Why Do I Put These CRAZY Pics On Facebook

First I want to say a giant THANK YOU to everyone for following my journey (stalkers).  Opening up my wounds and laying all of my cards on the table for everyone to judge has not been easy for me but it has been freeing.  I can't thank all of you enough for all of the love and support and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart!!

Second I want to explain why in the heck I am sharing all of these CRAZY pics of myself on Facebook for the world to see.  If you look at that big girl on the left you will see that girl that was hiding from the world and from herself (and just for the record I sent that chick packing!!!).  I hid for over 10 years from even myself.  It was a lonely, miserable place.  I wasn't physically alone nor was I literally hiding.  The person I was pretending to be was a facade to mask the person I had become.  On the inside I was just existing.  I could go on for days about the events in my life that made me into the self-loathing person that I had become (my mother had a brain defect and became permanently disabled when she was only 39 years old leaving me suddenly in the parent role, my only sibling has been a drug-addict for as long as I can remember and is now doing her second stint in prison, my only nephew followed in his mother's footsteps, my father was an abusive alcoholic when I was a child and I was forced to endure things that no child should ever have to witness and/or be a part of as a child, my step-father who was more like a father to me than my real father ever was passed away in 2006 and 11 months later my father passed away of a sudden heart-attack at the age of 59 then 4 years later I was forced to put my grandmother into a nursing home against her wishes) but I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me.  Those are just the facts but even as I am typing them I am tearing up because it is heart breaking to me.  But PLEASE don't pity me.  You see I used to be so ashamed of who I was and I thought that I had no value to anyone.  As it turns out I do have value to someone and that someone is ME.  I was always so consumed with trying to help EVERYONE else around me that I forgot about me.  I always thought I was alone until I realized that I have ME and I am pretty awesome!  So the reason I share these pics is for attention... oh wait... JUST KIDDING... I share these pics because I want other people to know that I am a real person, with real struggles, who has been at the lowest of lows and I was able to pick myself up and take my life by the horns and start making my dreams a reality and that if I can do it anyone can!  If sharing my story that I have kept private my whole life and showing everyone the scars on my heart and my soul can inspire even one person to get the courage to go and chase their own dreams and make them a reality then it was worth every second of the fear I faced by being so raw.  

Finally I share these CRAZY pics because I want to go beyond being just an inspiration and become a source of empowerment for those who want to take back their own power.  I want to lead by example and reach out my hand to ANYONE who needs encouragement, motivation or inspiration.  I want everyone to know that no matter what has happened in your life that there is hope and there is someone out there who cares and that YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!  I WANT TO BE THE CHANGE that I want to see in the world.  

Now, I have a HUGE favor to ask of everyone who reads this blog post.  I appreciate your support IMMENSELY and I am asking you to go one step further in helping my cause.  I know you wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't stalking me... wait... I mean interested in my story.  You may have a great, happy life and are just intrigued by my story, you may know me personally and have a vested interest in my well being, you may secretly hate me and be reading this to hope that I will fail and you can say I told you so or you may be the person who wants to reach out and grab by hand.  No matter the reason why you have read this entire post I am asking you to do three simple things for me to help me get to the next step in my journey.  If you could PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do these three things you would be helping me out a great deal and I will name my next child after you... oh wait... no I won't because I can't have any more children but isn't it the thought that counts?  Anyway, the three things are:

1.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE subscribe to my You Tube channel because the more subscriber I have the cooler people will think I am (although I am pretty cool!!).  Click Here for MY YOU TUBE CHANNEL

2.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE follow my blog (same premise as above... I want people to know how awesome I am).  Click here then scroll down and the box FOLLOW BY EMAIL is in the column on the right.

3.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE refer anyone that you may know who is looking for support, encouragement or motivation to me... I want to be there for them.  (my email is tibelling@aol.com, my personal facebook page is www.facebook.com/tina.ballinger.3 if they want to message me or send me a friend request).  

Ok, so now that you have done those incredibly nice things for me and you know how fabulous and incredible I am I want to tell you how INCREDIBLY INCREDIBLE (original right?!?) that YOU are!!!  YOU COMPLETE ME (Bruce Springsteen's Secret Garden is playing softly in the background now although it is playing so softly you may not be able to hear it so just hum it in your head if you want).  

THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER for being you and being here with me!!!  

