care had said:

“ You have to —-.”

In that moment l realized what was stopping me from getting started on my wellness journey, something shifted. I realized l wasn’t making it a priority and was not given it a sense of urgency.

That night l laid out my workout clothes on my bed. The next morning l got up and went for my walk.

It turned into something that l realized l must do because l’m never going to own my life if l don’t take control of my health and the way l feel.

I don’t hit my workout goals everyday but l’m learning to change my scope of how l view consistency. I’m learning that tomorrow is always another day and another chance. It will never be done. This is truly a lifestyle change.

So this week is the official first week of campaign season! This year’s campaign will run through July 1st 2023. So be sure to Subscribe & Follow a diva!

I am here simply to share information l’m learning as l am on my own wellness journey to improve my health. I hope this blog can be a source of inspiration and motivation to get you started on your own healthy path dear diva!

Taking the first step

Please know we are all doing this for ourselves but not by ourselves. I’m right here with you along the way as we get through this together and hopefully partner up in supporting each other towards something great.

The First Step: Set a Goal

We can not achieve success if we do not have something that we are moving towards. A goal helps us measure where we want to be.

It’s one thing for us to say we want to look like we had a BBL it’s another to have an ultimate goal that is as ambitious as attainable.

What’s attainable?

Everyday we are bombarded with IG Beauty Standards. IG models don’t even look like IG models IRL so stop the foolishness! Don’t let social media and society dictate how you should look and feel about your body.

Having unrealistic body aspirations only sends us down a path of poor self image and not feeling like we are “ good “ enough. – Not a good look for a Diva!

A quick story time. I started seeing a nutritionist about post pandemic 2021 due to some health challenges l was having. I never had suffered from poor body image. I’ve always been a big girl my entire adult life.

My mother was a Big Beautiful Woman and it didn’t stop her or what she wanted out of life which was a husband and a family. She didn’t have to work. She went to work because she chose to which are two very different things.

So in short as l got older and gained weight over the years l never saw it as a reflection of my value as a person, self worth or inability to date or be in a relationship. I’ve always been proud of my body and her strength.

However my scope of health was quite the opposite ironically. Like most of society my ideal of health was having the body of an athlete and eating salads.

I started having some issues with low iron, elevated blood sugar and cholesterol. I went to a nutritionist to help me with the tools to improve my diet, health & get my body into “ healthy “ shape.

My story about going to a nutritionist is for another post but it has been one of the key factors on my healing journey and has really helped put the pieces of my life together.

So during one of our sessions l was asking her ways that l can eat to lose weight and change my body. She had asked me, “ Mia, what if you never lost another pound? “ — l was speechless.

I was taken aback and even slightly offended like she didn’t have belief in me or something. That l was just destined to be this way forever. When l tell you that this was one of the most empowering moments of my journey this was that moment.

It took me sometime to think about it. It was about a week or so and when we met for our next session l was able to share with her that l had come to the actualization that all l could do is be myself.

All l can ever be is my healthiest self that is something that l can change if l don’t like it. Ultimately we are all born with what we’ve got. It was in that very moment that l was finally free from the perfectionism of my wellness journey.

Ever since then l show up. I strive to give my best and to be consistent is the goal. I’m not perfect l have ways to go but l am learning more and more about myself everyday. Our bodies are beautiful and can do some pretty amazing things.

I honor my body she shows up for me everyday as long as l have breath in this body. That was such a great question my nutritionist asked me and l am so grateful for her. It was a powerful loaded question that changed the entire direction of my journey.

What’s a realistic expectation?

There are three basic body types. It’s important for a diva to understand her shape and what she can and can’t expect from it.

The Apple Diva

This body type stores fat in the upper torso. The extra fat is usually carried around the tummy area this body type had evolved over time for longs periods without food. It’s important that Apples are health conscious to cardiac disease as they tend to store fat in the upper body.

The Pear-shaped Diva

This body type holds majority of fat in the lower body hips, thighs & butt. This body type mostly are woman and have evolved over time for fertility and breastfeeding so it’s harder to lose but not as much of a health risk as tummy fat.

The Proportionate Diva

This body type fat cells are evenly distributed throughout the entire body. They lose everywhere and gain everywhere. It all adds and comes off evenly.

Weekly Challenge:

So as you can see we all have a shape where our fat goes. Working out and eating a particular way we can altar our bodies to a point. Our genetics will kick in and we will have our reality. Once we get this we can let go of unreachable crazy “lG Model goals “ and replace them with real ones.

I challenge you this week to identify your basic body type and start thinking about a fitness goal of where you want to be by July 1st.

I want you to imagine it’s July 1st 2023 and you have crushed your fitness goal or on your way to crushing & achieving your fitness goals.

What changed in how you’re showing up today vs how you were showing up in your life this first week of February 2023?

