Journey Virtual Fitness

Journey Virtual Fitness We help you stop starting over
180 lbs lost between us
Strength • Midlife fat loss • Endurance
Built for real life, not perfection

09/06/2026

I know I’ve made it on my weight loss journey because I ordered donuts for my kids today… and I didn’t have one.

And I was completely unbothered that they were sitting there.

Not because donuts are “bad.” Not because I’m being “good.” And definitely not because I’m never going to eat a donut again.

I had already eaten my breakfast of a yogurt bowl with blueberries, chia seeds, a little cereal and a small drizzle of peanut butter. The combination of protein + fiber was satisfying, I wasn’t hungry, and I simply didn’t want the donut.

But here’s the bigger change:

I no longer have a scarcity mindset around food.

If I REALLY wanted that donut, I could have eaten it. I could have balanced it with a protein shake or simply enjoyed it and moved on.

And if I want a donut tomorrow? I can go get one.

100 pounds ago, I probably would have gone to town on those donuts because some part of me believed, “I better eat them now because I’m not supposed to have them, I’ll just start over on Monday”

Now I know I can have them whenever I want.

And when food stops feeling scarce, it stops feeling urgent.

THAT is the kind of freedom I was really looking for when I started this journey. We are in control of what we choose to eat and when- do not forget this!

09/05/2026

Working out is not always what I want to do, but it is something I know I need to do to live the life I want as I get older.

Does missing one workout mean you will never accomplish your goals? No. But the more you skip, the easier it becomes to keep skipping.

Will missing one easy run set your training back? Not at all. But consistency is the absolute key to a successful training block. Life happens and there will be sessions you genuinely have to miss, so make sure you show up on the days you do not have a legitimate reason to skip.

Doing the work on the days you do not want to is what builds the habit. Building the habit is what reduces the number of days you struggle to show up.

This mindset shift was the ultimate game-changer for my health and fitness. Once I realized that fit people do not love every single workout either, I stopped expecting it to be easy and just started doing it.

If you are consistent most of the time, the occasional missed day or off-plan meal will not matter because those days will be the exception, not the rule. It is the days when you just “do not feel like it” that add up fast and leave you wondering where you went off track.

One thing that helps me limit those days: get the workout done as early as possible. Squeeze it in, even if it is not the full session. The later the day gets, the louder that voice telling you to skip becomes.

Next time you are struggling to lace up your shoes, stop running through the excuses. Focus on how you will feel when it is finished and what it means for your long-term consistency. Odds are, your reasons to skip are just minor inconveniences you are making bigger than they are.

What is your best tip for getting out the door when you just do not feel like it?

09/03/2026

Life IS busy.

S**t happens. Kids need you. Work gets crazy. You get sick. You’re exhausted. Plans fall apart.

And sometimes, the right thing to do really is cut yourself some slack and just get through the damn week.

But here’s where I think we need to be honest with ourselves:

If “life is busy” has been the reason you haven’t consistently taken care of yourself for the last 6 months… it may no longer be an explanation. It may be a pattern.

And that doesn’t mean you need to suddenly become perfect.

It means you need to ask yourself:

What CAN I do with the life I actually have?

Maybe it’s a 20-minute workout instead of an hour.
Maybe it’s getting your protein in instead of trying to eat “perfectly.”
Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk.
Maybe it’s going to bed instead of scrolling for another hour.
Maybe it’s getting back on track at the very next meal instead of waiting for Monday.

Your life doesn’t have to be perfectly calm for you to take care of yourself.

You just have to be willing to adjust your expectations without abandoning your goals.

Sometimes life really does require you to do less.

But doing less is very different from doing nothing.

And learning how to take care of yourself while life is busy is a skill that will serve you for the rest of your life.

09/01/2026

On my nearly 100-pound weight loss journey, one of the things I had to start doing was swapping my regular Frappuccinos for something a little lower in calories.

I used to get a Grande Caramel Frappuccino fairly regularly, which is around 380 calories. Compare that to this iced coffee at about 110 calories, that’s a pretty significant difference for something I’m drinking.

But if really over the past 10+ years, I’ve lost my taste for super-sweet drinks. Not that I could never have a Frappuccino again, but the thing is…I just don’t really want one anymore.

So I tried this Starbucks order:
Start with a venti iced coffee, add
• 1 pump white mocha
• 1 pump sugar-free vanilla (or more if you like it sweeter)
• Light splash of sweet cream
• Caramel drizzle

About 110 calories, and it’s SO GOOD. Just sweet enough without being overly sweet.

