A Peek BACK to Inspire Others: #TransformationTuesday

These aren't the best quality photos, but you get the gist.

The girl on the left partied hard. Drank too much. Was an emotional eater. Had out of whack priorities. Enjoyed the gym, but didn't go enough. And felt SUPER insecure.. even though you would have never known it.

The girl on the right (older & pregnant, actually) enjoys life. Indulges in moderation. Knows healthy ways to cope with emotions/stress. Has more direction in life. Exercises to celebrate her body rather than punishing it for bad choices. And is proud of the woman she is still becoming.

There are a handful of years in between these two photos, but the major differences are.. I put the Lord first, made taking care of myself a priority, grasped the concept of a healthy mind/body/spirit & started pursuing things I love.

I didn't have to hire a personal trainer or life coach (nothing wrong with either).. I simply acknowledged my short-comings, recognized the change I needed, surrounded myself with positive people & did the work.

It wasn't rocket science. I didn't smoke myself on a daily basis.

I made small, consistent changes starting with fitness & nutrition that began to transform myself from the inside-out.

Which, in turn, began to impact the people around me.

Taking care of yourself creates a ripple effect..

Why the heck wouldn't you want to be your best self & help others?

I'm so grateful I took the plunge to change my life a few years ago. Which is positively impacting my family even today..

I only look back now to inspire others to move forward!!

Want to know how I did it & get started too?

Email lindseykollar@yahoo.com to join one of my accountability groups. Next opportunity is the beginning of March so reach out soon!

#TransformationTuesday #GracefullyBalanced

Wellness, A Matter of the Heart: Another Throwback Thursday

This girl sure looks a lot different now.

Her priorities, attitude & even body.

Time is always a factor when it comes to these kinds of transformations, but my relationship with food/alcohol, my spouse & the Lord have been the biggest game changers for me as a person. 

A few years ago, I was living for the moment...Doing what "felt" good.Living with the wrong priorities.Not treating my husband like the spiritual leader I trusted he'd become one day.Coasting thru my job at work because it was familiar.Sinning because I knew God's grace was abundant.Was I a great gal? Sure!Was I my personal best as a woman & honoring Jesus daily? No.

Today..I try to live & make decisions in light of eternity.. aiming to please Jesus before myself.Making God a priority first, then my family.Honoring who I know Nate can be no matter his short-comings.Pursuing personal growth even when it's uncomfortable.Praying to be broken over my sin the way God is.Giving myself grace as an imperfect woman, but striving to be more like Jesus.

I tried off and on for YEARS to become "healthy".. aka be "skinny" (which wasn't actually a healthy goal at all) at whatever the cost. And the reason I was never successful was because I wasn't doing it for the right reasons. Failed attempt after failed attempt - it came down to a matter of the heart.

When I decided to begin this journey of wellness 2 years ago to become healthier - mind, body & spirit - I was coming to the realization that I needed to make changes because my health was bigger than just me. I needed to do it to be a better wife & woman of God. Of course, I still has physical goals that I wanted to achieve, but I was starting to understand the responsibility that my health truly was & what all I was lacking.As I've been chipping away at my goals & renewing my mindset the past several months.. theres a set of verses that keep presenting themselves to me.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Wellness is a sign of obedience to God.It's also a sign of respect because the Holy Spirit dwells within us.And when we take care of ourselves, we are better equipped to love & serve those around us.
Transformations are so much more than just our bodies.. but even that aspect of our wellness is IMPORTANT.

Take some time to evaluate your heart & make the mental shifts you need to, in order to change your motives. I bet you'll even begin to stick with your daily disciplines more because there's a greater purpose behind it.

#ThrowBackThursday is looking a bit different this week. But I pray that it's going to meet someone at a time of need.

I never imagined that being a wellness coach would give me this opportunity for ministry, but it has. And I'm SO incredibly grateful.

Thank you, Jesus.. for allowing me to turn my mess into a message of your faithfulness, love, forgiveness & promises!

#GracefullyBalanced

Love Your WHOLE Self, Cellulite & All

Yeah, it's a whole lotta not fun exposing parts of yourself that you battle insecurity with.

But it's not fair to just post certain shots or my "after photos" leading you to believe that my body, self esteem & journey is all rainbows + butterflies.

The truth is, social media makes it easy to share the highlights. That doesn't mean I don't want to keep it real, but also want to be sure that I'm keeping my ‪#‎GracefullyBalanced‬ presence inspiring and uplifting, focused on positivity and solution.

