April Fitness Progress Report

The results are in... 

Note: I am a proponent for not stalking the scale. 

Know: THE WEIGHT GAIN IS NOT A BAD THING! Most of it is muscle. My glutes have spread! I love it. Some of it is fat, especially in the midsection, but I'm healthy. 

In April's progress picture, I weighed 143 lbs. In March's progress picture, I was 137 lbs. 

In April, I gained a bit of weight. Mostly from hormonal fluctuations, at my heaviest this month, I was about 147 lbs. This is 13 lbs over my minimum and 10 lbs over my median. The hormonal changes decreased my energy level. As a result, I was eating out more, not monitoring my intermittent fasting, doing lighter cardio, and focusing on isolated muscle growth. 

While it's not a bad thing, I am trying to lean out for summer. So, I have increased my cardio. Per the daily reminders, I'm running at least a mile a day and walking for at least 30 minutes a day. I'm also reintroducing HIIT cardio and weight training into my strength training regime to keep bulking some, but while being able cut fat all over. 

As for regulating my hormones, I've been trying some solutions with food intake and supplements (if they work, I'll do a blog post). My energy has improved some, but the verdict is still out on this. While I've decreased my fast food intake, I'm still working to reintroduce some discipline in this area. 

So, for you all, how was your April? Did you meet your fitness goals? Did you gain weight as you're coming into spring? Did you start to shed some weight with the spring heat? Are you still being consistent or fad dieting to prepare your "summer body"?

Tell me 👇🏾.

Who am I: Behind the Blog; My Wellness Journey; Why Wellness Matters

In April, we are switching gears from informational videos to podcast-style videos that will dive into how to build efficiency in our wellness systems. These conversation-style videos will help build internal dialogue to enhance your growth from "chore-like" to progressive. These tools will extend well beyond the scope of formal points in a video.

With this, today's video is all about who I am. As a precursor to some of the more personal examples I will give over the coming weeks, it is important to introduce myself to all of the new faces here on the platform. From today's video, learn what made me start kandidkayla.com, how the new direction of the blog came to be, and where we are looking to go through this series.

April Announcements

In April, we are switching gears from informational videos to podcast-style videos that will dive into how to build efficiency in our wellness systems. These conversation-style videos will help build internal dialogue to enhance your growth from "chore-like" to progressive. These tools will extend well beyond the scope of formal points in a video.

Fitness Goals Progress Report!

Today marks Progress DAY!

As of last week, I have officially reached 4 years of my fitness journey. Here's how it went. 

2017-2019:

The first two years of my journey were marked by trying fads, large amounts of cardio, and experimenting with a personal trainer. While I put work in, I was not consistent. My diet was a cycle of binge eating and unhealthy portion controls. My "cleansing" included monthly diuretics. And my workout regimen, aside from training sessions, was strictly based on wearing a waist trainer on the elliptical. 

While I don't recommend this way of starting as many of these tactics were dangerous and didn't breed lasting results, I did learn a few skills that have helped in my current journey:

1. Proper form for using free weights and machines. I got 3 low-cost sessions with a personal trainer in 2018 to teach me proper squat form and how to use the weight machines. This took some of the fear off of the gym machines and gave me an understanding of what good soreness feels like.

2. Importance of water. During this time, I battled with chronic constipation and dehydration. In late 2018, I implemented drinking 1 gallon of water daily. This trend helped with both problems while improving my skin and hair growth.

3. How to listen to my body. During this time I battled anxiety and depression at their highest. In this, whenever my mood would change I would shock my system with periods of starvation with high exercise or binging with no exercise. From this, I quickly learned how to recognize the damaging effects of these practices on my body.

2019:

In early 2019, I became very ill. As a result, I spent 2019 relearning how to make myself well. This is when I feel as though my fitness journey really began. I had decided to do this the long way, not the easy way. I wanted to change my life, not just my body. In 2019, as a strong foundation, I learned:

1. What I could eat. I don't eat intuitively, but due to allergies, I had to start over and reintroduce foods to my system. From this, I learned what made me feel better or worse when I ate.

