fitness Archives

Breaking the Masculine Armour (AKA the Tough Shell)

An 8-Week Journey to Your True Self through a health challenge?

Title: Embracing Your Authentic Self: How I Shed My Masculine Armor

Unveiling the Layers

Hey there,

I wanted to take a moment to share a personal journey with you – a journey of transformation, healing, and discovering the power of discovering my true self buried underneath a shell. I’m no different from you – I’ve faced my own struggles, and it’s these experiences that led me to uncover a remarkable truth about myself.

Breaking Free from Childhood Shadows

From a young age, I learned to put on a tough exterior. It’s like I built this protective shell, my “masculine armour,” to shield myself from the pain of past experiences. The proverbial vow…. “NEVER again will I allow this” …But as I grew older, I realized that this armour, meant to protect me, was holding me back.

I carried these defense mechanisms into adulthood, affecting my relationships, self-image, and overall happiness. It wasn’t until I took a closer look at my past that I understood how childhood trauma had shaped my beliefs about strength and vulnerability.

The Turning Point: Peeling Away the Armor

One day, a thought struck me: What if true strength wasn’t about hiding behind a facade but embracing who I really am? That was the moment when I decided to peel away those layers of armour and reveal my authentic self. It wasn’t easy – it required self-awareness, courage, and a commitment to healing.

Mind and Body: A Powerful Connection

I found that focusing on both my mind and body was the key to unlocking this transformation. By nurturing my mental health and digging deep into my subconscious beliefs (think hypnosis!), I started to unravel the roots of my armour. But it wasn’t until I made a profound connection that I truly began to see change.

The Epiphany: Health as the Foundation

Our bodies are remarkable vessels, intricately and delicately linked to our emotional well-being. I realized that by working on my health, I was not only peeling away layers of armour but also revealing a brighter, more vibrant version of myself. This journey wasn’t just about shedding the past – it was about creating a healthier and powerful future by design.

Its important to remember that, more often than not, this hard ‘masculine shell’ keeps you from fully experiencing the beauty of life. It can be absolutely exhausting, and let me tell you – It doesn’t have to be that way! There is power in vulnerability, strength in softness. It’s okay to let down that masculine guard. It’s okay to be human.

Imagine navigating your life without constantly having to put on a brave face or mask of toughness. Imagine not having to work SO HARD to be that “high achiever” you perceive yourself as. Picture yourself feeling peaceful, joyful, and loved without condition. Not having to always be the tough one could feel so liberating, wouldn’t it? Here’s the amazing news: you don’t just have to imagine it, you can live it. This transformation is possible.

The Transformation: Reclaiming My Feminine Power

As I embraced my authentic self, I discovered the power of my feminine energy. This wasn’t about conforming to societal expectations, but about embodying qualities that resonate with my true essence. Through self-acceptance, I found a newfound sense of freedom and joy that came from inside me! This self-acceptance was NOT easy as I had deeply ingrained negative and limiting beliefs about the feminine – – that it was weak, pathetic, and useless – – which had to be overcome! I didn’t want to be any of those things, so changing my beliefs about what feminine energy and its essence is was critical to my transformation. By the way, the Icelandic goddess Frejya has been my alter ego to work towards living into….a very powerful divine feminine!

Empowerment through Connection

My story is a testament to the fact that transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s about reaching out, seeking guidance, and allowing others to support your journey. If you’re ready to peel away your own layers of armour (that tough and independent chick shell) and discover the beauty within, I’m here to walk alongside you.

Take the First Step: Your Health Journey

Are you yearning for a life filled with health, energy, peace, and joy? Are you eager to break free from the chains of your past and step into who you truly are? I invite you to join me on a transformative journey where we prioritize health as the foundation for change.

Let’s work together to peel away those layers, find your true potential, balance your hormones, achieve your ideal body, and find happiness and peace like you’ve never experienced before.

Reach Out Today

Don’t wait any longer to peel away limiting layers to find your authentic self.

If you’re ready to start your journey, feel free to email me at support@dianegudmundson.com for a personalized conversation about your goals and dreams. Ask me how I can guide you towards holistic transformation.