 

However, it's probably good every now and again to humble myself a bit and remind y'all that I'm not a picture of fitness perfection.. I'm just a girl, dedicated to wellness, in the pursuit of being graceFULLy balanced. Learning to love myself.. ALL of me.

So.. This picture of my tushie.. {And you better be grateful I didn't go with a full rear shot} is real. This is STILL what healthy looks like! I could be forever dedicated to working out + healthy eating and STILL have cellulite. ‪#‎sorryitstrue‬ ..

But that doesn't mean I'm not working hard. It doesn't mean I'm not making progress. It's just part of who I am!

 

So YOU.. You over there doing a billion squats, counting calories religiously & stressing over imperfections.

 

LOVE YOURSELF.. Flaws and all. Because they don't define you. They're just a tiny piece of the puzzle that makes you who you are.

 

So whether it's cellulite, a pear shape bod, etc.. Love it all.

 

Simply so your BEST every day to seek balance + care for your mind, body & spirit.

 

Share the LOVE!

Ghoens Family #TBT

One of a million #TBT posts I could share, but I love this one. Not only does this photo reflect a change in myself, but one in Nate & us as a couple.

Between then & now, I've become a better woman, friend, daughter, sister & wife.

Nate is a better man, leader, son, brother & husband.

As a couple were better listeners, forgivers, servants, friends, lovers & partners.

And God gets all the glory.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

#MarriedLife #MarriageIsAGift #SeekHIMFirst

22 Minute Hard Corps Test Group RESULTS {Sneak Peek}

>>> RESULTS ARE IN, FOLKS!!! <<<

And here's a sneak peek of my 8 week transformation. The OFFICIAL test group photos I took will be up THIS WEEK!!

Y'all.

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I'm still totally mind blown, not because I underestimated the program, but because I underestimated myself... I am so PROUD of how far I've come over the past 8 weeks.

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Y'all, 4.8 lbs and 8.5 inches are GONE!

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Almost HALF of that number was from my mid section alone, which is ALWAYS a challenge for me! I kind of can't believe that I can see ABS!

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My arms are TONED and my shoulders have made their presence know.

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My legs have definition I've never seen before.. Hello, thigh gap!

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But let me tell you what I'm MOST proud of.. I'm proud of what I gained rather than lost.

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I gained a whole group of FRIENDS from my test group who supported me through highs and lows. Who provided solution and motivation EVERY step of the way.

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I gained a sense of CONFIDENCE.. That I could stick to not only a fitness program but 8 straight weeks of a nutrition plan. Some of you know how HUGE that is for someone that battles emotionally driven eating.

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I gained STRENGTH physically AND mentally. Our minds are usually the first part of us to check out and want a break or to quit. I was able to SILENCE doubt & tell my mind that I CAN and I WILL finish!

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I gained the sense of structure and BALANCE that I was craving so badly. I have a routine now that I can maintain and sustain. This wasn't a race- it's a LIFESTYLE! And I'm NOT stopping now!

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Trust me when I say, 22 minutes a day could COMPLETELY TRANSFORM your life and body... You must simply DECIDE to change and back that decision with ACTION. You don't need to be perfect, you must simply do your personal BEST each and every day.

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So while I'm celebrating these 8 weeks of Hard Corps I just completed & the results I achieved, I am ready for hell week (starting today) and can't wait for round 2!!

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This program deploys March 1st and you've GOT to try it. You are SO much more capable than you realize.

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BELIEVE in yourself & TRUST this process.

You CAN ‪#‎GETSOME‬ 

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Who's ready to do this WITH me!?!

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Complete THIS application to learn more about my 22 Minute Hard Corps Boot Camp coming up!!

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‪#‎22HardCorps‬ ‪#‎OfficialTestGroupParticipant‬

Transformation Tuesday: A Picture of Surrender

I get a little emotional looking at these photos that were both taken RIGHT before our 2nd and 3rd deployments. I changed so much between these two distinct times in my life- as a woman and a wife.

Let me take you back to November of 2012, to the photo on the left. I was barely 22, Nate was newly 30. We had been married a little over two years and had spent probably close to 11+ months of it apart. I was working in a position that was I wasn't passionate about, felt like I had no clue about what I would do with my life long-term, was TOTALLY insecure about my body that was about 20 pounds heavier than it is now, frustrated in my marriage because of our inconsistencies in communication/arguments about family, stressed about finances & really just didn't feel like myself. There, OF COURSE, were lots of happy moments sprinkled in here and there, but it was certainly a time during which I felt very insecure. I can tell you for certain that the majority of our issues came from a lack of surrender to the Lord and poor priorities.

