So the Mister finally got FED UP with his knee pain, called his orthopedic provider, and got a cortisone shot last Saturday. Before the shot, this man announces to me: “Once my knee feels better, I’m going to bike one round around the park and walk TWO rounds around the neighborhood every night because I’m sick of feeling like I can’t move.” Me: 👀 Okay, BRUH. You just spoke that shit OUT LOUD. The Fitness Queen heard you. 👑 Fast forward to last night… We had dinner at his mom’s, ate good, stayed late, and didn’t get home until around 8 PM. We’re driving home and I innocently ask: “So… we’re still walking two rounds tonight, right?” The Mister slowly turns his head and looks at me like: 😐 “Are you serious right now?” Then he says: “NO. I’m not walking. It’s late and I don’t want to.” OH. HELL. NO. Lena has officially entered the chat. 😎 Me: “Oooooohhhh HEEEELLLLLSSSS to the N to the O! YOUR ASS IS WALKING.” Him: “What?! I never committed to YOU that I was walking!” Me: “BRUH. You didn’t have to commit to ME. You announced it to the UNIVERSE while I was sitting right there. I heard the whole damn speech!” Him: “I said I wanted to start walking.” Me: “NOPE. Don’t start rewriting history now. 🤣 You said TWO ROUNDS.” Him: “It’s already 8 o’clock.” Me: “And?? Did your legs clock out at 7:59?” 🤣🤣🤣 Him: “I’m tired.” Me: “You know what’s tired? THAT EXCUSE.” At this point I can see the regret all over his face. That look that says: “Why the hell did I ever tell this woman my fitness goals?” TOO LATE, SIR. You live with the Accountability Department. 😂 Then he tries one more time: “But I never asked you to hold me accountable!” Me: “You didn’t have to. It came FREE with the relationship.” 💀💀💀 ✴️ Then came the eye roll. ✴️ The sigh. ✴️ The attitude. ✴️ The dramatic shoe-putting-on ceremony. And guess who walked TWO ROUNDS around the neighborhood? THE MISTER. 😎👏 ✅ Mission accomplished. Moral of the story: Do NOT speak your fitness goals out loud around me unless you are prepared for me to remember them, repeat them back to you, and drag your ass outside when motivation suddenly disappears.

I was a little apprehensive about sharing this photo comparison. The photo on the right was taken in May last year. The photo on the left was taken in May this year. Looking back at that picture from last year brings back a lot of emotions. I was struggling physically and mentally, feeling completely worn down and honestly on the verge of a heart attack. My health was in a bad place, my confidence was low, and life felt incredibly heavy. For a long time, I only saw how far I still had to go. But when I put these photos side by side, I realised something important: I should be proud of how far I've already come. Fast forward one year, and I feel like a different person. I'm fitter, healthier, stronger, and so much happier. Not because everything is perfect, but because I've consistently shown up for myself, even on the difficult days. I know I still have a long way to go, but at least I took that first leap. Looking back, joining the Inner BBB has been an absolute godsend, and I'm so grateful I made that decision. It gave me the support, accountability, encouragement, and belief in myself that I desperately needed. This journey hasn't been about quick fixes or perfection. It's been about rebuilding my health, one choice, one workout, one walk, and one day at a time. Sometimes we get so focused on the destination that we forget to celebrate the progress we've already made. Thankyou @Darren Liu @Carlos Hellstern and to you wonderful people in skool who inspired, supported and kept me going 🫶 Today, I'm choosing to celebrate it. ❤️ To anyone who feels like the journey ahead is overwhelming: take the first step. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to start.

Team, I haven’t eaten a full, real candy bar in over 20 years. Candy bars are for teenagers who burn hundreds of calories just rolling their eyes. But I ate one today. I have slept 15 hours in total the last three nights, drove a van of stinky teenage boys over 8 hours yesterday and today I ate a candy bar. I have no idea why!! Today was my rest day, which was planned on purpose, because there was no way I was going to workout this morning when I worked 15 hours yesterday. Tomorrow I will work 12 hours and I am back to the gym, using up energy I don’t have. I can usually push through cardio but the thought of lifting weights makes me want to cry a little. I should be able to get at least 7 hours of sleep tonight. I hope that’s enough to feel revived and alive tomorrow morning at 5am. If I fall asleep on the bench, I hope my kids wake me up in time to get to them to school!! Wish me luck!! Update- Made it! Mostly. Got up and did a shortened weight lifting session, just didn't have a full session in me and I ran for 30. Feeling a little better after almost 8 hours of sleep!! I have 12 hours of work in front of me, but then 2 normal days before another long 12 hour day on Saturday. But I should be able to get 7-8 hours a sleep a night for a few days. Sleep is so nice!! Thanks for cheering me on! I need it!!

I had an interesting moment recently that reminded me about boundaries. A colleague I rarely stay in touch with reached out and asked if I could be a reference for her brother who is applying to the university where I work. The tricky part… I’ve never met her brother. For a moment I paused and thought about it. I didn’t want to be judgmental, but I also realized it wouldn’t feel right for me to vouch for someone I don’t know. A reference should come from a place of genuine experience. It also reminded me that sometimes people reach out when they need something. That doesn’t always mean bad intentions, but it’s still okay to listen to your gut. So I kindly declined. Little life lesson: Being supportive doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. Sometimes the most honest and respectful thing you can do is simply say no. No drama. No judgment. Just integrity. Anyone else ever been in a situation like that?

Today was my husband’s birthday and I knew we had a family dinner at an unknown restaurant. I wanted to plan ahead so I had a high protein low calorie breakfast and lunch with a protein bar on the way home from work. I wanted to not be too hungry and overeat at dinner. The restaurant was not picked until I was on the way home so I was guessing as to how to plan ahead. We ended up at Tepanyaki Japanese Steak House for dinner. I had the salad, bone broth, some of the fried rice, and tenderloin steak and could not finish my meal. I was stuffed. In the end, I got all of my protein in and did not overeat calories. I even skipped desert today and had left room for the birthday cake and/or ice cream. My calories even ended low, but I am too full to eat anything else. So I am going to call it a win.