What are you doing different these days? What does your daily routine look like? I’d love to hear from you comment below if you’d like to share & have some support & accountability towards your goals! 💪🏽💕

You can follow us @flybyjuly on all the things social tag a diva! We would love to check in on you & support you on your wellness journey as well!

I’m definitely working on getting more active on my socials it’s been a minute but l mostly hang out here on the blog & pod!

Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!

Mia Thee Diva

This is how l’m healing

August 21, 2022

Mia The Diva

Hey Divas,

There is no judgement in how l’m coping with life. We hear so much today about brokenness & healing. To heal means that something was broken. Know that we were never broken just growing & learning.

Life is tough. Life is also really great and the older we get the more shenanigan’s seem to unfold, but the wisdom we gain is priceless from surviving things that we have gone through and accepting people will disappoint us at one point or another especially those whom are closest to you.

So how do we heal? What does it all mean?

Heal. I use that word sparingly. Take heart dear diva if you’re going through a hard time just know that it is temporary nothing last forever even when it feels like it. Nothing is permanent unless it’s a tattoo and even those can be removed. So you can’t mess up but you can always be curious.

Sometimes we have to break down so we can build ourselves back up. Sometimes we have to be still for a minute before we can move forward. We have to crawl before we can walk.

Healing is personal no one can tell you how to heal. It takes time and working on yourself learning yourself. What you like what you don’t like. What feels good, what doesn’t.

It also takes a level of maturity that like with any investment is gains interest over time and builds wealth; an abundance that can overflow into all aspects of your life. There comes a point when we have to accept that there is wealth in our health the reality of life is chaos and groundlessness. That’s why being healthy is so very important and its’ value is priceless.

The more we realize how insignificant we really are on this planet in the grand scheme of things; if we were to die today life wouldn’t stop it would keep going and our job posted the next day; accepting this reality keeps us humble and allows us to really focus on ourselves and enjoy our experience while we’re here.

Places to go – People to see – Things to do ~

Diva on a journey! 💪🏽💕 Let’s Get Moving!

So this week l decided to take some time off and had a designated chill day. I have been working a lot these past couple of months and just needed to slow down. I was able to soak up some Vitamin D and relax which was great.

Circling back from last post l started with my daily to do list and got most of the things done but also got a bit overwhelmed so learning and adjusting as l go.

This week’s goal is to get moving. I’ve focused on the mental wellness heavily along with nutrition which is vital it’s also time to focus on this body body body and get her together.

So this week my focus is movement! If you’re having trouble getting out and moving l challenge you to carve out some time this week and do the same dear diva!

Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!

Mia The Diva

Be Loyal To Your Smiles

August 10, 2022

Mia The Diva

Hey Divas,

When we think about the things we are loyal towards; like our jobs, our families, our relationships our friendships. It serves purpose, fulfillment in life, and an addition to our lifestyle.

Sometimes we are loyal to pleasing others, loyal to putting everyone and everything before ourselves. Loyal to the hustle. Loyal to the grind. Loyal to our grief our mistakes you know our coulda woulda shoulda’s. Loyal to the comfort, living in the mediocrity of our lives.

Where has it gotten us? Did we get what we wanted? If not, it does give us an opportunity to discover what we don’t like and to do something about it.

One of the best life lessons l’ve learned was from a therapist. Where do you expect to see yourself in 5 years? If we make no changes we will be where we are today. When we find ourselves at the fork in the road it’s a life shift that will go in the direction that we decide to take.

If life is not working right now then it’s time to make some decisions and take the direction on the path we would like to go.

If we make no changes life today will be the same in the next 5 years as it is for us today. Not making a decision is still a decision. It’s a decision that’s made for you. So why not take control of your life and make the decisions you actually want to make.

“ When you make a decision that is your truth. “

I’ve made a decision to focus on what makes me smile and being loyal to that. Focusing on what makes me feel good and being loyal to that. Focusing on being curious and being loyal to that. Focusing on kindness to myself and others because you just never know what someone is going through and being loyal to that.

The greatest relationship we will ever have in this life is the one with ourselves everything and everyone else around us gets to experience our overflow. It makes everyone and everything around us better when we are at our personal best.

When we are in our essence of who we truly are doing the things that our heart desires experiencing true joy it’s almost as if we illuminate it seems to have a ripple effect.

No one can steal our energy no one can steal our good juju vibes for themselves because it is ours. However we can give it away through people pleasing and giving in to others demands by not setting clear boundaries for ourselves.

If it doesn’t feel good likely a boundary is being crossed and your energy zapped! You will either feel inspired or drained after interacting with someone so be mindful of the company you keep dear diva.

Be loyal to your smiles.

