Running on a treadmill

When I was running on the treadmill today I felt as though God had asked me why are you doing this?  Are you doing this for health? To be accepted and loved by society? Of course my mind has been turning all evening. Why am I doing this, really?

 I hear women of all ages including my own teenage daughter talk down about their bodies. I know I am guilty of it. I am not eating to be skinny, thin or to look like a supermodel. I am changing my eating habits to be healthy. I want to be able to run with my kids and not be out of breath within minuets. I want to get on a roller coaster without worry of my size. I am a "real woman" I have carried a child within me five times. Therefore,  I have stretch marks also known as "tiger stripes". Even at my ideal weight I have "big" hips and booty. I think we are all uncomfortable more times than not with our own bodies. We complain about everything. We have been know to diet, even starve ourselves. Take that latest "quick fix" diet pill.  Change our hair color. We apply fake nails. We have liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and botox injections. We tan in professional beds, including having ourselves sprayed with dye just to be darker.  We have even used color tinted contact lenses to change our eye color. Hollywood, television, magazines, society and sometimes even loved ones have convinced us we are not good enough. We have been brained washed to believe anything and everything other than what God created us to look like is what is accepted. We have to get back to the Godly mindset. Get back to who God made us. And quit letting society dictate who we are, by our size, the color of our hair, eyes and skin. I know I am preaching to the choir. And I will be the first to admit it!! These scriptures confirm what I feel God has been trying to tell me. And I want to share them with you.

God says:  "You my daughter are fearfully and wonderfully made"
Psalm 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God also says: " You my daughter may be rejected by man, but you are adored by me"
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

God says: "You my daughter are a light than cannot be hidden"

Matthew 5:14
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden

God wants us to be healthy for we are his temple. He does not want us to be obsessed with anything less than the person he created us to be. We are get and be healthy for his glory not man.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
or do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit within you, who you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought for a price so glorify God in your body.

And the big one is even hard for me....

Romans 13:9
Love thy neighbor as you love yourself.

Wow, How do I we love our neighbor if we can't even love ourselves enough to accept ourselves as God created us? The answer is not rocket science WE CANNOT!!!

So I have decided as of today and pledge to help others, especially my daughters..... To believe the following.....

 "I am a beautiful unconditionally loved daughter of the most high. I will accept myself, I will love my hair color, my eye color, and my skin color. My height nor my weight is an issue. I will eat healthy, I will exercise. I will do all this to glorify God. Hollywood, television, magazines and society or the number on a scale  will not dictate my self worth.  My worth can not be found in anything or anyone other than Christ".

Thank you for reading, I hope this has blessed you. Remember God is good, life is short and coffee is your friend.

Hollie Kate

    

          

 

 

Don't be afraid to try new things.

I was always told if it's healthy it has no flavor, it's bland or it is like cardboard. Well through my journey so far I have discovered healthy low fat, low calorie foods are truly tasty. You can make some pretty amazing dishes that are good for you and would want to eat again. No holding your nose when chewing or gaging as you swallow it down. This is not our grandmothers diet food. It is healthy, tasty, I want to eat some more food. It is all in the spices you use. I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me so far.

1. Buy lots of herbs and spices, experiment see what you like. (Sam's is a great place to buy in bulk. once you've tasted what you like you will need bulk)
2. Visit your local Farmers Market. Once you have had the fresh homegrown, everything else taste like poo! (okay, not that I've tasted poo)
3. Herb garden of your own a small herb garden can be grown year round. I have a balcony at my apartment I will be using in the spring and summer. I have found on pintrest (Thanks, Crystal) easy ways to grow herbs even vegies in a very small space. Herbs can also be grown year around in your home.(this is the time of year to buy, most gardening products are clearance. Even if you have to store them till next spring. The savings is worth it)
4. Don't be afraid to try new fruits and  vegetables. I have discovered Eggplant, Mangos and avocados and guava are very healthy and very tasty.
5. Don't be afraid replace your cheese on a burger with avocado, pineapple or even a homemade pesto. (I will be posting recipes later)
6. Eating healthy is more  costly than processed unhealthy foods. I am a single parent who has no form of child support or state assistance. It can be done.

These are just a few suggestions I have tried or plan on trying to help with my journey to being healthy and fit. Here some pictures of dishes I have made and were low fat, low calorie and delicious.  I will in the near future be posting recipes, tips and updates in hopes you can and will be blessed by them. Until later, Remember God is good, life is short and coffee is your friend .

