I am always in awe of all the amazing women in the LSF Community who push themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally during our challenges, but especially during LSF30! The beginning of the year is not an easy time to get back into the swing of things and push yourself to get into a consistent routine. Coming off of the holiday season is exhausting and often a fitness challenge is the last thing on your mind, but I am SO proud of everyone who decided to choose themselves in 2023 and do LSF 30!

I am constantly impressed and inspired by the amazing transformation photos and stories shared during LSF 30. 

Together during this challenge we lost over 200 pounds!! Can you believe it?! Also to note, that is ONLY from women who submitted their transformations at the end of the challenge, so I know there are more pounds lost out there! Follow Team LSF on IG to see more! Everyone finished this 4 week challenge stronger than ever and I am so proud!

Now it’s time to shout out our LSF 30 winners! These women stayed dedicated and consistent with their Hot Body Meal Plan and LSF app workouts.

These inspiring women, not only have incredible transformation photos but the most heartwarming stories!

4 WEEK TRANSFORMATION | GRAND PRIZE WINNER

 Lauren Sackett, @lsf_lau

Lauren is so inspiring! She lost a total of 12 pounds during this challenge! Lauren often would join a challenge with LSF and start it, but never saw it through. This is her first challenge she saw through the entire way and clearly, her hard work and dedication paid off!

Lauren has PCOS (polycistic ovarian syndrome) which has always made it more difficult for her to manage her weight since it greatly affects her hormones. She noted, “Just this past month realigning healthy habits has tremendously helped my mental health and I think my hormones – I’m not entirely sure because I haven’t gotten tested or anything but my cycle was very regular. No intense cramping, not super bloated, it was a set number of days instead of spotting for two weeks post period, all of the key things that I was struggling with the past six months and kind of gave up on.”

Lauren attributes a lot of her success also to the Hot Body Meal Plan, which helped her to guide her food choices and make her excited about a healthy meal! 

“Overall, this challenge was amazing, I don’t feel like it was even really a challenge, because I feel like this is how I want to live my life now, so it was more of a steppingstone to the lifestyle that I have been telling myself in my head I was going to do but wasn’t actually implementing. Your mind can be very convincing when you tell yourself over and over again that it’s impossible for you to lose weight and it doesn’t matter what you do you won’t lose weight — when in reality, all I had to do was sit down with myself and recognize that I am in control of how I live my life and if I want to live healthier and be stronger and back to how I used to be when I played sports and was super active then I need to move!! it feels isolating to feel stuck and lost and hide yourself underneath baggy sweatpants and sweatshirts but I’m so proud of myself for coming this far and I’m so happy that my boyfriend joined me on the meal plan because it helped so much to have support and encouragement. Started at 248 and ending at 236 pounds – woohoo!”

We are so proud of you Lauren! You’re an inspiration

A Story of Preservation

I watched the arm come out of the window of the car in front of me and normally someone would say, “it was all a blur after that”, but not for me.

Time actually changed. The world slowed and I remember every move, every breath, every feeling as I watched what appeared to be a metal ball hurled out the window straight at me.

I didn’t want to duck as somehow I knew the importance of holding steady and keeping my focus but somehow, no sooner had that thought come, another told me to bend slightly to the right with my upper body.

Not a Scratch

The impact was ear shattering.

The glass was a furious storm of destruction. Later I’d find that the glass, which we occasionally still find even after a complete detailing, had gone through my coat and sweater. I literally had to pick it off of my skin. How?! How is that even possible?

Yet I had not a scratch.

I crossed a lane of traffic on the freeway, grateful that there was a shoulder and pulled to a stop.

The car rocked as if we were in a wind tunnel as car after car rocketed past us, totally unaware of what we’d just survived.

And that’s when the windshield began to sag in towards the dash.

The sounds of glass fracturing and shattering as new cracks chased each other across the windshield like a playground of children finally being released from the confounds of a classroom to the freedom of recess.

A quiet voice from the backseat, “Mom, what happened? I’m scared!”

Not the First Time

That wasn’t the first time my life has been spared.

In fact, with 3 children, countless other stories and a future ahead of me, this is one of many stories I could and will tell.

And I guess that’s why I waited to share it.

Read more

Join us for a fun and totally free 2-week fitness event: Spring Shape Up 2023! Details below and you can join here.

Are you ready for a lil fitness motivation and mojo?

Spring Shape Up 2023 is on the way and I’m so pumped to be doing this with you all!!

SSU is one of the best times of the year, and I always look forward to our amazing community, cheering each other on, and sharing some amazing prizes with some lucky participants.

You know you’re in?

Grab your spot here. Totally free and invite any friends or workout buddies to join in!

(If you refer a friend, send me an email to gina@fitnessista.com with their name(s) and each referral is an entry for a $100 Amazon gift card. I’d love your help welcoming some new friends into this fitness community if you’d like to spread the word!)

