The experts say the average person complains 30 times per day.

I didn’t think I complained that much, so I monitored myself for a day.

Those experts were right.  Actually, I think it might be more.

I complain all day long.

It astounded me a little.

I consider myself a fairly positive person and yet…

I complained about having to shovel snow, my computer being too slow, picking up my son’s legos, and FB for not allowing me to underline, all within a 20-minute window.

Complaining feels like I am just talking about reality.  But it’s not.  It’s the story I’m telling myself about the world.

I could have admired the new snowfall, taken the moments for my computer to reboot to read, enjoyed making my own Lego creation or been in awe of that fact I can even communicate in a way for hundreds to see.

But I didn’t.

I focused on what was wrong.

And that focus, it makes us feel terrible.

There is no upside to it.

It...

You made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, huh?

Did you know this is the number one resolution made? 

But only a few of you will succeed.  And of those of you that do lose weight, MAYBE 5% of you will keep it off for good.

(I'm being generous with that percentage)

Most of you will gain back the weight. Usually, more than what you lost.

Kind of depressing…

Unless you have the right tools.  Unless you lose weight like someone that is in that 5%...

Women come to me to lose weight. That’s my jam.  I’ve done it, so they want to know all the “secrets”.

I usually start out asking them what they’ve tried in the past.

I get a whole laundry list…

• Keto
• Whole 30
• Paleo
• Carb counting
• Shakes
• Cleanses
• Pills
• Drinks

The list goes on and on.  While all of these are good ideas… none of them are the best way to lose weight with the intent to KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF.

The numbers don’t lie. ...

Losing weight for the LAST time is hard work.

And hard work stinks. 

It’s not all rainbows and daisies. Often there are no butterflies. 

There is just YOU and the work that you don’t feel like doing. 

Taking a nap sounds better. Maybe some Netflix or a little shopping. 

A phone call to vent to a friend would be nice.

Definitely, a glass of wine and a big ‘ole bowl of ice cream would make it all easier. 

ALL of these are way better than the effort of building your self-control around food to lose weight.

But then there are the results. 

The hard work turns into the energy to run around with your kids…

the joy of putting on two sizes smaller pants…

the self-confidence to start that bible study…

the connection of those intimate evenings with your husband.

Six months later you are living all the blessings of the hard work.

But more importantly, you have a new self-concept. You feel...

It’s the week of Christmas and all the talk, in our house, is about gifts. 

My kids get so excited to share what they received, what they want, and what they are “sure” they are getting next. 

It is so fun to watch their excitement.

Well, this year I know what I want and what I’m getting.

I give it to myself every year now. It is the gift that keeps giving.

It is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

The gift of friendship... being my own good friend.

I want to share part of the definition of a friend according to Urbandictionary.com:

“A friend is someone you love and who loves you, someone you respect and who respects you, someone whom you trust and who trusts you. A friend is honest and makes you want to be honest, too. A friend is loyal.”

Learning to love and respect myself has been tough work, but worth it. Now I can trust that what I say I will...

When my kids were little, I loved the IDEA of Christmas. But, once it came to executing it, I was an emotional mess.  

The emotional chaos from my personal expectations just led me to eat and drink (not water…) A LOT to try to feel better.

By the time Christmas day came, I was about ready to have the season over.

Maybe this might be a little extreme for you. Hear me out, though.

If you are overconsuming during the holiday season, it's a sign that there may be a lack of everyday joy.

Yes, I said EVERYDAY joy. 

If you're not feeling a little joy every day, we probably need to have a chat.

I learned a lot from my lackluster holidays of the past. Now, I am so thankful I learned those lessons because I LOVE feeling joy daily and helping others do the same.

Here are the top 5 key components that have created more joy in my life and in the lives of my clients. I pray you to focus on these areas so you don't have to turn to food and drinks for...

“You NEED to get to 145. This is getting ridiculous, Amanda.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that to myself. I thought I needed my “ideal” weight.

