I've been lying to you...

Yup, you read that right. Lying. Totally lying. 

Don't worry, it hasn't only been to you, it's been to myself too.

And if it makes either of us feel better, it wasn't all together intentional.

No, this was a lie born of fear, and self doubt, and uncertainty. A lie created out of social pressure, and cultural norms, and misguided advice, and fear of failure.

What's the lie?

The lie is that I'm happy spending my days talking to you allllll about what foods to eat, what diets to ignore, how to get yourself in the gym, and what workouts are the best for lifting and firming your tush. 

Now allow me to explain... it's not that I don't ever want to share another heathy-on-the-go tip or 10 minute workout again.

Fitness and nutrition play a huge role in my life and will always hold a special place in my heart. And I think they're a very important piece of how I get to help people live healthier, more vibrant lives. 

But it's not the only piece. It barely scratches the surface. And there's a huge part of the puzzle I've been allowing both myself, and you dear reader, to ignore. 

See, I'm aware, have always been aware, that more fitness programs, more diet tips, more of the same is not the answer. 

They make money, sure. I know I can run a facebook ad that features phrases like "Tighter Tummy," "Toned Arms," and "Lean Legs" and can get hundreds to opt in. 

But if I'm honest, and I'm going to be from here on out, that's not the legacy I want to leave and it's not the guidance you deserve. 

No, you deserve to know the truth. 

The messy, non-sexy, non-magazine-worthy, unpopular truth, that your weight isn't the problem. What you're eating isn't the problem. Your workouts aren't the problem.

The problem is living an uninspired, boxed in, insecure, fear-filled, mediocre life.

Ouch...

I know. But hear me out. 

You are designed to live an incredible life. You are designed to have amazing health. You are deserving of relationships full of passion and a career that gives you purpose every day. 

And you can HAVE it!

You don't have to settle for good enough, happy enough, healthy enough. You're allowed to want more.

And not only that, in striving for more, a lot of that superficial stuff like the toned tummy and perky butt, will take care of itself.

When you start doing the work to shed the things that are holding you back from living a more bad ass life, you start shedding the excuses, the laziness, the baggage, the crappy inner voice that are keeping you from finding consistency in the gym, that are making you crave a sugar binge, that are keeping you stuck in the same, unhealthy patterns. 

Which is why I'm putting my stake in the ground.

It's time. It's time we stop searching for the quick fix. It's time we stop trying to address deep issues with superficial solutions. It's time we stop waiting for happiness to come "as soon as I lose those 15 pounds." And it's time we stop allowing the let downs, put downs, and shut downs of our past dictate what we expect of our future. 

I say this to you and to myself. Because I've allowed this part of my voice to be quiet and meek for too long. I've allowed fear to get in the way of my vision for a better future.

I was scared that you wouldn't want to hear this message, I gave you no credit and thought you weren't ready for a deeper calling, and I assumed that if I stepped out of the bikini-body market, you might stop listening.

But I know that has nothing to do with you. Those are my own insecurities about my message, my voice, my place in this world, and whether I have something worthy of listening to.

I do. 

Which is why you're going to see me come back to blogging again, it's why you're going to see the transformation of Eat N Run Fitness into the Unleashed brand, it's why I'm going to start talking often and loudly about HOW you and I both can step out of the boxes, and labels, and expectations, and into the bad ass freaking warrior we were always meant to be. 

Are you ready to live unleashed?