If you’re new to my Shape Up challenges, you’re in for a treat! I’ve been running this challenge on my blog since the very beginning, and every year it evolves into something different and better than the year before. This is 100% in thanks to all of you: your support and shared motivation with one another, check-ins and awesome comments keep this thing going. You help each other along the ways to your goals, and as your cheerleader from the sidelines, it’s heartwarming and inspiring to see.

Spring Shape Up 2023

So what is Spring Shape Up?

2 weeks of fitness plans, meal ideas and motivation to shake up your routine and get killer results from your efforts. It’s 100% FREE and always will be. Many similar programs are available for a subscription fee or one-time payment on other sites. Not here. Shape Ups are complimentary, and you get the advice and structure from a certified personal trainer, weight loss specialist, and Integrative Health Practitioner all in one spot.

What to expect:

A complete fitness plan + meal ideas for 2 weeks. You will get login access instantly when you sign up. Everything is available on the Kajabi app, and is beautifully organized and ready for you. The workouts and meals will appear on Feb 24 so you’re ready to go! (There are some tips for getting started, a playlist, high protein recipe ebook, and a couple of bonuses already waiting for ya in Kajabi)

We rock and roll Monday, February 27.

How to set yourself up for success:

Gather your supplies.

You’ll need the following to

It’s almost time to kick off my Self Love Week mini challenge on @TeamLSF and to get you in the spirit,  I’m talking about the 5 self care rituals I love. It can be so easy for us to get wrapped up in the hustle of our daily lives that sometimes, we forget to prioritize the most important person we know – ourselves.

With the weekend coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some tips we can all use to shower ourselves with the love we deserve. 

Enjoy a little luxury

Do you have that candle that you save because you just love how it smells and you don’t want to use it all up? Or a fancy bubble bath that sits on your shelf? Girl, this is the time to indulge!

This weekend, pull out all of the stuff you’ve been saving “for a special occasion.” Because I’ll tell you what: every day is a special occasion! 

Those indulgences aren’t doing you any good sitting unused (but they are taking up space). So you might as well make the very most of them! 

Try a “grateful-for-me” meditation

What do you love about your life? You could probably list a handful of things. But I’ve got a challenge for you.

Do a gratitude meditation focused on what you love about yourself. I know, I know. This can feel hard or even a little uncomfortable. But if the thought of it makes you want to squirm, it’s kind of a sign that you should really take this on. 

This weekend, set aside 15 minutes (come on, you can do anything for 15 minutes). Grab a journal. Find a quiet, comfy seat. And make a list of things you love about yourself. If you’re feeling stumped, start with things you know your friends and family would say about you. 

Start a drinkable ritual

I’ve had so, so many requests for this post. Friends out there were curious about my faith, what deepened my faith, and how it plays a part in my life. You guys know I don’t typically write about these types of topics here on the blog. I never want anyone to feel isolated, and I respect and LOVE the fact that we all have different views and backgrounds. With the overwhelming requests I’ve received, I decided to write a post about about all of this. It’s a vulnerable one and I just wanted to say thank you in advance for being kind to me for sharing my heart, and also to those who choose to leave a comment.

Please keep in mind that this is my story; it doesn’t have to be your story, and if you don’t believe the same things, it’s ok! I have friends who have different beliefs and genuinely feel that it makes life way more exciting and interesting. I’m also friends with people who think that creme brûlée is a real dessert (it’s not), but even though we have different beliefs, we can still love each other. 😉

As many of you guys know, I grew up Catholic. We went to mass each Sunday, prayed the rosary, and the Catholic environment was a large part of my adolescent and young adult life. At the same time, I wasn’t a great Catholic. I tended to daydream during the homily (I still do sometimes), and was really there for the music more than anything. But, I was there.

While I don’t agree with *everything* in the Catholic faith, I agree with a lot of it. Most of all, I love the rich traditions and the comfort of it all. Mass reminds me of a hot yoga class with a set flow; the structure is the same each day, and I know what to expect. Sometimes I give it 100%, sometimes it’s more like 60%, but I’m there.

While I went to mass pretty much my entire life and absolutely believed in God, I never really felt super close to Jesus. He was a man who did miraculous things, but when people talked about having a relationship with Jesus… I didn’t get it. I was like yeah I respect the guy who gave his life for us, but we don’t feel like BFFs, and that’s ok. That’s how it was until a couple of years ago.

For some people who have a sudden draw towards Jesus, it can be after a huge life change or event. For me, it was when the world flipped upside down. We all have our own struggles, and 99% of mine never see the pages of this blog, but I was going through an extremely difficult time. I was here, still trying to work and make an income for our family, the kids were home from school (Liv had SO MANY zoom classes and so.much.damn.homework), I was trying to keep P from bouncing off the walls and injuring herself, and the Pilot was traveling internationally with the airlines during an unpredictable time. Bella passed away, which broke my heart into a million pieces, and a relationship with someone very close changed in a devast