intended to be long term, simply for a period to see how I feel and if there are marked improvements in blood work after three months. ​My goals are to: increase testosterone, decrease estrogen, create a cancer fighting environment in my body, experience deeper, uninterrupted sleep, and decrease body fat (as a bonus, not primary focus).

I have incorporated the following this week:

1. Increase sleep from 6 to 7 hours, minimum; also need to experience more deep sleep (according to fitbit).

2. Supplements: D3, B12 and Zinc
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3. Coconut milk & matcha tea for breakfast. Matcha has a TON of benefits, how could I not?
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​4. Avocado and chicken/fish with coconut for lunch

5. Large veggie salad with olive and coconut milk based dressing, and a lot of colorful veggies, with protein

6. Walking every hour while at work, and in the evening with stretching; will attempt to incorporate lifting and HIIT next week

7. Continued prayer and meditation for relaxation, along with essential oils: sandalwood, frankincense, and clary-sage, before bed
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Day four, and I'm already feeling really good. My body is actually creating ketones, according to my blood meter. This is good, because I'm well on my way to preventing/curing certain illnesses, improved mental and athletic performance, and weight loss, according to the Keto Summit.

I plan to weigh myself once a week and assess my body fat percentage. However, those are not my primary focus. The number of hours I sleep, the number of minutes I'm physically active, the improved test results three and six months from now - those are the numbers I'm excited about. And I'm also excited to see how, if at all, my breast tissue changes when I return in six months for the follow-up.

Praying and believing God is healing through my desire to be well and allow Him to lead me to information I need to live strong.

Sources:
9 Ways to Naturally Increase Testosterone: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/07/27/increase-testosterone-levels.aspx
5 High Estrogen Foods to Avoid: https://draxe.com/5-high-estrogen-foods-avoid/   (Hence Whole 30 diet)
Top 3 Essential Oils to Balance Hormones Naturally: https://draxe.com/essential-oils-for-hormones/

I can visualize Him being the light that heals my body in places needing healing. He gave you and I the power to imagine and visualize with our minds and brains, the same way He gave us the ability to speak, walk, taste, touch and feel. ANY capability can be utilized for His GOOD, as long as we surrender it to Him.

So this week I’ve been taking five minutes to visualize where I would like to be in a few months, as well as nine months from now, and I’m excited! This tool many athletes have utilized for quite some time is already influencing my decision making. It, along with God’s conviction, seems to be helping me not cave when a food temptation arises. The power combo also seems to be helping me with getting up and going when I want to sit on the couch.

This week things will be a bit different. I am joining many churches across the nation in a fast and prayer season. I’ll essentially be eating Whole30 and walking, rather than lifting and supporting with the whole proteins and carbohydrates I have been. THIS is why I’m glad I didn’t commit to a challenge. I love knowing I have the flexibility to answer God’s call when He calls me to something, without compromising previous commitments. Perhaps you’ll prayerfully consider joining me?

We’ll see what next week brings! Feel free to let me know your key aha moments last week and what you plan to focus on this week. I love hearing from you :)

So how did I do? I started sloooow…… I planned to work out six days last week, and I did! I did devotions with our daughters, as well as prayed with them. From the soreness in my muscles, I believe I’ve begun to incrementally become stronger. But by the number on the scale yesterday (up four pounds due to hormones), I’m grateful I have just over eleven weeks to really see if I’m making headway on leaning down. I have in fact been receiving feedback on the devotions book (which I’ve been so blessed by), and I have a good system for how to efficiently share helpful information with you, while prioritizing time with God, family, career and friends.
 
I did notice after just one week, I began to feel just victorious enough to begin justifying why I could go ahead and eat this or that, and why it was ok to maybe miss just this one HIIT session. My how quickly I can forget what I sense is important to the heart of God, and myself! My prayer is “God, HELP ME! Remind me every day WHY, and help me move towards the mark You’ve set before me.” We can’t do it without Him, and enthusiasm will only take us so far – perhaps only as far as seven days can take us…if we allow progress to end there.
 
Have a great week and feel free to share your fitness/life goals, I’d love to hear from you!

tight. Over the summer we pretty much had fun with our kiddos, one another and our friends, and our fitness fell by the wayside.

We've been feeling weighed down, literally, so we need this. And after our "BEFORE" pics last night, our bodies will appreciate it 😜 I'm thankful I'm married to a man who loves fitness and whole food, and we get to share in this challenge together.
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I knocked my workout at 5:30 this morning! Feeling great today, so far ☺