Category: Personal Development

Fitness, Personal Development

Team Quadzilla FAQ

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What is Beachbody?

A: Beachbody is the creator of the nation’s most popular fitness and weight loss solutions including P90X, 80 Day Obsession, PiYo, LIIFT4, Shakeology, and Beachbody Performance.  With a comprehensive approach that combines fitness, nutrition, and support, they created a complete solution for people who want to transform their lives, physically and mentally. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or just learn more about nutrition and exercise, Beachbody has programs, products, and content to help you accomplish those goals. Beachbody’s purpose is to help people achieve their goals and enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life.

What is a Beachbody Coach?

A: That’s me.  I’ve been a Beachbody coach since 2014 because I want to help people live a healthy lifestyle and I believe Beachbody products are well suited to help.  My role is to encourage people like you to make healthy choices and reap the benefits of doing so. By reaching out to help others in this way I  get to do something that I enjoy, it helps me be accountable for my own healthy lifestyle, and it offers me the opportunity to make some money doing what I already do anyway.

What is a Team Quadzilla Challenge Group?

A: We regularly host “virtual” fitness & nutrition accountability groups either on social media or my favorite “pocket accountability partner,” the Beachbody Challenge Tracker phone app. Together we commit to hold each other accountable to stick to healthy choices for the duration of the challenge – usually 30-60 days. In the private group we share encouragement, healthy eating tips and advice, motivation to press on when the going gets tough, and strategies to defeat the common obstacles to achieving healthy living goals. Everyone’s goals will be different, but my hope is that healthy habits will be formed, body fat will be lost, energy, confidence, muscle, and fortitude will be gained, and we’ll all be encouraged by our success so much that we’ll keep right on going with healthy eating and regular exercise.

What is 90/10 Nutrition?

A:  Our go-to healthy eating resource is 90/10 Nutrition. I first learned about 90/10 in 2015 and it has since completely changed the way I eat. Their healthy eating philosophy is simple and straightforward. There is no calorie counting or restrictions. They provide free video training through the 90/10 Academy. 90/10 Nutrition offers nearly 1,000 healthy recipes, an active online community, a meal planner and shopping list generator,  and a blog with tons of helpful information about healthy eating. Their mission is to help you change the way you look at food so that healthy, real food nutrition becomes the way you eat forever.  Full disclosure: I receive a small commission from paid memberships to the 90/10 Nutrition program. I wouldn’t be their ambassador if I didn’t fully believe in their program.

How do I choose a workout regimen?

A:  I’ll answer with another question.  What do you like to do?  Whatever physical activity you like to do is probably the easiest thing you can choose to start with.  If you have workout videos at home already, I recommend dusting them off and trying that.  You don’t have to go to a gym to workout.  I don’t. Angie & I do Beachbody workouts 4-5 days a week with our Beachbody On Demand service that gives us access to ALL their programs. Having a world-class super trainer on screen and in our ear each morning is really encouraging and motivating. I can help you pick a program that suits you. I promise there is a plan for you and it will help you get fit, strong, flexible, and lose weight. Workout videos not your thing? That’s OK too. I will help you create a plan from my stock of Quadzilla Fitness Challenges or a specific training plan to suit your needs. Just ask!   

Do I have to buy anything to part of Team Quadzilla?

A: NO.  Absolutely not.  Team Quadzilla Challenge Groups are free to join. I truly want to be an encouragement to form healthy habits and help you meet your goals for fitness, nutrition, weight loss, event training, personal development, whatever! Subscribing to my blog or monthly newsletter is free also. If you are interested in healthy living content for your body, mind, and soul then you could benefit from joining Team Quadzilla.

Isn’t Team Quadzilla just your “front” to get me to buy Beachbody stuff from you?

A: Sheesh! Fair question though. Honestly, NO.  It is true that as a Beachbody Coach I get credit for the Beachbody products purchased through me as your coach, but making money from Beachbody is not my primary purpose. Regardless of what you buy from Beachbody, the credit will go to some coach – that’s how the Beachbody business works. If you are going to buy from Beachbody, I would appreciate if you enlist me as your coach. There are no strings attached.  I’m not going to hassle you about buying anything and I won’t even bother you about coaching or encouragement if you don’t want me to.  Through the course of working together through Team Quadzilla, you will likely learn about some Beachbody offerings that may help you on your healthy living journey. You will also learn about marriage, relationships, healthy habits, personal development, and Jesus. Team Quadzilla aims to work on our whole self, not just physical fitness.

OK, I’m in. What do I do now?

