Lindsay's Ramblings

It's been a rough week. I feel like I have failed miserably and have let my stress and emotions get the best of me, and I have put more pressure on Matt when he already has so much to deal with. I'm not gonna lie, this is hard sometimes. Cancer is hard. The stress and worry can take it's toll on you. Matt and I are alike in the fact that we've both always been the strong ones, the ones who everyone turns to for help and advice. He's always been the one to look out for others. So I think he feels like he has to be strong for me, and for everyone else. It's hard for both of us to admit when we don't have it all together or that we need help sometimes. Yes, we have a strong faith in God that gives us an inner peace and joy that nothing can ever take from us....but that doesn't mean every day is all sunshine and rainbows. We're not always strong. Not every day is great. There are days of frustration. There is stress and anxiety. There are tears. Bu...

If you want to be strong, move well and prevent injuries, you need to be mobile in certain areas and have strength and stability in others. Neglecting the smaller muscle groups and stabilizers and/or not doing mobility work will only lead to trouble in the long run. Mobility is the one thing many people tend to slack on. When planning your workouts, you should take this into consideration by adding in some mobility exercises into your warm-up, or between exercises as fillers and also focus on strengthening the smaller muscle groups that tend to be weak and neglected. For most people, it's hips and shoulders that need mobility and glutes, rear deltoids and rotator muscles that need to be strengthened. Here are five exercises that can be done on a daily basis, either in your warm-ups before lifting, or as a circuit on a rest day. These are not the most fun or exciting movements, but doing these simple exercises daily can make a big difference in the long run. Spiderman stretch...

Happy Tuesday! The weather here the past few weeks has been so nice, so we've enjoying being able to finally do some things outside besides just float in the pool. ;) Like taking walks through the park... Family Jeep rides... Cooler walks with our boy... Dinner on the river... Coffee on the front porch... Play dates with Celeste! Matt finished his 6 week dose of chemotherapy yesterday! He now gets 23 days off and it will then be 5 days of chemo followed by 23 days off each month, and I believe the dosage of chemo will be higher.  He is still doing really well. He's going into work more often, upping the intensity of his workouts, and sticking to his keto diet. The Optune is also going well. We've gotten into a routine of changing out the arrays so that he gets a few hours break without wearing it a few times throughout the week. People ask how I'm doing...and I'd say that I'm good 95% of the time. That's only be...

Many people think reading the Bible isn't necessary because it's "old fashioned" and not relevant to this day and age or to their lives. But that couldn't be further from the truth! The Bible is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is still useful and helpful to us in so many ways today. I have read through the Bible multiple times since I was in middle school, and I credit that for helping me to have the strong faith I have today. Reading the Bible is how I learned about who God is and what He wants for my life. So many people who say they're Christians struggle with their faith and with living a godly lifestyle...because they are not in God's word regularly. If we don't know His word, how can we truly know God? If we are supposed to be like Jesus and follow his example, how can we do that if we haven't read about Him? On the other hand, there are people who do want to read the Bible, but they just find it overwhelmi...

I eat a LOT of protein. I usually get 20-30 grams at every meal and snack, and I eat 5-6 times a day...so that's like 150-180 grams of protein. I probably don't even need that much...but what can I say? I like protein! To get in all that protein, I pretty much eat eggs, ground turkey or beef, chicken, and cottage cheese or Greek yogurt every single day. You should be getting most of your protein from real food sources, and you do not NEED to use a protein powder. With that being said, for me personally, I really look forward to my yummy protein powder concoctions. They satisfy my sweet cravings and help me get in protein without eating more meat...because sometimes that gets old. I'm not about to eat chicken 2 or 3 times a day because that be cray cray. So that is why I loooove me some protein powder. Protein shakes are great...BUT...I rarely actually just drink my protein. Here are some of my favorite ways to use whey protein: Protein oats I have this for breakfas...

I've still been enjoying my garage/driveway workouts at home, especially now that the weather has gotten cooler! And even though I have limited equipment, there are lots of ways I can change things up and make exercises harder, so that I don't get bored. Here's a leg workout I did last week in my driveway with just a set of 25 pound weights and a mini band.  1)Step ups: 3x10-12/leg Make sure that you lower yourself down slow and controlled on these! Try to pretend that you're stepping on glass. Also, don't let the knee cave in. 2)Single leg Romanian deadlift: 4x12/leg Focus on keeping your hips facing forward, not letting them cock to the side. Think about reaching the hips back, feeling tension in the hamstrings, and NOT reaching forward with the dumbbells. 3a)Single leg ball curl: 4x6-10/leg Keep the hips up, squeeze your butt, and really focus on using that hamstring to pull your foot in towards you. 3b)Dumbbell one and a half rep squats: 3x1...

I think there are some people who are confused about what the "self love" and body acceptance movement is about. Self love and body acceptance ISN’T at ALL about excusing unhealthy actions or behaviors. It's not about justifying not being healthy or taking care of your body. What it IS is knowing that health is about MORE than just the physical stuff-building muscle, losing fat, getting stronger and fitter,etc. It's about mental health as well. It's about not spending your life hating your body and chasing perfection or trying to fit a certain image...and exhausting yourself mentally in the process. It's knowing when enough is enough and when it’s time to stop the striving and the self hate that’s getting you n owhere. It's loving yourself enough to want treat your body right through exercise and good nutrition in a healthy and balanced way, NOT just to fit society's standards or to have the perfect body so that you'll finally be "...