Remember, you have the power within you to shed your armour, reveal your true self, and live a life filled with passion, purpose, and joy. Let’s go on this inspiring journey together.

With love and encouragement, your ally and advocate in health and transformation

Diane, retired NP and transformational coach, hypnotherapist

AKA, “The Athletic Grandma” 🙂

PS: MY PODCAST on this topic can be found on YOUTUBE HERE

Busy Life? Transform health doing just 4 things per day!

All it takes is to think about and put into action 3 things per day. See post for more details!

Have you ever found your life being so incredibly busy that it seems it is challenging to fit in the time even for basic self-care?

My life has been go-go-go and the time is going very fast… I cannot believe 9 months have gone by already! I am thankful that I make myself squeeze in some self care otherwise my health would be suffering…

When we’re busy, time tends to go by very fast… So if we don’t do the work to take care of ourself… Months can go by before we realize that our health is going downhill… Or worse, something bad happens and then we realize we haven’t looked after ourself for years.

A few basic things to ensure that we maintain our health during busy times are:

1-drink half your body weight in pounds in ounces of water every day and even more if you drink any coffee or alcohol !

2-Do something to be active every day… Whether it’s walking the dog or taking the stairs, walking a long distance to the shopping centre, lifting some weights, or doing a video work out..

3-Nutrition wise, it’s not so much about what you can eat, but far more about what we shouldn’t eat… We should avoid all processed food, Junk food, dyes, trans fats, and refined sugars for sure!

4-Do something to detoxify your mind every day – meditation, get present and silent with yourself, breathe, do hypnosis…clean up those limiting thoughts, beliefs in your mind and be in peace and bliss

If all we manage to do is put in the four above items every single day, then our health will be far better and improve over time!

It’s not even really about our body weight… But… More about how active we are and what type of fuel we put into our body.

Have yourself an active, hydrated, and healthy nutritious day! ?

#Nutrition #Hydration #Activity #QuitSmoking #ReduceStress #FitGrandma #NursePractitioner #Muscles #Healthy #BusyLifestyle #hypnosis

To learn more about how to optimize your health, be sure to contact me!

Belief in Yourself is Everything!

Belief in yourself trumps everything when it comes to achievement in life

In order to achieve great things or things that you perceive as challenging, what it really takes is a firm belief in yourself…

How many times do we let self-doubt get in the way of us achieving something really important? The lack of faith in ourselves can really get in the way of achieving important things in life… It holds us back from making decisions, creates uncertainty, and makes facing fears and having courage much more difficult.

Having self-belief can lead to incredible achievements in health and fitness, marriage, relationships, career, business, making a positive change in the world, and so much more!

When we don’t believe in ourselves, it completely stalls our progress and makes us more sensitive to the critical reviews and opinions around us as we try to move forward…

Belief in yourself creates an unshakeable strength that is more resilient and powerful to allow you achieve anything that you want in life. It will give you power to easily solve problems and find solutions and to live a positive and fulfilled life.

Never underestimate the power of having belief in yourself!

I had a firm belief in myself this morning that I could lift heavier weight to make the most progress with this round of lifting… I just completed day two of week five today sweaty and feeling accomplished after lifting heavy for back and biceps… It’s a great feeling!

Take some time today to work on analyzing what areas of your life you’re lacking belief in yourself and really work on this because it will make a huge difference in your life! ( and if you really have a hard time doing this then maybe it’s time to get yourself a coach for some help!)

#Muscles #Fitness #Believe #Unshakable #NeverGiveUp #puthealth1st #thefitgrandma #liftandhiit #nursepractitioner #business #relationships #life #accomplished

To contact me with questions, or if you are interested in having a coach, click here!

Sh-t Happens (Adapt and Keep Going!)

With repeated power failures, I had to get creative between power surges

It has been quite the morning so far… I was downstairs doing HIIT training and the power to my video kept turning off in the storm repeatedly… ?

I finally gave up on exercising in the basement to video and came upstairs where I at least had battery powered light and then got creative and did my own creation of HIIT in my kitchen ?. I will have to save my lift section for tomorrow’s workout but that is ok??