2. How to train. I began researching cardio and strength training methods. I tried every workout variation under the sun. I tried running and realized I liked it. I tried fasted cardio and saw the greatest results on my body. I tried weighted machines and hated it. I tried free-weight exercises and saw exponential progress. I tried intermittent fasting and found the 16/8 split the most useful for my lifestyle. I just tried everything and whatever worked I kept.

3. The value of post-workout care. I was working out 7 days a week and doing two-a-days twice a week during summer 2019. This schedule proved to be too tedious on my body and costly to my time. I had to learn how to care for my body at that high of a workout schedule and how to minimize my workout times to fit with my busy schedule.

2020:

I saw the most drastic growth. I went from about 150lbs to 135 lbs in about three months. The valuable lessons I learned from this journey is: 

1. Consistency is key! I made it a point to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This changed my life.

2. Be intentional about what and how you train. The mind to muscle connection goes hard. Basic cardio (running) and HIIT workouts are great, but real muscle growth comes from controlled mind to muscle movements. This equates to strength.

3. The usefulness of calorie/macro counting. I started quarantine eating 1200 calories and doing tons of HIIT. This got me lean but kept me weak. This was a great way to start seeing changes in my body but was far too extreme for the body goals I'd like. Similarly, doing this allowed me to learn how to eat until full, even if that doesn't fit within my 1200 calorie limit.

2021:

So far I am off to a great start and don't plan on stopping. This year I am focusing on strength, flexibility, and agility. Every month I have been challenging myself to try diverse ways of exercising to continue to reach my goals. For March, I am walking at least 3 times a week. I want to give my body the break it needs, but still, get my heart active so I maintain my progress. In the coming months, I'll try other things. But for now, these are the results I have so far for the year. After doing a glute challenge in January, progress pics coming soon to IG, my legs look phenomenal. After defaulting on the banded challenge for February, my strength has significantly decreased. 

5 Daily Tips for Maintaining fitness Goals on a Busy Schedule

Everyone has seasons where they are busy. The first piece of wellness to go is often our physical health. We trade salads for burgers, forget to workout one day and realize it has been a week. But having a plan for these busy seasons keeps your goals without forfeiting much time. 

Even if you don't have access to a gym or a home-cooked meal, sticking to the following 5 tips daily will help you advance your fitness goals without the level of commitment you may have with free time. 

1. Drink water. Try to drink your body weight in ounces daily. This improves total body functions such as digestion, sebum production, and hunger to name a few.

2. Elevate your heart rate for 30 minutes. Even if you can't get to the gym, elevating your heart rate includes taking the stairs, doing calisthenics before bed, or even dancing in the mirror. While you won't necessarily be increasing your strength, you'll keep your heart healthy with some good ole fashioned cardio.

3. Eat at least 1 helping of leafy greens. Leafy greens are the basis of great fiber in our diet providing maximum nutrients and digestion regulation. By ensuring that you incorporate a salad, sauteed greens, or green juice daily, even without access to a kitchen, your body is absorbing the nutrients to keep your brain sharp, your belly lean, and your energy high.

4. Plan your workout ahead of time. While you don't need a gym, make intentional space and time for your 30 minutes of elevated heart rate. Ensure that you schedule it so you don't forget it.

5. Give yourself grace. You may maintain your fitness goals, but 30 minutes of cardio may not propel you into your strength training goals. You might miss a day. You might have a meeting that takes your workout time from you. Regardless, have grace with yourself to start again the next day and do what you can.

Receiving the Promises of God through the Actions We Take

I saw this post the other day about 5 promises from God. The writer recognizes that God is always with you even when we feel distant and alone, he will give peace that surpasses all understanding, he provides all of our needs, he will protect us from harm, and he wipes away all of our tears. 

What we don’t understand is that the blessings of God are only received from our obedience to God.

Each of the verses attached to these promises say so. 