A:  Please send me a private FB message or email me to let me know your interest.  I’ll ask you about your healthy living goals, as well as your obstacles to achieving them. After all, you can’t be held accountable for something you don’t define!  I’ll connect you with the resources that I think would help you and get you involved in an appropriate challenge group. Taking action is up to you of course, but I’ll be by your side throughout your healthy living journey to encourage, inspire, hold you accountable, kick you in the pants when you need it, etc.

Hey, by your reading this far you have proven you interest in healthy living and Team Quadzilla. We’d love to have you on the team. Together, we’ll crush goals and become the very best version of our unique selves. Still have questions? Comment below or send me a message.

faith, Fortitude, Personal Development

My 2018 Book List

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I enjoy reading. I prefer to read to learn something versus reading for entertainment. I’m always on the lookout for a solid read from a respected author. I’m not one to plow through a book a week because some of what I read needs to be taken in small portions so I can digest it. See what I did there with the play on words?

So here is what I read in 2018 with a few notes about each one. I’m not saying you MUST read everything that I read, but if you are in the market for quality content to nourish your mind and soul, these have been impactful to me.

The Joy of Trusting God by Dr. Bill Bright

Real joy eludes most of us these days. There is so much negativity and terrible things reported in the news that it is extra hard to have real joy in our soul. This book helped me to adjust my focus to trust God through all that goes on around me and allow God to fill me with joy and peace.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

This book surprised me big time. So good. I’m not a war history buff, but this is an amazing true story that grips you from page one. If you want to read about fortitude,courage, redemption, and get an insider’s view of WWII, this is it.

Jesus Is ___. By Judah Smith

Fill in the blank.Jesus is greatly revered, harshly criticized, and sorely misunderstood. Judah breaks down who Jesus is and explains to readers how understanding Jesus more fully will not only enrich their lives, but also give them meaning, as well as save them. Judah has a way of bringing well known Bible stories to life in a way that puts you in the story. Very impactful.

Invisible War by Chip Ingram

It might sound strange to you, but there is a spiritual war going on all around us that we cannot see with our eyes. This book uses the Bible to help us understand the evil in the world, how it works, and what we can do about it. It’s actually very helpful and encouraging. All is not lost people!

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

This book will challenge you to take a sober self-assessment. If we are honest with ourselves,there are attitudes, beliefs, fears, etc. that need to be addressed. This book provides some encouraging insight to help us take control of our heart rather than be steered by it.

A.D. 33: A Novel by Ted Dekker

The only fiction I read this year was this excellent story that shares the heart of Jesus. Dekker’s stories always move fast and keep you guessing. This is both entertaining and soul food.

Loving Your Spouse When You Feel Like Walking Away by Dr. Gary Chapman

Gary Chapman writes,“I believe that in every troubled marriage, one or both partners can take positive steps that have the potential for changing the emotional climate in their marriage.” This book was recommended to me by a dear friend because it has such practical application for ANY and all marriages. In fact, what you can learn in this book can apply to all relationships.

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

This is a 365 day devotional book that can change your life. Written nearly 100 years ago, it’s amazing how piercing Oswald’s wisdom is for us today. I read it as part of my morning routine and have found it to be especially convicting and encouraging at the same time.

The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

This is the most impactful book I’ve read this year. In fact, I’ve just finished reading it the 2nd time. I probably highlighted something on every page. It is so rich with wisdom and advice for thriving in the most important human relationship we have. This is a MUST read whether you are married or not.

The Heart of Christmas by Lucado, Maxwell, Hybels, Warren, Jeremiah, Hayford

I found this book in our box of Christmas decorations. It’s actually really good. Not only will this insightful book put you in the Christmas spirit, but it will encourage your soul as you think about what this holiday is really all about.

Family, Personal Development

How Differences with Your Spouse Can Make Your Marriage Stronger

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3 Ways to Turn Your Biggest Annoyance into Your Greatest Advantage

I hear this all the time: “My husband or wife doesn’t understand me. We are so different. We don’t really have anything in common. How can we make this work when we don’t see eye-to-eye?” In the midst of conflict, it’s easy for us to forget the real reason that opposites attract–because it’s good for us.

Think about it. If you married someone just like you, then you wouldn’t have to grow, you wouldn’t have to budge from your comfort zone, and you wouldn’t have to enter into someone else’s world—and grow yours in the process.

In the long term, differences are precisely what you need. They can add richness, depth, and texture to your marriage if you embrace them. As someone who married a woman who is very different from me, let me share three ways that we learned to navigate our differences.