I then realized how lucky I was that I had a full hot water tank and water pressure to allow me to have a hot shower even if there’s no power… I was careful not to use any sharp objects in the shower considering that I couldn’t see in the dark. And then the lights/power came on just in time for me to put my make up on, blow-dry my hair and quickly make my icy superfood shake for breakfast! LOL

Sometimes, when things don’t want to work out for you … Just remember there’s always a way to adapt, smile, and to keep going to continue to enjoy life and to achieve your goals. Getting upset about the power would not have helped me at all, so I’m glad I was able to keep a stiff upper lip and keep going and now feel accomplished ?

Thankfully, last night I printed all the papers and lab requisitions that I need for my many house calls today! So I’m good and prepared for my workday despite my morning challenges!!

Have yourself a wonderful day… And don’t forget to adapt, smile and keep moving forward despite the challenges we face on a regular basis ??

#PowerFailure #Adopt #NeverGiveUp #KeepSmiling #HIIT #AthleticGrandma #NursePractitioner #Health #Fitness #EnjoyLifeNow #Nponwheels #lifehappens

To apply to become a client with my next upcoming fitness and nutrition program… APPLY HERE…

HIIT and Lift your Way to Health (…with me!)

The beauty of HIIT workouts is that you can do a very short workout and burn a tonne of fat! In today’s world, things are so busy and it feels like were all so short on time… So, we need a workout that’s going to give us maximum benefit in the shortest amount of time!!

Ideally, a workout program would include some weights and some HIIT to maximize muscle building as well as fat burning all in one short and sweet workout!! Now wouldn’t that be awesome?

It was like a dream come true when I heard about a new program coming out that is exactly that!! Just what I was looking for!! …

A program that provides structured workouts involving weights and HIIT all in one and… In a short workout only four days a week! No seriously… That sounds so doable and awesome! Don’t you think?

Starting in mid July, I have made the decision to lead a small group of motivated busy people through this new program by setting up a private accountability group. As a very busy grandma and professional, (and business owner), it is ultra important to maintain energy and health not only for myself and my patients… But also for my little grandson who is full of energy at three years old and who wants a grandma that he can go play with outside who won’t get tired out after only a couple minutes LOL ?

In order to be effective at coaching and leading you through this program (including nutrition), I am going to limit the participants to 10 to 12. Those interested in joining this exclusive coaching program will need to apply to join and show that they are truly committed before getting accepted.

As a bonus for being part of this special program, you will learn to develop a success mindset, learn the benefits of keto as well as how to maximize the power of momentum in your life. (not to mention prizes for completion and participation as well!)

For questions about this program, comment in comments for this post or send me a private message! The time is ticking, so we need to have our group set up within the next week! Deadline for applications is June 30 and we need to have time to order in our supplies for a July 16th start date!

APPLY HERE to join this exclusive group… PLEASE NOTE! Only apply if you are truly committed to transforming your life!

Beat the Weight and Perimenopausal symptoms (So worth it!)

An early morning cardio core workout really got the sweat moving and the core burning! These exercise sliders are the total bomb!??. Feeling accomplished today with this workout. Officially done day 23 of 80✅ of current challenge!

I remember when I was battling with my weight over the years… 190-200 lb most of the time on my 5’9” frame was too much to carry around! My knees and my back suffered big time and I felt like I would never get better. I went through SO many diets like atkins, Somers, Mediterranean and so many more in a yo-yo fashion and was never ever able to keep the weight off!

I thank god for the day 3 years ago that I realized how truly out of shape and miserable I was! I did some cartwheels on the lawn then suffered with severe pain for more than 2 weeks after that! At that time, I knew I was about I become a new grandma and did NOT want to be a fat, lazy, boring and out of shape granny! No way! I wanted energy and to be fun to run around and play with!

I discovered p90x through a friend and ended up losing over 40 pounds and keeping it off by using superfood nutrition and by staying on track with different fitness challenges and nutrition plans to keep things interesting! (I get bored easily) …I even started running and did a number of 10 km runs and my knee and back pain got completely better!