1. God is with us even when we feel distant or alone.

   1. Joshua 1: 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

   2. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

   3. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

   4. All of these two actions in common: strength and courage/lack of fear.

      1. Strength

         1. In Nehemiah 8:10 "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

         2. Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

      2. Courage

         1. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

         2. Mark 5:36 “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’”

   5. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

   6. Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”

2. God will give us peace that surpasses all understanding, but we must give him our worries.

   1. Phillipians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

   2. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.”

   3. Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

   4. Proverbs 37:11 ““But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.””

3. He provides all of our needs

   1. You must seek him and not your fleshly desires.

      1. Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

      2. James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

      3. James 1:6-7 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”

   2. You must GIVE!

      1. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

      2. Luke 6:38 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

      3. ALL of Psalms 37

      4. Phillipians 4:18-19 “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

      5. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

4. God will protect us from harm

   1. You have to operate in his wisdom

      1. Proverbs 2:9-11 ”Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”

      2. Proverbs 4:6 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

      3. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

      4. 2 Thessalonians 3:3-4 “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.”

   2. You have to ask

      1. Psalm 12:5 “‘Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’”

      2. Psalm 20:1 “May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”

5. He wipes away all of our tears.

   1. He WILL when he come back wipe away all of our tears, BUT you must abide in him.

      1. Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

      2. Revelations 7:17 “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.“

   2. You must go to him as your source!

      1. Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”

   3. He will comfort us.

      1. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

      2. Psalm 119:76 “Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.”

      3. Psalm 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”

This is not to discourage you. God will do all of these things. This is for you to understand completely that God will freely give, but it requires a posture to receive!

5 Steps to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Over half of the US population (63%) is living paycheck to paycheck.

With the pandemic causing job loss, unemployment spikes, and the unpredictability of the economy, everyone should have a plan to ensure that they are not dependent upon a paycheck to live. Whether starting by ensuring you can miss a month to securing 3 to 6 months of living expenses, having substantial savings is essential to soften the blow in the case of income loss. 

5 Principles to ensuring that you stop living paycheck to paycheck are 

1. Give: You can’t receive more with a closed fist.

2. Make a Budget.

   1. Minimize expenses and maximize income.

   2. Create an emergency fund.

3. Make the hard calls to create routine into your finances.

4. Save! Learn to save aggressively!

5. Rinse, recycle, repeat. Continue this journey until you have 6 months of income.

See the link here for breakdowns of how to do each.

See the video here for details on each step:

Singleness Saturday: The Value of Choosing your Needs over your Wants in Christian Dating

Christian singleness is a title that comes with many rules and preemptive implications. However, the journey to living a Christ-centered life of any time is the road less traveled. In this video, learn about the significance of choosing to delight in the Lord with your singleness, sexuality, and actions to align your choices with the consequence of promise.

Most of the "rules" currently associated with Christian singleness and dating are conjecture and not Biblical. Debunking these convictions boils down to understanding what the Lord requires of you, who you are, and how obedient you are willing to be to what he has for you. 

When it comes to the spousal picking process, the Lord only requires three things: 

1. No Pre-marital Sex. 1 Thes. 4:3-5 “3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[a] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you knows how to control his own body[b] in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

2. Being“equally yoked”. 2 Cor. 6:14 “14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 

This doesn't negate that the Lord can provide grace and rectification (1 Cor 7:12-14 and Hosea), but he warns that it is wiser to follow these three qualifications.

3. Not settling for less than God’s best. See Genesis 16.

So every other "rule" is a recommendation, not a requirement. This begs the question, "how do I walk my singleness journey for myself and keep God first?" 

The Bible says, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalms 37:4). How do you delight in the Lord when your innate nature is sinful (Psalm 51:5)? 

Fundamentally, it's choosing your needs over your wants. 

In this video attached, learn how to choose your wants over your needs in any situation, but specifically in your singleness journey. 

February. Workout Challenge: Banded Week 4

This is Week 4 of our at-home, 30-minute, banded Black history fitness challenge. This month, we are highlighting black fitness creators that offer at-home workouts to help progress our fitness goals without access to the gym. With this final week of the month, we are finishing off the challenge by utilizing the same muscle group isolations as the previous weeks.

