Tag: wellness

Fear

Fear

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:25 — 39.0MB)

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Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear.  To be able to accomplish those goals you will have to face those things that scare you or stand down and not accomplish them.  The choice is yours, every single time.

You may have also heard the saying that fear can either represent:

Forget Everything And Run

or

Face Everything And Rise

 

I understand fear, and the chance that I may not succeed. The fear of failure, or looking “stupid” trying and failing, is real. I hate NOT being able to do something that I set out to do and have really had to dig down deep to push through the fear of failing at it. Losing my leg has definitely made me face that fear every single day. It became a thrive and survive situation for me with no way out except through.  I have learned a lot about me, learned to control my emotions as I face fearful situations, and grace when I don’t succeed on the first try. I pick myself back up and try again, and again, and again, until I get it done, and done right.

The reality is that every day we all face something that can stop us in our tracks or push us to rise and conquer, and each day we have a choice on how we will handle the situations that confront us.  What will you choose? How will you handle the fears that challenge you?

I know that each of our stories is different, but fear is fear. What I have realized from overcoming amputation is that when I choose to push through the challenges and fears in my life, I am richly rewarded with success, which then helps me drive through the next situation.

This can be your story too! Don’t let fear take hold of you and dictate your life. Grab the bull by the horns and take charge. You only get this one life, you deserve to find happiness, live well, and be healthy.

 

I am still learning to function in my running blade. It isn’t easy and I have a lot of fear associated with it, as I often trip and fall hard. The past few days I have worn it into the gym and gotten on the treadmill and worked out in it. I have been pushing past the fear that people are watching and if I fall and get hurt, I would be mortified, and yet I continue to wear it and work through it, at my own pace. My stress levels are a bit higher than if I went into the gym with my normal leg, but I wouldn’t learn to rise from this fear and overcome it.  The only way to winning this war is straight through. I must have patience and grace with myself as I learn to function with this leg, so I will continue on this path until I don’t feel this way anymore.

 

Now it’s your turn:

Start now. What are you most fearful of right now in your life? Start small, if you must, fear is fear. Your goal this week is to face your fear head on and push through. You may get burned, you may stumble and fall-metaphorically or literally like in my case, but work at it. Each day spend time facing it, dealing with it, instead of pushing it aside for “another day”. This is the day to rise up and feel great about yourself. By completing something difficult or challenging yourself to something you fear you grow. You build character and come out a little stronger, and a little wiser, ready to take on the next roadblock that appears in your life.

Best of luck at kicking fear aside and rise from the situation this week. Attack and don’t give up. Have grace with yourself if you fall down, pick yourself up by the bootstraps, and go at it again, until you find success. You can do it, I have faith in you!

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

The look of facing fear and coming out on top! 💪
Just Breathe!

Just Breathe!

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Create Positive Change One Breathe at a Time

Things may not be the way you want them right now, but you can do a lot with what you do have and where you are at.

Just breathe!

 

I’m going to keep this week’s post short and simple.

Learning to breathe the RIGHT way is so important for your body and mind.  Diaphragmatic Breathing is when you allow long, deep breaths to come in and out of your diaphragm, not from your chest.

To illustrate this lay on your back and put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Now breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. You should feel the hand on your stomach rise and fall, NOT the one on your chest. If you are breathing correctly, you will be able to take nice, slow and deep breathes in and out of your diaphragm which will slow your heart rate down, allow you to call your nerves, push blood through your body more efficiently and, all around, make you feel better.

 

 

This week I want you to practice Diaphragmatic Breathing once a day, at least, for 1 minute. Take that time just for you.

If you want to really go for it, do this exercise whenever you feel yourself getting frustrated, angry, or afraid. Spend time just practicing this breathing and really slowing down your life in that moment, even for just a minute.  Let me know how it goes and what changes you start to feel as the week progresses.  You might be surprised at the mental and emotional benefits you feel from doing this just once a day!!

Oh, and enjoy some baby goat love, too!❤️

 

As always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

much love,

Angie

Unleash Your Inner Warrior

Unleash Your Inner Warrior

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The time is now! Let’s find the warrior within you. Let’s dig deep and create the life you have always wanted to have.

After all that I went through these past several years with all the “down time” I had while I was healing from surgery after surgery, I realized that my life was shifting and changing, and I felt that God was giving me a new path and my future had so many possibilities.