Social media and Postitivity

My dear followers, friends and Sweethearts Facebook, twitter, Instagram and blogs are social media sites. It's for fun, to keep up with friends and family you do not get to see on a daily basis. They are for encouragement, fitness and outlets. If someone post something that offends you I will guarantee you, that you need to check your conscious. Because 99% of the time it has nothing to do with you. And if it continually happens delete or unfollow that person. Life it entirely to short to deal with drama like a group of 13 year old girls. I do not have time to deal with anything other than positivity. I am sure most of you do not either.  If I have something to say to you I will contact you directly. I have been call a lot of things in my life, however fake is not one of them. So do not take anything you see on my personal Facebook page, my Finding Fitness with A caffeinated single mom, my twitter  https://twitter.com/lattesinglemom, my Instagram  http://instagram.com/caffeinated_single_mom   or blog and make it something about you. I promise you it is not. . It's Saturday so off to find some junk at garage sales to refurbish. Have a wonderfully fabulous day. And remember no matter what God is good, life is short and coffee is your friend! 

Fat to Fit dosen't happen overnight.

Well here is goes. I joined Weight Watchers, joined a gym. I chose YMCA they have everything you could need in one place including three pools. They provide several spinning, Zumba, aerobics and other classes. These classes are included in your membership. I have found I love Weight Watchers because the point system is so easy. The barcode scanner allows you to make healthier choice before leaving the grocery store/farmers market. It tracks your points for you. I have modified the plan a little to meet my fitness goals. I would like to build some muscle therefore I d have decided to eat mostly proteins with green veggies. I don't want to bulk up  I just want to tone to change my flabby, misshapen physic due to unhealthy eating and giving birth to 5 children and 2 miscarriages over the last 20 years. The doctor says I am completely healthy and should go for it. I am excited, nervous and ready to jump in head first. There is some level of stress, I am making my journey a public journey so failure is NOT an option. I know that with my support of friends and family, encouragement and a lot of Jesus.  It is possible. I didn't get this weight overnight. It's been twenty years in the making. So I will NOT lose it in a healthy manner overnight either. It's about physical activity, working out and healthier choices. Poor eating habits are just that habits. Snacking habits! Bad, bad, bad and I am GUILTY! So it's not only a physical challenge but a mental challenge as well. So when you think about it say a prayer for me. If you have any helpful fitness tips or recipes. Send them my way.

Look me up on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/caffeinatedsinglemom feel free to like the page and add any encouragement, tips or recipes. Thanks for following my journey to fitness.

Let me introduce myself.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Hollie, a single mother of five children. I am a Registered Medical Assistant employed by TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) company as a coordinator in central Texas. I also run my own  Photography business Hollie Kate Photography. With five children who are active in volleyball, basketball, drama, track, choir and with two jobs. I am a very busy individual to say the least. With this hectic life comes an abundance of hysterical, emotional, chaotic and  incredible roller coaster of a ride moments. I have a twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pintrest and Snapchat. Yes, I am a social media junkie!!  I enjoy interior design, furniture refurbishing, cooking, a good Merlot, music, Starbucks, funky fashion, urban art and obviously photography. In my almost 36 years I have been married and divorced twice. I have had five children, two sons and three daughters. By the age of 23 I was mother to 4 of these children, oldest being 7. By God's grace; I am a domestic abuse survivor.  I have lived in 46 places. These places include a school bus converted to a home, a travel trailer, a mini van and the attic of a church.  I have worked in four different industries. I have learned to make a gourmet meal out of nothing. Mastered cooking these meals over a camp fire in a Dutch oven. In the microwave and on the engine of a semi.  I have been asked to start a blog, write a book and be apart of the PMS comedy tour in Central Texas. I enjoy humor, making people laugh and totally speak fluent sarcasm. I have been described a brash, intimidating, sweet, caring, funny, crazy and fun-loving. I am a short and sweet to the point kind of person. I will be blogging about my quirky, hysterical, emotional, chaotic and  incredible daily life. Including DIY projects. Cooking, decorating  and entertaining children on a budget. Or anything else God lays in my heart to blog about. It is my hope that other single mothers can find encouragement through my blog. If you have any questions feel free to email me.