1. Identify your differences

You know you are different than your spouse, but that is not enough. I am talking about more specificity. In what ways are you different? For example, Gail and I are the exact opposite on the Myers-Briggs. I am an INFJ. She is an ESTP. This means:

  • We approach the world differently. I prefer introversion; she prefers extroversion.
  • We gather information differently. I prefer intuition; she prefers sensing.
  • We make decisions differently. I prefer feeling; she prefers thinking.
  • We approach structure differently. I prefer judging; she prefers perceiving.

And that’s not the end of our differences. According to the StrengthsFinder test, we have completely different strengths. My top-five are:

  • Achiever
  • Intellection
  • Strategic
  • Futuristic
  • Relator

Gail’s top-five are:

  • Positivity
  • Woo
  • Developer
  • Connectedness
  • Adaptability

From these tests—and forty years of observing her—I know the specific ways that we are different.

2. Acknowledge your differences

It’s not enough to identify your differences and then file away what you’ve observed. No, you must acknowledge these—and celebrate them—in real time.

Let me give you a practical example. As an extrovert, Gail draws her energy from being with people. As an introvert, people can wear me out. I prefer being alone.

But because we love one another, we make sure that we help the other person get what they need. Recently, we went to a dinner party. I would have preferred to stay home and read, but I know Gail needs to connect with others to remain emotionally healthy. (And I need it too; I just don’t always recognize the need.)

On the other hand, she knows I can’t be with people every night or I will burn out. So, because she loves me, she sometimes chooses to stay home so I can recharge. (She also needs this; she just doesn’t always recognize it.)

3. Leverage your differences

Differences are not something to be resented. They are something to celebrate and be used. Think of it this way: If Gail and I were exactly the same on the Myers-Briggs results, we would only have four tools at our disposal. But since we are completely opposite, we have eight. It’s as if we have more colors on our palette with which to paint the canvas of our lives!

The real test of this is in making decisions. As a J on the Myers-Briggs, I like an orderly, structured world. I want to make decisions quickly and get them behind me. Gail is just the opposite. She doesn’t have the same need for structure. She wants to explore all the options. She prefers to have her decisions in front of her.

Left to myself, I can be impulsive, making decisions I later regret. Left to herself, Gail can procrastinate, missing opportunities she later regrets. Together, we ensure that we explore all our options but then make a decision.

Fall down, lift up

King Solomon once observed that two are, in fact, “better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”

We usually think of this in terms of friendship, but it applies equally to marriage. We have different strengths that can help hold up our partners through difficult times.

Especially in times of marital stress, it’s good to remember that you weren’t attracted to your spouse by accident. Embracing your differences can help you both to realize your God-given potential, in marriage and so much else.

Article by Michael Hyatt

faith, Personal Development

One Habit to Make You Happier

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One of my trusted resources for healthy living is Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. I read his daily email devotional every morning as part of my routine to start the day. Following is an entry he shared a while back that I thought was fitting for us all.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled “One Habit to Make You Happier Today.” The writer said, “Repeating a positive phrase, or mantra, to yourself creates new pathways between neurons in your brain, conditioning you to feel calmer and healthier. Research shows that thinking of a word or phrase that affirms our values—and repeating it over and over—produces powerful physiological changes…. Mantras can create and strengthen new neural pathways that are positive and not toxic. And that can make our brain much calmer and happier.”

For some odd reason, the writer neglected to mention the power of quoting the Bible to oneself. It isn’t a mantra we need but manna from heaven. It’s not a positive sentence but a promise from God. We don’t need clichés; we need Scripture. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

Self-control is a battle that begins in our minds. Our minds as well as our hearts need to be focused on God and His Word. Daily Bible reading and meditation really is the one habit that will make you happier—and holier—every day.

The Bible contains all the information needed for life’s challenges. Its words provide strategies for every situation we face. They are life-changing and life-giving. God’s promises are never-failing, and His truths are infallibly reliable. – David Jeremiah

Daily Bible reading is an excellent healthy habit we would be wise to cultivate. While I understand that you may not be into Jesus and reading the Bible, I still encourage you to consider giving it a chance. You might be surprised to find the practical wisdom in the Bible makes more sense than you thought. Check out the links below for verses to encourage you. What is your favorite verse?

Great resource to help you get started with scripture memory – https://www.patheos.com/blogs/onedegreetoanother/2016/08/fifteen-verses-memorize/

https://www.mcleanbible.org/connect/kids-quest/top-20-bible-verses-everyone-should-know

Top 100 Bible Verses to Memorise & A Crazy Simple Way To Memorise Them