MUCH LOVE,

Ms. Bling (Tina)

#feelinggood #nevergiveup #selfies #dontstopnow #believeinyourself #footballmom 

Monday Motivation

Do you ever feel defeated and just want to stay in bed and hide under the covers?  Well that is how I am feeling this morning.  I am a very emotional person and sometimes I let things get to me which I know I should not take so personally.  However, sometimes it is more difficult to take things with a grain of salt than it is at other times.  Since I find therapy in my blog and sharing my experiences I decided what better way to try to get over my feelings and move on than to go public (doesn't everyone do that??).  As I am writing this I am recalling a blog post that I wrote a while back on my Ms. Sassy Classy  blog titled Grain of Salt and Pepper which is reminding me that I should not let trivial things control me but what I am feeling does not seem trivial.  I have been up since 3:00 am with a heavy heart and a heavy mind as I struggle to get over this feeling of defeat.  Something I will do when I am feeling down or when I am just in a funk is to troll the internet to find words of wisdom or some other sign that may help me "get over it" so to speak.  Today I found that inspiration on a friend's Facebook page.  The quote was "Be strong, you never know who you are inspiring."  So today I am going to get motivated, "get over it", go slay my dragons (my dragons of course being the negative feelings I am having), BE STRONG and own this day!!!  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING!    As Dr. Seuss says "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose."  Today the direction I choose to be positive.  I have to go and workout and begin my fabulous day and I hope you have a fabulous day as well!!!  HAPPY MONDAY FRIENDS :)

M is for Morning Motivation

I used to find it so hard to get out of bed and get going in the morning.  My alarm would go off and I would hit snooze 5 times (or more) before I wouId eventually drag myself out of bed.  Even then I would just dread starting my day because I knew that meant going through the same thing day in and day out.  i  just couldn't understand how anyone could  be a  "morning person".  When every day is like groundhog day where is the motivation?

Now I totally get it because I am a "morning person".  I heard the phraseI "It's never too late to have a happy life" and somehow that just triggered something in my brain.  I never thought I was unhappy but I realized I was just existing and I decided that I want to live, not just exist!

Starting your day off in a positive way is imperative to making your day a success.  I now have Pandora radio set as my alarm clock (if you have the app it comes with an alarm clock and the app is free if you don't already have it).  This morning the song on my alarm was Prince's "I Would Die For You".  Prince radio is one of my faves because I am an 80's girl so that is my choice and I wake up in a good mood every morning just by hearing music I love to start my day.  I continue to play Pandora until it is time for my workout and after my workout and I play it while I am getting ready for my day,

Another thing that really gets me going in the morning is getting up early.  It is a great feeling to get a lot of stuff accomplished first thing in the morning when most people are sleeping their life away.  Get a jump start on your day and get up an hour earlier to work on things you tend to put off later in the day.  This helps eliminated excuses and gives you a feeling of accomplishment first thing in the morning.  What a great way to start your day. I try to pack lunches for myself and my son the night before so I don't have to be rushed in the mornings and I go to bed early so I am refreshed in the morning instead of tired and grumpy.

If music doesn't get you in a good mood find what works for you.  There must be something that can get you pumped for the day.  Find your thing and do it!  One other thing I like to do is play games on my phone if I am having a hard time waking up.  I will play Words With Friends, Scramble or Words of Wonder just to give my brain a kick start.

I am certain that if you get up in the morning and start your day off strong and in a positive way, whatever way works best for you, you will feel better all day!  I challenge you to try this for a week if you don't already have a habit of morning motivation.  If you have things that inspire and motivate you, please feel free to share and post your comments.  Let's keep each other motivated!!

Thanks for reading my post NOW GO HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!!!

SHAKE UP YOUR LIFE 30-Day Challenge

Thank you for your interest in my 30-day SHAKE UP YOUR LIFE challenge!!!  For more details watch this video and then message me with any questions (my allergies have been killing me so pardon my runny, itchy, watery eyes... I was going to write this stuff out but I wanted you to hear it from me so even though I feel like Frankenstein I did the video anyway)!!!

The challenge is going to last for 30 days.  You will get points by participating in posts daily by reporting on your activities, by doing the activities and also points will be given based on your percentage of weight loss (once you join I will send you the list of how to earn points).  Everyone who joins will receive a free Shakeology premium shaker cup and the winner of the challenge (and if you give me these 30 days and stay with the program you will be a winner because you will see results) will receive a $25 BeachBody gift certificate.  For pricing, ordering, and other information just click on the SHAKEOLOGY picture below and it will take you to my website. If you really want to get a great deal click on the BB CHALLENGE PACK image below and you can get a workout program combined with the Shakeology for a super discount!!  This month only you can get HIP HOP ABS by Shaun T with the Shakeology for only $10 more than the Shakeology alone so that is an awesome deal!!!  If you have any questions or concerns please send me a PM on facebook, leave a comment below or email my personal email at tibelling@aol.com.  Thanks so much for checking this out and have a great day!!!!
 

