You Aren’t Who They Think You ARE
The one thing that makes us all alike is the fact we try to be something we aren’t.
Tag: love yourself be good to you
Gratitude! 1018 Views
I welcome everyone new to Belladonna’s Flashlight and for everyone else, Thank you for staying! I hope you enjoy being apart of the fam and will continue to read and join in on discussions. I love hearing from you all. Read More
Just A Thought
Prayer will take you a long way! Right, when you think about giving up God will grab you up and hold you tight and show you why you shouldn’t.
I’m listening to God and I believe in his power.
I hope you all let God be God and direct you on the right path.
You could have chosen to read any blog but you chose mine and I’m honored.
~Belladonna~
A Fool’s Game
This world is cold and half the people that you believe care about you, really have malicious intentions. We live in a world that takes the word reality off of the map. We strive for instant gratification and praise the most peculiar behavior. Read More
Photoshopping and Fitness Shouldn’t mix! This Is Not A Game
I was going to write about something totally different today but this particular topic struck my heart. I am frequently on Instagram, I post a lot on my timeline as well as on my instastory. I always scroll through and look at all the latest diets, workouts, coupon deals and of course memes, because you know I have to get my laugh in for the day. But my laughter stops when I come across someone that is constantly contradicting themselves when it comes to diets and photoshopping their pics.
If you are in the fitness industry then you are held at a higher standard then those that aren’t. You have a responsibility and you know this. I am constantly contacted by women and men of all ages on social media. They ask me everything from workout plans to how often they should work out. They want to know what works for me. Now what if I took pictures and in those pictures, you saw me with a 6 pack. Not just any 6 pack but abs that looks as if I do crunches and pull-ups in my sleep. Then the day finally comes when we meet in person and now your confused. Like…. have I just been catfished? The answer is YES! Yes, you have been catfished.
Do you know how many people are holding on to your every lying word? I mean here are these eager people ready to do whatever just to lose weight and they are depending on you for help. But the wrong help can be deadly.
You can’t starve yourself one day and then eat fast food the next. Now maybe just maybe a pound or two will drop but what about internally. How do you feel internally? What is your cholesterol level looking like after treating your body like a human YOYO?
Let’s face it you have to work out, eat clean, rest and let stress go. Once you do all those things you will lose healthy weight and get in the best shape of your life.
I strongly recommend that everyone seeking weight loss help should first seek a nutritionist and then a trainer. When you meet with your trainer make sure you have a list of questions. The questions are for them not you. Treat your first session like an interview and see if they are knowledgeable on the subject of weight loss.
The truth is, you should be picky about who you hire because there are 1000’s and 1000’s of trainers, health coaches, and wellness coaches on instagram, facebook, and local gyms. So there are an endless amount of options. The right trainer/ coach is out there.
Be careful who you choose and make sure they look like their online photos.
You could have chosen any blog to read but you chose mine and I’m honored!
~Belladonna~
The Best Broccoli Cheese Sou
It’s cold outside and we all need something warm to eat. I can’t think of anything better right now than soup. But let’s make it fun and skip using a bowl for our soup. Follow me into the kitchen to see what I mean.
So, I love to make my meals fun for my family. They enjoy when I take a few extra minutes in order to spice it up a bit. I like the look on their face when they walk into the kitchen and see something so simple and think it’s so great. I get most of my ideas from different restaurants and I think of the fun ways they serve their meals and then recreate it at home.
The recreation today was broccoli cheese soup with a bread bowl.
Ingredients -Makes 6 soup bowls
20 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook
- 1 large onion
- 2 cups carrots
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 heads of broccoli (florets only)
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- seasonings Salt and pepper
- 2 tbs butter
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs flour
I love to go to the store and hope that they are out of the bread that I want so they can make it fresh. If I ask they will do it regardless. They treat me well because I’m always there.
In a small pan pour in olive oil and saute the onion. Cook for 5 minutes until it is translucent. In a large pan add flour and butter until blended. Add in milk, stock, onions, and all the other diced vegetables. I use a food processor because I prefer small pieces of vegetables in my soup. Season lightly with salt and pepper and let simmer for 20. Add cheese and serve when melted.
Cut the bread bowl in a circle and take the top off. Pull a small amount of the bread out from the inside and start filling it up with your delicious soup.
You could have chosen any blog to read but you chose mine and I’m honored.
~Belladonna~
The Truth Will Set You Free But First It’ll Piss You Off
“The truth will set you free but first it’ll piss you off”. No truer words have ever been spoken. The truth will sting your soul and crush your thought process if you aren’t willing to receive it. I know that the truth is a hard pill to swallow but if growth is what you are looking for then you have to take the truth pill.
I mean think about it. How many times do we have to bump our heads and fall before we take a sit and listen to constructive criticism? How often do we have to set ourselves back 10 steps because we refused to take advice? Then when we fail, we look to those same folks for a hand or an ear. I don’t know about you but I’m so over listening to nonsense.
I have been a part of the health and fitness industry since the day I took the oath to protect and serve my country. So please believe me when I tell you I have heard every excuse in the book when it comes to fitness journeys. But the truth is if you want a healthy lifestyle bad enough you will do whatever it takes to achieve it, to win it and to own it.
The truth is you have to eat right, you have to work out, and you have to change your mindset. There aren’t any short cuts and there isn’t an easy way out. You have to stop looking for a quick fix and you have to be willing to hear the truth. No matter how painful it is to hear what you have to do to get from A to B, you have to listen and be willing to execute.
I have had the truth hit me in the stomach like a ton of bricks. Did I like it? Hell no! It pissed me off because it hurt. It hurt my pride and for short while my self-esteem. But in the end, the truth saved my life and I will never forget that moment.
Here I am in the summer of 1994, I thought I was prepared for the military, my eating and work out habits were amazing. I felt like I was gaining strength internally as well as externally. But to my surprise, I had an abundant amount to improve on.
My first week in the military my drill sergeants did not hesitate to tell me that they thought I was weak. My heart dropped when they told me that. But they weren’t done. I was told that I wouldn’t last because I couldn’t do more than 4 push-ups in a row, I didn’t stand up for myself against some of the other soldiers in my platoon I was to quiet and I hid behind everyone else. Try swallowing that!
They pissed me off because the truth tore me up. Here I am 18 years old in South Carolina all by myself and receiving truths about me that I didn’t want to hear. I couldn’t run from it, I had to deal with it. And That’s just what I did. When the lights went out at 2100 hours I was up doing pushups, holding my planks and mentally connecting with myself. By the end of boot camp I dared anyone to even think about giving me a cross look. I was still quiet because that’s just who I am. I’m more of a listener than a talker. That’s just something that can’t be changed by my courage can and was.
Because I was able to accept the truth I became a platoon leader, push-up queen, and one badass motha…shut yo mouth.
I’ll never forget Drill Sergeant Henry and Drill Sergeant Jellen. They saved me, by exposing strength that I didn’t know I had. I allowed their truth to piss me off so that I could gain my freedom!
Is it time for you to get pissed off?
You could have chosen any blog to read but you chose mine and I’m honored.
~Belladonna~