For equipment, all you will need, are some light weights and some resistance bands. I have purchased both short and long resistance bands. I have linked them. I recommend buying short cloth resistance bands, but I’m going to be working with what I have.

As always, each workout set is limited to 30 minutes (warm up included, but not a cool down).

Please ensure you stretch and give your body the rest it needs where necessary.

Follow us on social media for daily reminders to get your 30 minutes of elevated heart rate in to show up for yourself physically. Also connect with us by tagging us in your workout progress. Can’t wait to see how everyone is smashing their fitness goals throughout this week!

WEEK 2 WORKOUTS: Progressing Past Basic

Monday: Lower Body

Warm Up

Workout

Tuesday: Full Body

Warm Up

Workout

Wednesday: Active Rest/Cardio

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Thursday: Upper Body

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Friday: Abs and Hips

Warm Up

Workout

February. Workout Challenge: Banded Week 3

We are starting week 3 of our Black history fitness challenge. This month, we are highlighting black fitness creators that offer at home workouts to help progress our fitness goals without access to the gym. This week’s workouts are focused around the same muscle group isolations as last week. This week we didn’t include cool down activities; however, many of the workouts do not reach 30 minutes in an effort for you to include some deep stretching, like described in our previous post.

For equipment, all you will need, are some light weights and some resistance bands. I have purchased both short and long resistance bands. I have linked them. I recommend buying short cloth resistance bands, but I’m going to be working with what I have.

As always, each workout set is limited to 30 minutes (warm up included).

Follow us on social media for daily reminders to get your 30 minutes of elevated heart rate in to show up for yourself physically. Also connect with us by tagging us in your workout progress. Can’t wait to see how everyone is smashing their fitness goals throughout this week!

WEEK 2 WORKOUTS: Progressing Past Basic

Monday: Lower Body

Warm Up

Workout

Tuesday: Full Body

Warm Up

Workout

Wednesday: Active Rest/Cardio

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Thursday: Upper Body

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Friday: Abs and Hips

Warm Up

Workout

February. Workout Challenge: Banded Week 2

We are starting week 2 of our Black history fitness challenge. This month, we are highlighting black fitness creators that offer at home workouts to help progress our fitness goals without access to the gym. This week’s workouts are focused around the same muscle group isolations as last week. This week we didn’t include cool down activities; however, many of the workouts do not reach 30 minutes in an effort for you to include some deep stretching, like described in our previous post.

For equipment, all you will need, are some light weights and some resistance bands. I have purchased both short and long resistance bands. I have linked them. I recommend buying short cloth resistance bands, but I’m going to be working with what I have.

As always, each workout set is limited to 30 minutes (warm up included).

Follow us on social media for daily reminders to get your 30 minutes of elevated heart rate in to show up for yourself physically. Also connect with us by tagging us in your workout progress. Can’t wait to see how everyone is smashing their fitness goals throughout this week!

WEEK 2 WORKOUTS: Progressing Past Basic

Monday: Lower Body

Warm Up

Workout

Tuesday: Full Body

Warm Up

Workout

Wednesday: Active Rest/Cardio

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Thursday: Upper Body

Warm Up

Workout

DON’T FORGET TO COOL DOWN AND STRETCH!

Friday: Abs and Hips

Warm Up

Workout

February Work Out Challenge: Banded Workouts

This month’s fitness challenge is all about accelerating our workouts from basic to BOMB! Like so many, due to the pandemic I am working out from home. To avoid the gyms and expensive equipment, I’ve confined my workouts to include two -10 lb. weights, a 20 lb. weight, and a set of resistance bands. This has served me well thus far; however, the weights don’t burn as bad, and I’m looking to elevate my workouts without the added costs of buying new weights.

To do so, I will be trying banded workouts for the entire month. Resistance bands are used to increase the resistance in your muscular mobility to increase muscle tension and subsequently muscle growth. There is much argument in the fitness community over the results from resistance bands versus weights over time. With this, this month’s workouts will be focused on maximizing muscular gains with light weights using resistance bands to achieve progressive overload.