Diva on a journey! This week’s goal 💪🏽💕 Daily To Do List

Circling back from last post I was successful in getting more activity in and managed to even lose 3 lbs.! I had a pretty active week running around and getting errands done. I actually shop at 3 different grocery stores so I got a lot of steps in going from one store to the next; since being on my wellness journey I’m real bougie about my produce and where I get it. Quality over quantity. I don’t care how great a sale is, if it’s trash I’m not buying it. I work too hard for my lifestyle and I care about what I put into my body.

This week’s goal is setting my up my days with intention and tackling my daily to do list. Call it the Virgo in me but I need structure in my life as I shared in a previous post it brings my life peace and balance so this week I will be focusing on what I need to do for this week and break it down into days. If you’re feeling stuck and trying to get it together yourself I challenge you to do the same dear diva!

Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!

Mia The Diva

Disclaimer: All information on this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this WordPress flybyjuly.com blog. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and weight loss or on any opinions expressed within this blog. You as the reader must be responsible for consulting with your own health professional on matters raised here. Flybyjuly.com will not accept responsibility for the actions or consequential results of any action taken by any reader.

4 Questions to ASK yourself before you EAT your Emotions Away

July 27, 2022

Mia The Diva

Hey Divas, 

So as I shared in a previous post I gained 20 lbs during the pandemic. I had also lost my father 2 years prior to the world shut down and people in my life were showing me who they are and their true colors.

It was alot to deal with not dealing. Grieving can be exhausting and emotionally draining if you do not have a proper plan in place. Grieve with purpose either to be better or to get better.

There is no magic timeframe of the grieving process it can last anywhere from several days to several months to several years to a lifetime.

Time eventually does heal but more importantly it’s what we do with this time because at one point or another we will lose someone or something significant in our lives.

How will you deal?

One thing I have learned so far in my life’s journey is to always have a PLAN because if you do not have one like the saying says; plan to fail.

Although my failures have been some of my greatest blessings in life. l did not realize it at the time.

I feel like my life could have been so much easier and would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary pain if I had an awareness and the right tools to deal with life and its’ charade of shenanigans.

The fact is that life is going to happen and much of it we have no control over as much as we like to think we do.

What we do have control over however is how we are showing up and how we respond to life ish because the hard days will come and they will also —- go.

If you find yourself in a crappy space of life right now, take heart that it is not forever it is just right now.

I know it sucks.

Have faith that you will make it through dear diva.

Going through grief and life events can be a roller coaster of emotions it can also be a source of triggers especially if we’ve gone through something traumatic and haven’t properly dealt with it.

Grief is painful it can drain what’s left of our life if we don’t get it in check. There is nothing more painful than wasting our precious time.

So many of us cope with food when things are “ off “ in life some of us drugs, alcohol, binge watching our shows etc. doing anything we can do to not feel the feels of the insurmountable pain we are in. – @flybyjuly

Avoidance can show up in so many ways but for the purpose of this blog food is our drug of choice.

The tough thing about food vs. drugs, booze or binge watching TV shows etc. is that we need food to sustain our life.

So where do we draw the line? When have we crossed the line?

Food serves so many roles in our lives; nutrition, socializing, creativity, connection, holiday gatherings the list goes on and on.

So when does a diva put the breaks on the fridge, the buffet, the online food delivery to your doorstep, the sushi nights, and those Sunday Brunches with your girls?

Where do we draw the line between I need to eat this to sustain my life, I need to eat this for my social needs, I need to eat this because I want to have fun. I need to eat this because I’m sad, I’m angry, I’m anxious or depressed.

4 Questions to ASK yourself before your EAT your Emotions Away

Years ago I learned of an acronym through tribal knowledge that can help with mindless eating it’s called H.A.L.T I’m not sure who the creator is of this but it is genius.

The next time you’re about to eat something ask yourself these four simple questions:

  • H – Hungry? Am I actually hungry? Cause a Diva can get her GRUB on right about now!
  • A – Anger am I angry? I’m mad, fed up and sick of everyone’s sh*t. Where’s the chips.
  • L – Lonely am I lonely? Am I depressed? Ice Cream makes everything ok.
  • T – Time am I busy? Do I just need something quick to get in my stomach? I’m always on the run! Just need something quick before I pass out.

What I love about these questions is that it raises awareness and when we have awareness we can make better choices.

It’s not overnight, the chips and ice cream will win somedays and that’s ok we may actually need the ice cream and the chips in that moment but not every moment.

As time goes on and we become more conscious of what we are putting into out body we can understand what’s driving us and we discover other ways to deal with our pain.

What’s Your Vice?

I love seafood. Sushi is my vice, I know not terribly unhealthy but the “ All You Can Eat “ can be too hard to resist on a diva and caused me to over eat too much at times, it can also be expensive.

It takes time dear diva to discover the code that will crack your vice. I like a lot of people am an emotional eater it served many purposes for me during some pretty dark moments in my life.