The reason I "needed" it so badly is because I thought I’d be set, I’d be happy once I got there.

So, my body is one thing I obsessed about for years, believing I could change it but feeling out of control when I tried. It left me frustrated, embarrassed, and desperate.  The exact opposite of what I really wanted.

Not something I look back on lovingly, to say the least.

If you feel like you HAVE to lose weight to be “happier”, enjoy life more, or be satisfied, then this is the lie Satan is using to keep you stuck and overweight.

How does this lie keep you stuck?

Well, one, it hurts your relationships with God.

When we think something outside of God, something in the world will “complete us,” we set ourselves up for heartache....

**This is one devotional day from Honoring Your Temple Through the Holiday Challenge: Lose 5 lbs DURING the holidays. The challenge has been amazing with women losing weight.  If you want to be part of the next challenge starting in the New Year follow my Facebook Page.

I look around the table. 

Everyone is on at least their second piece of pizza.  

"Uh. This is not fair." I say this to myself as I stare at my salad, feeling deprived.

In the back of my mind, there is a lie fueling a lot of how I act: life should be fair. I should get what everyone else gets. It sounds so right. 

I mean, I hear it all the time from those around me.  

• "Make sure everyone gets their fair share." (common among parents, including myself, and teachers)
• "I should get a fair shot at the same job." (from a coworker with less experience)
• "Let's even the playing field" (just about every news story right now)

I find that I am bombarded with the message, "Life...

**This is one devotional day from Honoring Your Temple Through the Holiday Challenge: Lose 5 lbs and enjoy with confidence EVERY celebration. The challenge includes 21 days of devotionals, weekly focused challenges, and coaching zoom calls. We are in week two, but you can always join the challenge HERE and still be on your way to feeling amazing this holiday season!

My favorite is peanut butter and chocolate. (I'm drooling just writing this). Even though I like both of these individually, you put them together…oh, they are like magic on my tongue!

Just about every Christmas, my sister makes buckeyes. If you don't know, they are peanut butter and powdered sugar mixed together, rolled in a ball, and dipped in chocolate. They look so good and taste even better.

When I see them on the cookie platter, my eye is immediately drawn to them. My mind wants to fixate on having one of them. Often, I think, "They are just too good to pass up. They're one of my favorites! Go...

**This is one devotional day from Honoring Your Temple Through the Holiday Challenge. The challenge includes 21 days of devotionals, weekly focused challenges, and coaching zoom calls. YOU can join the challenge HERE if you’re interested in losing 5 pounds DURING the holidays!

“The Easiest Way to Lose That Stubborn Belly Fat!”

“Lose 5lbs Overnight!”

“10 ‘No Work’ Workouts”. 

We’ve all seen these types of headlines trying to lure us into the quick and painless.

Unless you’re the type of person that forgets about food, about eating, or about how much your body is working hard… weight loss probably won’t be “easy”.

The question is, does it have to be hard?

I had a client that wanted to get into a routine of eating a shake every day for lunch. The problem was, she hated shakes. Everything about them: yet, each day, she would blend one up, hoping she could “just...

**This is one devotional day from Honoring Your Temple Through the Holiday Challenge. The challenge includes 21 days of devotionals, weekly focused challenges, and coaching zoom calls. YOU can join the challenge HERE if you're interested in losing 5 pounds DURING the holidays!

I am a rotten pregnant momma! I mean it.

It was the most uncomfortable 27 months (9 mo. X 3 kiddos) of my life. That's the excuse I use.

Unfortunately, it's not a good excuse.

Why? 

Because discomfort is part of the deal of having the beautiful gift of children. If it's not while you are pregnant, it's during the birth. If it's not the birth, it breastfeeding. If it's not breastfeeding, it's toddler temper tantrums…

You get my drift. 

Parenting is a lot of discomfort at every stage.

Here is what I learned from discomfort; my most amazing, incredible, beautiful gifts having come after discomfort.

Obviously, my kids are an example. But think about all others like college...