My family had been there for me through so much, I learned a lot about myself through my trials, and I saw my relationship with my husband grow as I saw a man who supported me and my drive even in the midst of huge trials.

 

In this podcast I talk to you about what was happening to me, internally, as I struggled through 5 years of failed knee surgeries and the past 3 years after my choice to amputate my leg above the knee.

 

Today, I am a certified personal trainer with a specialization in corrective exercise and fitness nutrition. My goal is to help those who wish to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, no matter where they are at in their journey called life.

Take a listen to this week’s podcast to hear where my journey has led me, what my thinking was behind the years of trials I endured, and how I can help you in the next step of your journey. I get it. I know what it is to rise from the ashes and reinvent myself.

 

 

 

Life is a journey:

  • Reach out to me if you need or want a change in your life and need someone who will guide and motivate you.
  • Share this post and podcast with someone you know could use the help. Maybe you have a friend or a parent struggling with a medical issue, or finding a healthy lifestyle and you want the best for them. I’m here and ready to help.

I hope you are having an amazing start to 2022 and remember, no need for new year’s resolutions, or feeling like it’s already too late to start anew. Now is the time to start. No more excuses!

 

Let’s get at it and unleash the warrior that I know is inside of you waiting to come out and attack life.

You owe it to yourself and your family to live your best, most healthy life…NOW!

 

Before my transformation anmd right after amputation

 

Warrior unleashed with me!

 

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

much love,

Angie

 

Just Say No…

Just Say No…

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:17 — 46.2MB)

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To New Year’s Resolutions….

…and YES to a new, healthier lifestyle.

Welcome back to my podcast and the start of season 2!!! I am beyond grateful for you!

If you are new to my site and haven’t been following me then you can go back and listen to my first season here or, better yet, subscribe to my podcast on Apple, iHeart, Spotify, or any other site you see below so you never miss an episode!

 

This week I am back after a 3 week hiatus from the holidays  and getting an new addition to our family! Introducing, Maggie Mae, our 4 month old Chihuahua!

 

So our “big girl”, Bella, now has a sister to play with, torment, and protect!  This has been an eye opener when it comes to my time.  I actually had to delay my podcast an extra week as I was so busy following her around, potty training her, and being sleep deprived that I couldn’t function. I may be getting too old for this! Ha ha!!  She’s lucky she’s so cute.

 

 

This week’s podcast is all about setting yourself up for success when it comes to creating a new and improved lifestyle, and it has NOTHING to do with making New Year’s Resolutions!  I do not like New Year’s Resolutions because I feel like there’s a stigma that you’ll make them every January 1st and drop them within a month. It leaves you feeling like a failure and creates a bad habit of starting and giving up.  Instead, what I implore you to do is to make small attainable goals with a deadline a month out, then another goal month out, and then again by summer.  You want to create a healthy and positive habit with your goal setting. Baby steps, are still baby steps.  With each baby step in the right direction it draws you closer to your small goal, which inevitably leads you to a bigger end result that you may or may not have perceived was even possible. Remember, hard work pays off and every little change in a healthy, positive way is worth doing…and you’re worth it!

Remember to have grace with yourself and forgive yourself if you stumble. You’re human and you will fall, every once in a while.  It’s what you do in that moment that shows what you’re made of. Do you get back up and continue to move forward or do you give up?

As we enter mid January, don’t tell yourself you’re too late to start a positive lifestyle change this year. YOU CAN START ANY MONTH, ANY DAY of the week. Start today, do it for you! Do it for your family. When you eat well, get active, achieve goals you set for yourself, then you become a happier and healthier person to be around. When you feel good, your mental state also becomes healthy. Who doesn’t want to feel good inside and out?

Don’t know how to start? Check out the Call the Action below.

 

 

Let’s get started, today!

 

*On paper write down your top 2-4 goals. Remember, they don’t need to be huge and hard to attain. Think small baby steps. As you begin to create a positive trend of goal setting/goal attaining then you can start setting bigger goals.

*Next set deadlines next to each goal. This is very important. It’s creating accountability. Make it tangible. Ex. I want to take a walk everyday. My plan: walk each evening. My hopes are that I will create a habit by the end of a month and then I won’t have to make it a goal, it’ll be a lifestyle.  The benefits; I will be more active, fresh air in my lungs will help my emotional and mental state, I may even lose weight!

*You could also add your goals to your phone and set reminders to go off when you need a nudge. Whatever works for YOU.