Disclaimer, I am not a professional. Do these exercises at your own risk and consult a doctor when in doubt. Also, if something is highly uncomfortable, STOP. Listen to your body.

For equipment, all you will need, are some light weights and some resistance bands. I have purchased both short and long resistance bands for their added benefits. I have linked them. I recommend buying short cloth resistance bands, but I’m going to be working with what I have.

Lastly, as always, each workout set is limited to 35 minutes (warm up included). Follow us on social media for daily reminders to get your 30 minutes of elevated heart rate in to show up for yourself physically. Also connect with us by tagging us in your workout progress. Can’t wait to see how everyone is smashing their fitness goals throughout this week!

WEEK 1 WORKOUTS: Intro to Resistance Bands

Monday: Lower Body

Warm Up

Workout

Tuesday: Full Body

Warm Up

Workout

Wednesday: Active Rest/Cardio

Warm Up

Workout

Thursday: Upper Body

Warm Up

Workout

Friday: Abs and Hips

Warm Up

Workout

A Week of At-Home Workouts

Like many, I am not quite comfortable heading back into the gym to get my workouts done, but I am very much so committed to pushing towards seeing my physical growth still. Aside from learning how to eat, learning how to get gym results from home is crucial to growing past a fitness plateau and/or lack of motivation. Over the last year or so of my at home fitness journey, I have accumulated a few workout that require little to no equipment and are worthy of a great sweat.

As a bit of a disclaimer, I am not a professional. Most of these workout have been an effective sweat and strain on my muscles to help me reach my fitness goals. Everyone’s goals are individualized and specific to their body and relative health. Try each exercise at your own risk.

Now, for equipment, at most you will need access to the outdoors (track, neighborhood with save walking paths, trail, etc.), light weights (I own 2-10lb., 2-2lb., and a 20lb.), shorter resistance bands (I use these ones linked from amazon), and a mat of some kind (I use the mat for standing from my kitchen. I just keep it wiped down).

Also, I tailor my workouts weekly based on what I feel my body needs, not a strict schedule. While this is a full week of workouts, it’s not a schedule that suits every week. I diversity my workouts, workout styles, and primary focuses based on my desired results and goals.

This week, I’m coming out of a two week glute and ab focused fitness challenge (review coming soon). As a result, I’m giving these areas adequate time to rebuild, while not losing my progress. To do this, I’m starting this week off with little to no lower body and isolated abs, but will reintroduce them as the week progresses.

Monday: Cardio and Upper Body

I would traditionally start with a warmup, but this video includes a great warm-up and workout attached to start the workout.

To conclude this workout, I’m doing this 15 minute chest-focused upper body workout:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CI8VRzWJvs-/?igshid=y9w50qllgv2i

Tuesday: FULL BODY Workout

Tuesdays I typically have more time to workout (about an hour). I would traditionally go for a run or walk outside to enjoy some sun, but my forecast predicts rains, so I’ll be doing this 1 hour full body chair workout.

If you are a beginner, I am aware that an hour workout might be tough. Even though this workout has modifications, it is still a challenge for me. As an alternative, I recommend starting with this lower impact warm up and doing this 30 minute full body workout.

Wednesday: Cardio and Active Recovery

Wednesday's forecast is all clear for me, so I’ll be starting with a 30-minute run. If you are not strong enough to run, I recommend starting with the C25K app for iPhone and Android. Start with the first workout. You may not be able to finish it the first time. Do what you can. If you are not used to exercising daily, I recommend skipping the cardio altogether. Take this day as a sufficient rest to finish the week. If a 30-minute run is too easy for you, amp up the workout by doing sprint intervals for 2 minutes on and 1 minute off for 30 minutes. If you are not able to do the cardio outdoors or do not have access to a treadmill indoors, this 15-minute hip-hop Zumba will get your heart rate going.

After my cardio, I will take ample time to stretch. If you did not do cardio, this active recovery stretching sequence is great. I recommend doing it two times.

If you did get your cardio in, take your time through this 10-minute effective stretching cool down.

