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Monday, March 4, 2013

whole ladies - step 1.


Over on The Influence Network, we talk about heart and strategy, heart and strategy, heart and strategy. We're big on both because women are big on both. What do you do on Saturday mornings? For me - a good Saturday morning includes a long quiet time + coffee PLUS an hour or so of week planning + grocery budgeting. Catch me on a great date with my husband? We're sharing our heart and our life dreams while discussing our plans for the next six months. We can combine the heart and the strategy, because that's who we are. 
It's what we do. 
We're women.  

Have you noticed though, with health and wellness and our bodies, we can't seem to marry the two that easily? I've read really amazing heart-life-based posts about body image and seeing myself from the Lord's eyes. On the other side of the internet, I read awesome food, health, and exercise blogs. I rarely catch the two together. And in my own life, I rarely combine the two. My heart, even my heart's view of my body and my strategic plan to take care of it are usually pretty separate. Why is that? 
Didn't He give me this body? 
Aren't I just trying to keep it well for the work He's put before me? 

So I've been thinking a lot about weight loss, wellness, getting back in to shape, and just genuinely feeling better a lot recently. Why, you ask? Because I just had my 4th baby and that will leave you feeling like a foreigner in your own skin quicker than you can say "stretch marks". I realized I have this deep desire to share my wellness quest with the internet, but it feels like maybe that breaks all the rules - since I'm more of a heart girl. 
A word girl. A grace/mommy/design girl. 

I texted my friend Ellen to see what we could do about this. I knew she shared my heart and my desire to get & stay fit and healthy. We discussed - what if bloggers made a safe place to talk about the heart & the strategy behind getting healthier. Could we do it? Could we even go one step further and be honest and say, "I need to lose some weight" without dishonoring the Lord and the body He's given us? Could we do it like friends over coffee, in a grace-filled way, without getting all chart-based and numbers-obsessed and showing off our rock-hard abs when it's all said and done? 

We're going to try and we want to see if you'll join us. Ellen and I are embarking on the Whole30 - a 30 day cleanse and first step into a paleo-based diet. We're walking away from processed foods, dairy, grains, sugar & sugar substitutes and saying hello to lots of veggies, fruits, & lean meat. We want to be the healthiest version of ourselves and yep, we want to lose a few pounds. In addition to that, we want to create a safe place where other women like us could come and speak to the heart and strategy behind this endeavor - while still honoring ourselves and the Father who made us. 

Want to join us? 
We'll be sharing on twitter + instagram + pinterest about our #whole30. 
We'll also be linking up and hopefully hearing from some of you about what it means to be a whole lady. If you need a safe spot to chat or want to read along or could use some encouragement from other women about what is working for them, let us know below in the comments. 

Our next day to host some Whole Ladies thoughts will be next Wednesday, the 13th. We'll be sharing how the Lord is working on hearts, maybe some recipes, tips + tricks, and updates about how our quest for wellness is going. 
We'd love to have you share with us!