Flash forward to November of 2014. I'm 24, Nate is 32. We're married a little over 4 years and still by no means marital experts. By GOD was working in our lives.. both together and separately. We were involved in our church, we were making steps towards healthier relationships, we established boundaries with our families, we had clear financial vision for our future, I found one of my PASSIONS by joining Beachbody, I created a healthy lifestyle and got my sexy back losing 3 pant sizes, I felt more confident intimately with my husband-- I felt renewed. We still weren't communication experts, in fact we had a small argument on the way to take those photos (HA- keeping it real),  BUT we were LEARNING how to resolve things quickly and that pursuing peace was better than being right.

Each year, we face new challenges.. I'm actually writing this blog now as a BALL of stress while having to remind myself to trust in the Lord's faithfulness. And each year, we have more triumphs. Our marriage is such a joy in my life- it CHALLENGES me to be a kinder person, a more forgiving partner, a stronger woman, a more compassionate friend, an increasingly faithful christian.. always learning, growing and changing. 

My #transformationtuesday isn't because of anything Nate or I were able to do solely on our own. It's because we finally trusted Jesus with our wants, needs and desires. We submitted to His will and surrendered ourselves to be used according to His purpose. 

You will find the most beautiful transformation when you ask Jesus to lead you.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

my hair's soulmate:: ash fortis

I had one of the greatest experiences on Sunday getting my hair done! But before I GUSH on the details, let's travel back in time to October 2014.

October was a time that my hair, for the most part, was a blank canvas. I had been seeing the same sassy stylist in the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach for about 3 years, mostly for cuts and only in the past 8 months for color. My first experience with color was "okay".. not bad, but not great. I left feeling like I paid a lot for a little. The next time I went in, I was armed- with photos and more descriptive phrases like: I'd love a warm balayage look with fun, warm blondish tones placed throughout.. but with some face framing pieces.. THIS time, I left feeling like a HOT mess. After two corrective appointments, no apologies and paying nearly $180 twice in three weeks for results I was less than impressed with, I decided to part ways and find a new stylist.. can you see why?

 BEFORE:::  

 (I'm the gal on the left with the natural, brunette hair)   

AFTER:::

(I am now the girl with the insanely chucky pieces of I'm not sure what color)

**BTW:: this was after the second appointment, during which I asked him to tone down my PLATINUM chunks with straight lines throughout my hair.. appointment #3.. sad, right? **

After this fiasco, I was short $300+, while left feeling embarrassed, upset and disappointed.

Over the same weekend, a co-worker of mine visited a locally-renown colorist that she had been following for quite sometime on Facebook and instagram.. her name is Ash Fortis. When I saw my friend's hair after her appointment, I IMMEDIATELY began following Ash. For a couple of months, I silently admired her work.. wishing all the while I had seen her to begin with. Then, I started making comments and liking her posts.

One day, Ash advertised a course she would be offering to local stylists that admired her balayage technique-- the style of color that I had originally requested before my fiasco.. I mean "October transformation."

I, half jokingly & half serious, commented on the post that I was meaning to see her anyways and said something along the lines of "will you need a model for this? :) " Surprisingly, she sent me a private message stating I could send her photos of my hair, because she did in fact need someone for this course.

A few selfies later, she said that I was a good candidate and we put it on the books.. then I waited patiently with excitement for about 5 weeks to see her. Besides her sending me a few inspiration photos via FB, all of the color combos were different but displayed a general vision, I had no idea what I would be getting that day-- besides a balayage inspired look.

I didn't care, I trusted her. I had seen her work. This girl has talent.

I went in Sunday morning to a GORGEOUS salon located in Norfolk, VA: G Patton.

There was great music playing, mimosas waiting to be sipped and EVERYONE was friendly. The environment was bright and fresh- right up my alley!

This was the set up for her course. As I began to walk around, I got butterflies.

Good, excited butterflies!

Not only did I get a wonderful new "do" this weekend, but I actually felt a little more educated about my hair! I felt CONFIDENT that Ash was doing what would be most flattering for my skin, appropriate for the season and healthy for the condition of my hair itself. I was blown away by her technical skills, creativity, vision and ability to articulate each of these things to her attendees.

I'm still in shock from my results..

Within a matter of a couple of hours, my hair had been transformed!

I told you she was amazing, right!?

I encourage you to make a trip to see this gal! She would be worth the drive and investment, hands down.

To check out her other amazing work, find her on Facebook "Ash Fortis" or follow her on instagram @xostylistxo .

Thank you for a WONDERFUL experience, Ash!

xo, Linz