Thursday: Full Body (Lower Body intense) HIIT

I always like to push hard on Thursdays. So I recommend starting with a good warm-up similar to the one I linked above. After, I will be doing a high-intensity Tabata workout. This is quite fun and seemingly innocent but be prepared for the burn (Don’t say I didn’t warn you).

This workout is quite intense, so if you are looking for something a bit lower impact, try this full body low impact workout here:

Both these workouts come with a sort of small cool down, but this cool down is a more thorough stretch for all you have just done to your body.

Friday Fun Day!: HIIT

Start with this quick warm up to get your heart rate going.

Then, I’m going to go for a walk for about 15 minutes. This is going to loosen up my lower body from the full-body HIIT from the day before. You can choose to use any of the other cardio choices described above, just ensure a strong focus on warming up the lower body.

Lastly, end the workout with a HIIT workout that’s focused on more strength and less cardio.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIYcvdznBYq/?igshid=187hj8km9xknj

Saturday: Roulette

Saturdays are typically workout optional days for me. I ensure that my body is well rested if that’s what it needs. If I’m not sore from my earlier workouts or need a way to release energy I will do a workout. If stretching is what I need, I’ll do so. It all depends on what my body needs.

As slotted for my current optional workout, I’m doing a live Instagram workout: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIbI-fJBjIh/?igshid=40a9d8z2p022.

With this, I recommend you do the same. Hear your body out. Take this time to recognize its needs before starting another week of workouts.

Lastly, I almost always take Sundays as a day of rest to spend prepping for the upcoming week.

Conclusion

That’s it! It seems like much, but it starts by just moving one day at a time.

If you are looking to connect with me as I’m going through each of these workouts, please feel free to follow the journey on our social media pages. I love to engage and see how we are all showing up for ourselves daily!

2021 is HERE!

New year! Same place!

I'm so glad 2020 is over, and 2021 is here!

For those who are new here, I'm Mi'Kayla, the content creator here at KandidKayla.com. Here on this platform, we focus on growing the eight dimensions of wellness through community and conversations. You can expect to find recipes, financial advice, workout tips, stress management, and spiritual investigations, to name a few, to help you make lasting life choices toward wellness.

Last year, this platform reached so many milestones. I'm so grateful for the growth. Thank you to all of our consistent followers and supporters of the brand over the last few months. Together this community has grown to 338 followers on Facebook, 90 followers on Instagram, 45 followers on YouTube, and countless views on our website itself.

Last year, the blog was focused on teaching the basics of wellness (building a wellness plan, working a budget, and setting up systems to minimize times of crisis). This year, the blog will focus on building on these basics. If you have not seen our posts from last year, you can find them linked in the categories above. For the coming months, I'm sharing more recipes; changes, and advances to my wellness systems, and more military money resources, to name a few. So excited to keep sharing with you!

To start the year off just right, see the newest blog posts here:

Love THROUGH CRISIS

5 Tips for Navigating and Overcoming Crisis

5 Tips for Navigating and Overcoming Crisis

Knowing when you are unwell is a vital and inevitable part of wellness. Times when we are not well, or crisis as I'll refer to it, are going to happen. More recently with the pandemic, economic struggles, volatile social tensions, and political turmoil, a crisis is undoubtedly knocking on many of our doors. Coming out of 2020 and moving into 2021, we need to stop holding in our pain and grow through the hard times to enjoy the year to come. At the moment, working through a crisis seems unmanageable. However, navigating and overcoming these struggles boils down to five simple steps. 

1. Learn how to love yourself. In our Love THROUGH Crisis blog post, I discuss in great detail how to love yourself and teach others to love you in times when you are unwell.

2. Work your wellness plan. In our How to Build a Wellness plan post, you will find detailed instructions for constructing a thorough wellness plan that will account for your systems of wellness and plan for a crisis.

3. Giving yourself time to feel, heal, and process.

4. Seeking help from your community.

5. Showing up for yourself daily to do the work that it takes to get back well.

Please see the video for a full investigation into these 5 tips. 