6.10.14 & 6.11.14 Days 9 & 10: Total Body Circuit and Speed 1.0

I have been so busy I completely forgot to post my workouts but trust and believe that I would not miss doing them even if I have to drag my own ass to the living room I am going to get it done... for me and for my family... they deserve the best me that I can be and so do I!!!

6.9.14 Day 8 of Round 2 of T25: Cardio

I have something funky going on with my pinky toe so I wrapped it and worked out but I wasn't able to do all of the jumping so I modifed a lot but had no problems.  The old me would have said "Well my toe is swollen I better not work out" but the new me worked out any way and I felt great!!!  Another pat on the back for me!!!  NO MORE EXCUSES!!!  If I can do it so can you!!!



 

6.8.14 Day 7 of Round 2 of Focus T25: Stretch

I absolutely love this workout!  As soon as I am done with this I just feel rejuvenated.  I had a great productive weekend but I am tired so I am going to keep this brief.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend and I will see you tomorrow!

6.7.14 Day 6 of Round 2 of Focus T25: Cardio

I had a very productive day today!  I worked on lots of stuff for my new mentoring/coach venture which I am LOVING!!!!  I ended up working out around 7:00 pm which I hate doing because I was tired and had to push myself to do it.  One good rule that I use with myself is that if my body is exhausted and I am either not going to get anything at all out of the workout or I am just going to be abusing and possibly hurt my body then I will make my workout up on the next day BUT if I am just not feeling the workout because I am being lazy and simply don't want to do it... I DO IT ANYWAY!!!!!  If I didn't stop the excuses it wouldn't be very long before I was right back to my old lumpy, dumpy self!  So if you are making excuses (an excuse is a lie you are telling yourself to make yourself fell better) then get your ass up and WORK OUT ANYWAY!!!  You can do it and you will feel so much better about yourself when you are done.  Habits like working out are easy to make but they are also easy to break so be consistent.

Ok, enough rambling on about me... how are you???  Are you sticking to your daily goals you are setting for yourself?  Remember baby steps and small progressive goals will be easier to take and make than trying to go balls to the wall and then giving up when you aren't getting instant gratification!  NEED HELP???  I am a click away!  Find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tina.ballinger.3 or email me directly at tibelling@aol.com :)  HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

6.6.14 Day 5 of Round 2: Lower Focus

I didn't quite nail this but I will!  I just couldn't do the darn calf hop thingy, ugh!  Friday is a twofer but I didn't quite have time to fit the second workout in tonight but I will nail it tomorrow!  Happy Friday all!

6.5.14 Day 4 of Round 2: Ab Intervals & Stretch

I got up early this morning and did the ab intervals workout.  I am happy to report that I nailed it and I am so proud of myself.  My belly was so big when I started that this workout was difficult for me but today I nailed it!  I still have some belly to get rid of so I am working extra hard which is why I also did the Stretch workout.  I want to make sure that I am keeping my muscles stretched so that I can push myself to get to my goal weight and be the healthiest and most fit I have ever been in my life!  Every day my body and my mind change just a little bit more and it is an amazing feeling.  If you are ready for a change hit me up and I got your back!  My email address is tibelling@aol.com, my website is www.teambeachbody.com/msbling or my facebook is www.facebook.com/tinaballingerfitness.  I can't wait to hear from you!  Have a great night everyone:)  #teamchange  #letsdoittogether

Ms. Sassy Classy: The Most Important Investment You Can Ever Make

Ms. Sassy Classy: The Most Important Investment You Can Ever Make: Recently I made the best investment that I have ever made.  I invested in myself.  When I looked up the meaning of the word investment most ...

6.4.14 Day 3: Total Body Circuit

I got up at 4:45 am and rocked my workout.  I had sweat dripping and I love it!  My body has changed so much but the most important thing that is changing is what is on the inside of me.  I feel strong, happy, confident, self-assured, proud and so many other emotions all at the same time!  Every day for me used to be the same and I was just existing and it was miserable.  Change has opened up a whole new world for me and it is a happy world.  I love it here:)  Every day you get to write a new page in the story of your life!  What story are you writing today?  I hope your story is happy and fun and everything that you want it to be!  If it is not and you want to change the stories you write each day I can help you!  I have my hand extended to you all you have to do is grab it and we can do work on your goals together!  Make your story what you want it to be and don't settle for less!