Emotional eating isn’t always sitting in a dark room with a bucket of ice cream it can be snacking, going out to eat in excess, still eating when we’re not hungry or even when a diva is just bored.

When I was feeling especially isolated I would go out for sushi two to three times a week. I now go once a month as a treat and order half rolls because I honestly love sushi even when I’m truly happy it is one of my favorite things to do.

Over time I now picked up taking a drawing class again, something that is nostalgic that reminds me of my earlier days it gets me out of the house l’m able to express my creativity and it allows me to be social.

I use to go out and eat sushi to connect and catch up with my friends. I have great memories having sushi with my friends. The pandemic happened. Life changed and then I found myself in a space where I was alone and would go out by myself to feel better.

I would go out to eat just to get out of the house, see some people even if they were strangers so I did not have to be at home looking at my 4 walls anxious and depressed.

Not a good look for a diva!  So I swapped my solo sushi dates for art class. 

So take some time to reflect. What can you swap your VICE for? What’s a lost hobby you have? Is there a big project that you’ve been wanting to tackle?

Once you ask yourself these 4 simple H A L T questions before you grab that bag of chips or whatever your vice you will be able to eat a little bit more mindfully and hopefully have some clarity on what’s bugging you so that you can make some better choices on your journey to flyness!

Diva on a journey! 💪🏽💕 This week’s goal: Making time for movement during my day

So circling back from last post I did not quite make it getting up 1.5 hours early everyday it was too early for me to start working out but I do have the habit of getting up early, making my juice and smoothie for the day.

I realized what was stopping me was organization. It’s probably a Virgo thing but I crave stucture in all aspects of my life so why wouldn’t my wellness journey be any different. I did not hit my intended goal but I did learn more about my self and what is working and what’s not on this journey.

So going into this week with my new found knowledge, I’ll be gettin’ it in! My movements that is 😜 anywhere I can.

Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You! 

Mia The Diva 

Disclamer: All information on this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this WordPress flybyjuly.com blog. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and weight loss or on any opinions expressed within this blog. You as the reader must be responsible for consulting with your own health professional on matters raised here. Flybyjuly.com will not accept responsibility for the actions or consequential results of any action taken by any reader.

Hot Girl Summer Goals & Hoochie Daddy short shorts! How did we do?

June 15, 2022

Mia The Diva

Hey Divas,

Summer is here!

Have we reached our Hot Girl Summer Goals Divas? Fly Guys, how we sportin those short shorts?

The burning question: Can I reshape my body in my forties? So as of the end of the summer I will be on the other side of 40. As I approach my 45th trip around the sun by the end of summer I don’t know the short answer to this question for me but I am willing to make this body do what it does this next round.

So last year I set out a goal and created a whole IG account dedicated to my personal wellness journey so much has happened in a year although I have made great strides. I find myself physically in the same space I was a year ago.

Not a good look for a diva! 

The point is Life is going to happen. Sh*t is going to happen. I would find myself pausing after every life kick up and set back.

Life is going to happen, there will always be something and things will not always go as planned. It’s in the unexplained, the unexpected and the things that just do not make any sense is where we find our stride.

Sometimes we have to humble ourselves and put down our super hero capes, our fantasy of life was to be and just be like hey, I’m here. I’m alive. As long as I have breath in my body there are things that I need to be doing.

My presence is enough. All we have to do is live and die. It really isn’t that complicated NOT survive and die but LIVE and die.

Giving myself some grace. I have learned so much this past year and will be going in with an eyes wide open approach.

I’ve learned the stuff and have done the things not starting over but starting again. Knowledge means absolutely nothing if you are not putting it into action.

So here we are a fresh start again, we can always begin to begin again but your girl is tired.

This will definitely be a year of focus and I focus on not only my body but my whole life. I invite you as I go on this journey for the next 365 days so if you are in a space of life that you just need to get it together this is the space for you, the space for us. 

So if you’re just getting into your 40’s or it’s near looming in the bushes or maybe you’re knee deep in your 40’s like me or maybe you’re about to wrap this decade like a Christmas Tree heading into that Fabulous 50 season this is our time Divas! 

We have had our good times, the love of our life, the family or desired having one at one point, we have made the mistakes, have lost loved ones, have had our hearts broken, have learned the lessons & have ultimately grown-up.

We are here ladies. We are here.

Fly Guys this message applies to you too! We see you and them “ Hoochie Daddy short shorts. ”

I use the word heal and healing sparingly because we were never broken. 

We grow & We grown. Yea I said it. 

I totally feel like I have super powers in this space of life. I feel the most comfortable in my skin and self assured. I have a complete acceptance of life and it’s f___kery.

AND you know what.

– It’s ok.

Like the saying goes it is what it is until it’s not.

Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!

Mia The Diva