Love THROUGH Crisis

A key part of wellness is knowing when you are not well. Being able to pinpoint signs of an impending crisis to either avoid and/or prepare is crucial to success in navigating the ups and downs of life. Building a wellness plan allows you to prepare yourself for the crisis. But how do you prepare those you love/who love you for your crisis? Similarly, if you’re seeing warning signs of an impending crisis, how do you teach those you love, how to love you THROUGH what’s about to come? 

The revelation I've come to is to teach others how to treat you, you must treat yourself first! Knowing how to love yourself through crisis allows an opportunity for those around you to understand how you would like to be treated. In particular, it gives them direction as to what you need or don’t need.

This reality can be backed up with the Bible. Seemingly, in Matthew, Jesus says, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39). So to love our neighbor and/or to have our neighbor love us, we must love ourselves, even in seasons when we are unwell. 

How do you love yourself when you are unwell? How does this help others to love you in these seasons? 

Love is love. Whether you are using it in external or internal relationships. If you look at 1 Corinthians 13, we can see love for more than a marital requirement, but for what it can be when we extend it inward. 

Starting in verse 4, the passage says, “love is patient.” Stopping here, loving yourself requires the patience to allow yourself to grow in God's timing. So often we expect God’s timing for deliverance, provision, wisdom, and maturity to be immediate. However, when walking in seasons of crisis (or impending crisis), God’s timing may be gradual. You may have to allow your spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional beings to go through the valley to lead you to your deliverance, provision, etc. Thus, you have to be patient. More practically speaking, just because you want to be well, doesn't mean that you can force yourself to be well. Realistically speaking, no one wants to be unwell. Universally speaking, allowing God to build empathy, persistence, and resolve within you as you grow through seasons of crisis will produce resilience within you on your wellness journey. 

Secondly, “love is kind.” You have to extend grace and mercy to yourself. Be gentle with your self-perception. Show yourself some appreciation. Instead of saying you're not enough, affirm that you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. Instead of believing you are unloveable, assure yourself that God so loved you that he sent his ONLY Son to die. Begin to see yourself from the eyes of Christ. What better way to love yourself than to see YOU for all he has made you to be. In that same right, be kind to you and allow yourself the space to be a mess and regroup. See yourself realistically, not idealistically. Love all of who you are. Anticipate, but not worship or negate your growth. 

Side note, for those who choose not to stay when you are unwell, understand who God has called to love you. If they cannot stay in the thick of your unrest, they are not called to love you in your highs. Let them leave. It wasn't meant to be. 

Love isn't self-seeking (verse 5). Loving yourself turns your focus not on what pleases you, but rather, on what God wants to do through you. Don't mask your feelings with sex, drugs, and/or obsessions. Again, there is purpose in your season, allow God to use you even when you aren't feeling well. Feelings are arbitrary, for the heart is deceiving. Don’t allow your feelings to focus so much on your wants/desires that you forget about your purpose. Moses’ anxiety could have cost Israel extinction, but in his uneasiness, the Lord confirmed the salvation of an entire people group. Even without assurance in you, allow God to be your confidence. 

Love doesn't dishonor others. Love doesn't allow you to lie, not even to yourself. Learn you; be you; love you. Own your reality. Own your responsibility. Always have accountability (I recommend a licensed therapist). Never forget hurt and sorrow are apart of God's plan to work for your good (Romans 8:28). Therefore, don't allow the lies to fog your clarity. God is doing something in your season. Take responsibility in this season. Make the hard calls or put someone in place who can do so. The sooner you sit in your truth, the easier it is to heal.

Love isn't easily angered. HAVE ALL THE GRACE WITH YOURSELF! God’s grace is made perfect in your weakness. So don't blame others for your season of being unwell and don't blame yourself. Don’t wallow in your sorrow or stay dismayed. Life is about progress, not perfection. Stop beating yourself up over the humanity God is trying to use for His glory.

Love doesn't keep a record of wrongdoing. Don't be hypercritical of yourself. Never forget to evaluate if you are hypocritical of yourself. Allow God to turn your story into your testimony. 

