I am 46 today! I don’t feel 46. I weigh 111lbs, which I haven’t weighed since I was 21. I am physically stronger than I have ever been and happy to be healthy! I haven’t reached my fitness goals quite yet, but I am on my way! I am determined to get there no matter how long it takes! I am thankful for my family and my friends and I really appreciate all of you!! Here are a few pictures to celebrate!

The last few days haven't exactly gone to plan. My shoulder has been giving me grief, so I've already had to change a few things with my training and be a bit more sensible with it. Then over the weekend I ended up with vertigo. 🤦‍♀️ Honestly, it was frustrating. When you're in a good routine and feeling like you're finally getting somewhere, the last thing you want is something else getting in the way. But I'm slowly learning that I can't control everything my body decides to throw at me. What I can do is make sure I'm doing the basics properly. Eating well. Getting my protein in. Drinking my water. Getting my sleep. Following the advice I've been given. Adjusting my training when I need to rather than trying to push through everything. Nothing particularly exciting. Just doing what I can, with what I've got. And I think that's something I'm getting better at. Not expecting everything to go perfectly, but not letting a few difficult days turn into “well, I've ruined everything now.” The shoulder will get better. The vertigo will settle. And until then, I just need to look after myself and keep moving forward where I can. Sometimes progress is just knowing when to ease off without giving up.

I’m sure we’ve all been here. Maybe we still are. And that’s okay. But the bill needs to be paid eventually. Thoughts?

Last week I felt off. Nothing super specific but just felt tired and weak. By Saturday afternoon I was in bed, slept away the rest of Saturday, rested all day Sunday. Monday I went to see my doctor and she prescribed an Albuterol inhaler and an antibiotic. My chest is heavy and I'm winded just from doing simple tasks. This sucks! But it's given me time to think and here are my thoughts: 1. It's actually really cool how I was able to immediately recognize the changes in my body when I started getting sick. I think it's a reflection of how in tune with my body I've become and how good I feel these days in general when I'm well. 2. When you become very used to being active, being sick and having to rest causes a lot of anxiety. The house is becoming a mess. Hubby is wonderful when he's home but he works full time and the kids make messes like it's their job. Laundry needs folded. The crawlspace needs organized. The dog needs a haircut. My to do list is growing and growing, and even though I know it isn't true it feels like my progress is undoing itself with each day I skip a workout. I'm not losing weight because I'm not moving my body much. I'm thinking about food more because my brain has too much time on its hands. And in general, the longer I just sit the more my brain plays tricks on me and my mental health declines. 3. I know the advice at this point. I know I need to rest. I know this is just a part of the process, everyone gets sick. I'll be back to my normal routine soon. All of that. But despite knowing it, here I am anyway reaching out to you guys. That's because we're all human and we all need to hear it from someone else sometimes even if we already know it. 4. It's also made me think about people who have chronic illnesses or injuries that cause them to be unable to use their body the way they want to for an extended period of time. Their minds are ready but they're trapped in a body that won't work. I realize I am extremely blessed to have a body capable of what I've been able to accomplish in the last 15 months, and I shouldn't ever take that for granted.

I've committed to my flights to Bangkok! AHHHH! 😆 I am scared; I am anxious; I am excited all at the same time, it feels ridiculous. I've been sitting on the thought and have been having ideas for the longest time. And like our fitness journeys, you can't wait to be ready, you just need to go - so here I go. One thing I can be sure of - lugging 20kg luggage across an airport will be the less of my problems. I'm going to walk the steps, eat the food, and reconnect with myself 🙏 I'll be in the city - asking for suggestions: what's a must try? Where is a must go? Do gyms take walk-ins and where are they? 😅 Genuis Bar is on my list. Rechill is also on my list. What else? 🤔