And the more I drank it, the more I liked it! This is definitely going into my regular rotation.

If you like your coffee a little sweeter, I’d add another pump or two of the sugar-free vanilla syrup.

This is a good example of how my tastes have changed over the years. I didn’t have to give up sweet coffee forever, I just found that I actually prefer something with just a little sweetness now. It hits the spot without using up a huge chunk of my calories on a drink.

And that’s one of the things that made my weight loss sustainable: finding swaps I actually ENJOY instead of feeling like I had to give up everything I loved.

08/31/2026

I had to figure this out for myself during my nearly 100-pound weight loss journey.

For a long time, I wanted the result without wanting to do the things that would actually get me there.

I wanted to lose weight, but I didn’t want to change my habits.

I wanted to feel better in my body, but I kept looking for the next diet that would let me avoid making lasting changes.

I wanted consistency, but I was constantly negotiating with myself about whether I “felt like” doing the things I said were important to me.

Eventually, I had to get really honest with myself:

If I want a different result, I have to be willing to do things differently.

That doesn’t mean you have to completely overhaul your life or be perfect. And it definitely doesn’t mean there’s only one “right” way to lose weight.

It means finding the things that actually move you toward your goal and being willing to practice them consistently, even when they aren’t always convenient, exciting, or easy.

So if you’re frustrated that you aren’t getting the results you want, ask yourself:

Is my goal unrealistic, or is there a gap between what I want and what I’m currently willing to do?

And if it’s the second one, you don’t need more guilt. You just need to start closing that gap, one habit at a time.

That’s a big part of what I help my clients do: figure out what actually needs to change, make it realistic for their life, and learn how to stick with it.

If you’re ready to stop starting over and actually build habits you can live with, coaching might be worth exploring.

08/29/2026

Thick thighs save lives.

I’m not doing these sandbag walking lunges because I want skinny thighs.

I’m doing them because I want STRONG thighs.

I want to be functional and strong for as long as I possibly can.

Because at this phase of my life, having strong legs is WAY more important to me than having skinny legs.

I want to be able to carry my own groceries. Get up off the floor. Climb stairs. Run. Lift heavy s**t. Travel. And yes… eventually get myself off the damn toilet without needing assistance. I refuse to end up in a nursing home just because I’m too weak to do a half of a body weight squat!

And there’s actually some interesting research behind the whole “thick thighs save lives” thing.

Studies have found that smaller thigh circumference and loss of thigh muscle are associated with higher all-cause mortality, while greater muscular strength, particularly lower-body strength is associated with a lower risk of death. (PubMed)

That does NOT mean bigger thighs automatically mean you’ll live longer. These are associations, not proof that thigh size itself causes longevity.

But it does give us something worth thinking about:

Maybe we should stop making “smaller” the goal for every body part as we age.

Maybe we should be asking:

Can I make my body stronger?

Because I don’t want to spend my 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond trying to take up as little space as possible.

I want to be strong enough to do whatever I want in life.

So yeah…

Build the thighs!

08/28/2026

Thoughts as we roll into the weekend. Watch before you say f**k it I’ll just start over on Monday!

Did anyone else have a “last supper” before starting a new diet on Monday? I know I did.

I used to intentionally eat ALL the “bad” foods before every fresh start because I truly believed I was never going to eat them again. I even had a mental junk food “kill list” of all the fast food and treats I wanted to eat before Monday rolled around.

Then I’d jump into whatever the latest fad diet was. Keto, juice cleanses, gluten-free, diet pills… I’ve tried them all.

For years, I bounced between two extremes: eating everything or restricting everything. Neither one was sustainable.

The biggest shift that helped me lose nearly 100 pounds and keep it off was realizing I didn’t need another fresh start. I needed an approach I could actually stick with.

And when I veered, I stopped waiting until Monday. I just got back to it at the next meal.

I like to use the boat analogy. Your fat loss journey is going to encounter some waves. Nobody has a perfectly smooth ride. The goal isn’t to avoid the waves, it’s to keep your ass on the boat.

If you’re stuck in the “I’ll start over Monday” cycle, I get it. I’ve been there. There’s honestly not much you could tell me that would shock me because I’ve probably done it too.

If you need help figuring out a sustainable approach to fat loss, send me a message. I’d be happy to help.

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17985 Armada Center Rd
Armada, MI

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