*If you miss a day in your routine don’t fret and most definitely don’t give up. Just get back up and start again the next day. Your life is a journey and there are going to be days where it’s almost impossible to hit a goal, that’s ok. Just don’t give up!

 

If you need help or someone to hold you accountable please feel free to reach out to me.

Check out my IG account @BAWarrior360 or Facebook: BAWarrior360

 

Best wishes and happy new year!

Let’s make it great!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

Finding Comfort in Routine

Finding Comfort in Routine

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:29 — 47.1MB)

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Creating Positive Habits to Live a Healthy Life

The holidays are upon us and the hustle and bustle can really bring us down and out of our routine and comfort zone.

I don’t know about you but when I think about the holidays I think about all the goodies, baked goods, alcohol and dinners out that will be happening with friends and family.  Then I think how this happens every year and by January I hate how I feel.  I have created bad habits, I’m not working out or getting exercise like I should, and I have gained a new and addictive desire for sweets.

NOW is the time to build strong, healthy habits and routines.

To be totally honest, I’m not happy where I am right now.  I have recently let my normal routines go to the wayside, ever since moving homes this past summer. It amazes me that even though I have everything I need for working out right here in my home, a new home with items in different locations has made my habits drop.  I’m use to my workouts being in the evenings in my bedroom, but now my exercise equipment is on the other side of the house.  Something as simple as that has derailed me….I have ALLOWED it to derail me.

No more!

Listen in as I challenge you to approach your holiday gatherings, and the hustle and bustle of this season, with making positive, healthy habits NOW, without giving up indulging in some holiday spirits.

Don’t depend on “New Years Resolutions” to dig you out of a unhealthy hole, stay on top, eat and drink in moderation, BUT start making healthy habits today to keep you strong, happy, and positive throughout the season and beyond. You’ll be glad you did!

 

  1. Pick a time of day to do a 20-30 minute workout.
  2. Commit to doing it everyday-Saturdays and Sundays, too.
  3. Decide what you need to do: sit ups, push ups, planks, wall sits.  Those are some good basic exercises that require no equipment but can create a good feeling and kick start your new habits.
  4. Drink a full glass of water before every meal.
  5. Enjoy special holiday treats but remember: moderation is key!
  6. Take pictures along the way of your transformation. You’ll be surprised at the changes you’ll see AND it’ll be good to see these pictures down the road a bit when you fail to keep up your routine-we all have those moments that disrupt our progress.  I know I do, and am in one right now.  I looked back a year ago and saw what I looked like and knew I needed to get back at it…so here I am preaching about it. We all need a kick in the pants every now and then.

You got this. Starting now will help you during this time of year when social eating and drinking is at the highest.

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Fluid, Flexible, but Ferocious

Fluid, Flexible, but Ferocious

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Managing Expectations

 

Sometimes we just feel like nothing is going right, we can get down on ourselves, or worse,  OTHERS, because of what we are going through.  When we expect certain things to go a certain way we can be setting ourselves up for a let down of epic proportions.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive for your best, or to set those types of expectations/goals for yourselves. You should always work at achieving something greater than where you are at now, for example, if you want to walk to your mailbox, with your prosthetic, but have only gotten to the end of your driveway, then go for it. It’s achievable but will take hard work, time, and positive attitude.  What I am referring to is how you feel in your prosthetic or what you are expecting from your prosthetist.

My prosthetists: Randy and David
The Limb Center

Teamwork!

The work room where Randy does all his magic!

Be forewarned, you need to know the difference between a prosthetist who is giving his or her all to you and those who aren’t. You also need to know if you are just expecting too much. Remember, you lost your limb, nothing can replace the real thing. What you ARE looking for is something that will be doable to get around on and is comfortable enough NOT to cause any other issues, such as: blisters, infection, bruising, etc.  YOU have to know the difference between when you are expecting too much or when your prosthetist isn’t giving enough. And that, my friends, takes time and listening to your gut.

 

You can best determine if you are getting the best care possible if your questions are being addressed, your concerns are being heard, and actions are being taken to assure your best interests are being met.  If in your gut you feel you aren’t being heard, or given proper time to address issues you are having, then you probably aren’t in the right office.  However, you also need to understand that no practitioner is going to be able to give you ‘perfect’.  There is no such thing, and you need to manage THOSE expectations and find a common ground, one where you feel good enough about your fit, and aren’t in major pain.  My leg I have right now, after almost three years, feels the best….but it’s not perfect.  I can deal with what I have to deal with because it’s better than it’s ever been.  I have to know that this is a good thing, I lowered my expectations to an 80-90% pain free, versus looking for 100% pain free.  And I’m ok with that. I am also a better, happier, thus healthier ME, because I have come to terms with not feeling perfect.