6.3.14 Day Two: Speed 1.0

It is 6:41 am and I am done with my workout for the day.  Even though my allergies have been kicking my butt the last few weeks I am not going to let that stop me from staying on track.  I have to admit that today I nailed this workout but 16 weeks ago when I did this workout for the first time I definitely modified way more than I even admitted to myself but I did it and that was the important thing!  I didn't give up, I stuck with the program and today I nailed it!  If I can do it you can do it!  #proudofmyself  #whatsstoppingyou #whatareyouwaitingfor

6.2.14 Starting Over Day One: Cardio

So today I decided to start over with Focus T25 because the first time I started (on 2.17.14) I had a substantial amount of weight to lose and I was in miserable physical condition.  15 weeks later I am in much better shape but I have a long way to go so I decided to start over and kick this programs ass!  If you want to take this journey with me what is stopping you???

Are you ready for more success than you ever thought possible???

Becoming a Fitness Coach has been so rewarding for me on so many levels.  First of all I love helping people and watching them succeed and work toward reaching their own personal goals.  Helping others is so fulfilling for me and I think that is what I was born to do.  To have someone tell you that because of you there life is better is the greatest feeling in the world!  For those of you who have followed my blog and read my other blog posts you already know that I am just like you.  I am not any more special than you.  I don't do things any better than you do.  The only difference is that I made a decision one day that I wanted other people to feel as great as I do so I made the transition from a work in progress to a work in progress who wants to help other work in progresses.  Think about everyone you know and then make a list from those people that you think are 100% satisfied with their fitness, health and financial well being.  That list probably isn't very long.  Now make a list of all of the other people who didn't make the 100% satisfied list that think about getting healthier and more fit and they think about ways to improve their financial status but they just can't seem to get motivated or they just don't know where to start.  I bet that list is much longer.  If you are motivated and you are working toward your goals then you could do what I do!  You too could become a coach and help all of the people that you know that want and need that extra motivation or insopiration.

The second thing about being a coach that I absolutely love is how the whole team of other coaches are always there for you.  It is like you have a whole new group of people just like you whose goals are the exact same as yours.  These new people have welcomed me with open arms and are always so supportive that it gives me extra motivation and extra inspiration if I ever need any and it is amazing.  The positive vibes flow from the top to the bottom and who doesn't want to be surrounded by positive people all of the time?

There are so many rewards that I have gotten so far from being a coach and there is so much potential and room to grow that it is exponential.  I am very new so I won't go into details about that but I will tell you the third thing so far that has really helped change me for the better in so many ways and it is the fact that you have a checklist every single day of what you should be doing and on that list is personal development.  Because of this amazing opportunity I have been actively making time for daily personal growth and development.  That has been a game changer for me.  You can spend as little as 20 minutes a day but you can't imagine how much better you will feel about yourself by doing this one simple thing.  So by taking that simple step from being a regular person who has been working so hard to reach my fitness and health goals to being a coach who inspires, motivates and assists others in working toward those same goals I have completely transformed my state of mind.  So not only is my body transforming but so is my mind and in a way I never thought possible!  I can honestly say that I have never felt this happiness on the inside of me like I am feeling now ever before.  I no longer suffer from Destination Addiction.  I am happy from the inside out!  Instead of being my worst enemy I have become my best friend and I am happy wherever I go 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

The last thing I want to talk about is accountability.  I know now that I have not only the people just like me that have been counting on me to motivate them and inspire them because they have been with me on my journey and they see me succeeding which is giving them hope that they can succeed, but now the other coaches on my team and my coach are counting on me.  Having that much responsibility and knowing that I am helping to motivate others to change and continue to improve I know every morning when I get up that I can't fail.  I have to push and keep going.  I hold myself accountable every day so I know I will never go back to being how I was before!  That alone is worth every second to me.  

If you would love to feel stronger, happier and more fulfilled than you have ever been and you would like to feel the way I am feeling, it is time you start to think about becoming a coach also!  If you think you want this amazing feeling and you are ready to feel better than you ever have felt before then please comment below or send me an email at tibelling@aol.com.  Becoming a coach is hands down the best decision I have ever made in my life.  Keep in mind that it doesn't matter if you have ever coached before or where you are in your journey.  The only requirement is that you have a burning desire to help others and yourself to reach for the best because you are worth every single reward that is out there waiting on you.  Will you take that next step with me?  I sure hope so because it is the best step I have ever taken.

Thanks so much for reading my blog posts.  I appreciate you all!!!!  Happy Monday!