Love rejoices in truth and shuns evil. Don't just encourage your truth, rejoice in it. See it for growth. Be honest about the wrong parts of yourself. Cut off evil where you can and allow truth to be your barometer, not society, not people, and certainly not social media. Learn what's right for you under God's instruction. Put in the effort to be who God has called you to be. Negate the lies by affirming yourself with scripture. 

Love protects. Love guards the heart. When you are unwell, know your limits and envoke your boundaries. Protect your sensitivity. 

Love always trusts. Press into the Lord so that you can accurately discern and trust the voice of God. Not just hearing, but trusting in your ability to be obedient. You are unwell, but you are not dead. You may be confused, but you are not incapacitated. Trust the decisions you made when you were well. In your wellness plan, it spells out the instructions for who to trust when you are unwell. Lean into this. Believe this. It just may save your life. 

Love always hopes. You cannot ignore your reality. You CAN build your belief that reality will change. Trust the process and hope that you will be closer to wellness tomorrow than you are today. Again, affirm the scriptures that "...weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning."

Lastly, love perseveres. Even when you're tired, lonely, and what seems to be loveless, you have to PRESS on! (1 Cor 4:8-9) Push past the way you feel. Declare the Word of the Lord. Fight to love yourself back to health. Fight to remember what it was like to be well. Fight to know that NO WEAPON formed against you will prosper and such this season will pass. While the nights seem cold, the relationships fragmented, the money running out, the job dry, and the school work mounting, remember and align your perspective of God. Since God is awesome in both magnitude and attribute, nothing is too big for him. HE can do ALL things, regardless. He's working all things because you love Him. As Matthew 22 said, as a result of you loving him and you loving yourself, those God has called to love you, will do the same even if you are in a time of crisis. 

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30 Day Self Care Challenge

Hello ALL!!!

I'm so excited to announce our newest 30-day challenge. With the holidays approaching and the COVID with no intentions of going anywhere, I wanted to start this SELF CARE challenge to both prepare us for what will be a very different holiday season. From today until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, let's give back to ourselves and build back up before jumping into the jingle of the bells.

Follow us on our social media pages to get daily real time encouragement as you journey through the challenge!

Adjusting as Wellness Changes

Whether we like it or not, there are seasons in life where wellness is the equivalent of just getting by. As we have discussed on this platform, 2020 has been a tough year. From Australia on fire to the messiness of the coming American elections through a global pandemic, if you aren't feeling a certain level of angst, you aren't living.

Nonetheless, as a wellness platform, understanding that wellness is an ever working definition, in seasons of high stress, mass triggers, and collective suffering is essential. As the stresses of the world have increased, helping you navigate through the new sights of wellness is a must for us.

For most, this is a foreign concept. We as societies have definitions of good, bad, socially acceptable, and weird as it relates to people and their wellness. The dirty truth is that there is very little normalcy to 2020. As much as we want to define someone else's wellness for them, our current definitions for ourselves probably need some updating.

Let's be honest, pre-pandemic it was socially acceptable to have kissing booths and shared dinner tables with strangers at a Hibachi spot. Mid-pandemic, the government has mandated boundaries for both. In the same way, what was socially understood to be well, such as always smiling faces and loud praise, is now probably seen as a cry for help. None of these analogies begin to account for the racial tensions, isolationism, and "regular" stress that doesn't care about the pandemic.

As a result, working and amending our definitions of wellness is pertinent in these times. We do this by taking into account all of your stressors. Note them. Own them. Now, feel what you feel as it relates to WHO you are. Look at yourself in the mirror. Evaluate who you are as it relates to who you strive to be. Now, what does wellness now look like amid your current circumstance?

Is it pushing for success or surviving through? In your professional life, is it the promotion or making it through the zoom meeting? In your personal life, is it losing 20 pounds or remembering to eat dinner? At the grocery store, is it buying more sustainably or not slapping the mask-optional woman coughing over the grapes?

Whatever you're working through, your definition of wellness in this time will be different than who you thought it was in January. Giving yourself the grace to be this new version of wellness and not holding yourself to what is unrealistic is imperative to not only walking in wellness but growing through times when you are unwell.