Catch my drift?

You don’t need to settle, that’s not what I am saying, but know the difference of getting good, quality health care versus high expectations that NO ONE could possibly supply you.

I’m the lucky one. I had an amazing doctor who directed me to two of the most kind, caring and talented prosthetists around.  They care about me, my lifestyle, and making my life the best they can give.  I ask questions, tell them my symptoms and they work with me to achieve that. I don’t complain or blame them for ill-fitting sockets, I just ask for their help to make it better. I communicate clearly about what’s going on and they do the rest.  We work together and make it a “give and take” relationship that works. After all, it’s going to be a long ride with these guys.

 

 

Work on journaling your feeling and where you are struggling.  Try to keep track of and acknowledge the time of day, weather, and other factors that could be causing you issues. Is there a common thread? Can you work around that or fix it yourself? Is it your mindset holding you back or is it a true issue with your fit?

Practice being flexible and patient.

Understand and communicate with your practitioner about what you are going through, dealing with, and what you need. Pay attention to your body so you CAN communicate clearly.  These small things will help you give them the best shot of actually helping you, after all, you are the only one who can feel what you feel and describe what’s going right and wrong. It’s our job to communicate clearly and accurately so they can help us to the best of their ability.

Let go off perfection. It won’t ever get there but those thoughts will make you grumpy and frustrated with everything going WRONG that you’ll forget to focus on what is going right. Be positive!

 

You can do this, I believe in you!

Change your mindset,

Stay positive,

Find a level of comfort you CAN live with and

Get out and live your life!!!

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

Giving the Gift of Activity

Giving the Gift of Activity

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Staying Active Through the Hard times…and Making it FUN!

Me out hiking on a “good” day….

However, you may ask,  “How about those bad days, Angie? How do you stay active and in a good place when you’re struggling?”

 

I have found ways to alleviate the pain I feel in a socket that’s not fitting properly (which happens every few months, the first couple of years after becoming an amputee, as your limb changes) or if I’m just bruised and sore from a hard workout the day before.  I like to have fun and the activities I use get me out and active, but also allow me to forget, for however briefly, that I am an amputee and let’s me play and enjoy time with my family or on my own.

 

These are just a few ideas I wanted to share, that I use often, and have found to be a great workout while having fun.  Please know, that I didn’t just accomplish doing some of these activities. Some took time and practice, practice, practice.  That was where the fun, for me, came in. I found activities that I thought would be a challenge, or ones that people would tell me would be impossible for an above knee amputee.  There is nothing more fun or rewarding, to me, than proving people wrong!

Listen in to my podcast and take a look at the list provided below of the company’s I have used.  All of these company’s I am using are only because they are what I found, liked and pricing worked for me.  IndoBoard is the only company that I am representing and I have a code you can use to get a discount when checking out.

Take a peek!⤵

Wavestorm Surfboards

 

 

IndoBoard

 

 

MagLock Bike Pedals

 

 

Kahuna Creations

 

 

 

**When you click on the IndoBoard link, above,  it will take you to my affliate link where you will recieve a discount upon checkout.

I don’t have a particular scooter I like or prefer but here’s me enjoying myself on my scooter, too!

 

Enjoy this podcast whether you are an amputee looking for ways to stay active during hard times, or if you know someone who could use a fun way to get in shape.

Disclaimer: Please know that with any of these exercises you can get hurt. Please take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and always, start slowly and work your way up.

 

 

 

Best wishes and as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Positivity

Positivity

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Positive mindset is your friend!

We all face struggles in life. Some people it’s more obvious than with others but no one goes through life unscathed.  It’s how we deal with those struggles that define us and give us the opportunities to live a great life or struggle to make ends meet.

Which are you? Are you making the most of your life or struggling to move past your circumstances?

Our mindset is a powerful tool that allows us to cope, deal with, and eventually rise back up again when we have been knocked down.  However, this is not an easy skill to obtain. As a matter of fact, it takes experience to learn how to deal with adversities in our lives.

One thing I have learned through all that I have been through is that each bout of pain, frustration or struggle is just a phase that helps me grow mentally, physically, and emotionally.  It is with these experiences that I come to you today to tell you that you can do it.  You can make it through whatever it is that is holding you back from living an amazing life.

It is just a phase.  What you are going through is strengthening you, if you allow it.  The struggles are real, no doubt about it, but they do not define you!  They are strengthening you so that you can better handle what comes next.

 

 

You can be successful just by getting back up every time you are knocked down.  You deserve that!  You owe it to yourself to give life your best shot.  Don’t give up, GET UP!!! Again, and again, and again!!

 

 

Repeat after me:

 

This is just a phase.

This is just a phase.

This, too, shall pass.

 

Now, write down a positive affirmation for yourself that you can tape to your mirror and see every morning and every evening before you go to bed.  Remind yourself that you deserve a great life.  Remind yourself to have grace in the hard times. And never forget that what you are going through is just a phase.  Take a deep breathe and step back for a moment. Find a positive in your life and then move forward again.

 

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

❤

Baby Steps

Baby Steps

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What’s holding you back from achieving your goals?

What fears are keeping you from living your best life?

Today I talk about creating baby steps to reaching the goals you have and how I faced a fear of my own yesterday. Baby steps to reaching your goals are still steps toward your goals. They need to be celebrated and you should feel great when you do accomplish them. So much of my past few years you’ve seen me do big things: skiing, surfing, hiking large mountains, but sometimes it’s the small steps that mean the most. Yesterday was one of those days. Join me as I share how stressful yesterday was but how I chose to see the positive in the baby steps. #babysteps #keepmovingforward #runningblade #ottobock #wiggleyourtoes #adaptiveathlete #ampstrong #amputeelife #aka #facingfears #challenges #calltoaction

 

Gym time

 

My 1st race
Starting line of the Phoenix Rock n Roll Marathon

 

 

2 parts to this week’s CTA:

  1. Figure out what is holding you back from achieving something you want, set small, baby step goals to get yourself there.  Like I did yesterday on the treadmill, it was only for 10 minutes and I wasn’t running, but I got myself out in public to attempt something I hadn’t done in over a year.
  2. Have grace with those around you. We never know what battles people are facing, but assume they are if they aren’t being nice, and remind yourself that it has nothing to do with you, and move on.

 

 

 

As always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Pushing Past the Pain

Pushing Past the Pain

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Be Strong! You Can Get Through This!

Pain is a tricky thing.  Each of us experiences pain multiple times in life. It comes and goes. It happens when we have an accident, when we’ve had surgery, and sometimes it is invisible to the people around us. It is always very real to the person dealing with it.  Pain is different for each of us, too. Some of us have a low tolerance for pain while others may not even register it- I have a friend whose son fractured a bone in his  foot and the pain never registered to him!

There is no normal to pain OR pain relief.  Each person has to figure out  what they can tolerate and how to handle their pain when it hits.

While this sounds like a bummer because no one else can truly help you through your specific circumstance there are ways  to help yourself that works for most people. I’m talking about building up your mental game.

Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air has so many health benefits both physically and mentally.

It’s important that you find a way to navigate through your pain.  Be patient with yourself, too, there will be good days and bad days.  Sometimes just recognizing the fact that there will be bad days, days which you can’t seem to handle the pain anymore, will help you have grace with yourself when you feel lost, stuck, or like throwing in the towel.  Don’t let those moments defeat you.  Use them to fuel you to keep moving forward.  Stay as positive as you can and distract yourself, do something you love, to push through those weaker moments, just remember that we are human and we will fall short, every now and then, from handling our situations.  If you feel like you have been knocked down, that’s ok, we all do at some point or another, but pull yourself up by the boot straps, and keep moving forward.  Last week I wrote about the Chinese proverb:  Get knocked down 7 times, get up 8.  That’s what it takes to become stronger.  Change your thinking. Don’t give in!

 

Dr. Roni Prucz, my amazing plastic surgeon who performed my TMR surgery in December 2020

 

 

This week I want you to write down your positive messages to yourself on post-it notes or notecards, and place them where you look everyday or in places where you struggle.

If you struggle getting out of bed in the morning then put them by your bedside.  Statements such as:

“You can do this!”

“I will NOT quit!”

“Today is going to be great/better!”

“One step at a time”

 

Use these messages to yourself to motivate and not give up.  You could even ask someone in your circle to write short affirmations for you to help as well.  Just keep the positive vibes going.  Send yourself messages of love and grace to yourself, and use them in times of weakness.

 

Attitude is Everything

Until next time, remember:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

 

 

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