Getting into shape and losing weight totally changed my life!! I am now pain free, have energy to run with my grandson and am keeping the weight off. It not only transformed me on the outside, but the biggest changes are on the inside! Being happy all the time is a great way to live! …and totally getting rid of all those perimenopausal symptoms this way!

If you are looking for a much better way to get into shape and feel the best you have ever felt in your life, message me and I can help you get started. Seriously, the accountability, support and success with this program is totally worth it!

contact me here

#success #accountability #fitness #superfoodnutrition #perimenopause #beattheheat #moodlift #changeyourlife #athleticgrandma

Loss of self-belief is destructive (I did it to myself)

Little did I know, everything I needed was always inside me!

I really did it this time. Putting myself on the back-burner and focusing on developing a new business to help others with their medical care. For months, I was not focused on my health or fitness whatsoever, had huge stress at work (the JOB) and ended up sick with pneumonia and 20 lb heavier. YUP, not smart.

I started a new business back in March 2017 with a focus on providing medical services to clients in their homes or offices and even through telemedicine. It was super fun and I was VERY focused on getting people the care they needed with top notch quality. I found out that when I took my focus off my health at the same time, I ended up on a downward spiral with my health that just kept getting worse. I was snacking more to keep awake, I was sleeping less, drinking more caffeine, too tired to get up in the morning to work out, just a vicious cycle I was in and could not snap out of it even though I was feeling crappy and knew what I needed to do.

I had a lot of stress at my “JOB”, since, when I started a private medical service in March, there was bullying that took place and, even though I knew I could not work in that environment, I hung onto it because of seniority and the fact that I could retire with my magic 80 after only 5 years! It kept me going, but only hanging on by a thread. I was working hard to stay positive, but the bullying got worse and even continued once i resigned from the position. I felt strong through it all, but once it was over, I felt a heavy weight on me that held me down and made me believe less in myself overall. I realized after it was all over that I really should have resigned MUCH sooner!

My Pneumonia knocked me flat for 6 weeks in July and August 2017 (which was likely from significant stress from work that had knocked out my immune system)…after that, my energy would just not come back at all. My digestive system was shot, I had no energy at all, my whole body was sore and I started to feel demotivated and depressed. Now that I am looking back, I can see what a horrible state I was in, yet I just kept going and helping others since that was the only thing I felt good about.

My mental and physical health seemed to be on a continual downer over September and October as I was not consistently exercising, was still sore all over and was just not sleeping well. I was really feeling rotton and had no belief in myself at all! I felt that the only thing that made me worth anything was to provide excellent care to my patients… It was fine when I was out on the road seeing patients, I laughed and smiled and enjoyed my work, but when I would get home, its like reality would hit again and I would feel down, and eat crappy food again.

I had booked an event to see Tony Robbins in November (UPW) earlier in the year and was not even excited about going to that. Before I left, I was trying to pump myself up and feel good about it, but I was feeling guilty about not being available for housecalls while I was away, and just didn’t feel happy. While at the event, I felt hope creeping back and the intense work we did at the seminar to rediscover the belief in ourself was helping me to re-discover that everything we need to have a happy and fulfilling life is right in side us already. It is just a matter of finding it and expressing it. Well, I felt my positive energy climbing and totally participated and did the work. It felt awesome!

Then, we came home and I felt bloated and icky from all the eating out and snacks…so I weighed myself and realized I had packed on 8 pounds in just one week while i was away. This really sent the belief in myself down the tubes again. I felt tired, gross and my whole body hurt. I made a decision to do a 10-day complete nutrition reset 3 days ago. I got rid of all snack foods and unhealthy bits from the house and was eating only veggies, healthy proteins and fruits. The first 2 days of this were very difficult! I was so tempted to quit because of the severe headaches and body pains i was having.

However, I woke up this morning and could NOT believe how much clearer my mind was! I was able to get up, do a HIIT workout and then did 30 min of YOGA which was super tough, but I felt a strength inside me that I really could do it!! I was feeling belief in myself coming back which was very powerful! It was this morning that I truly realized the power of self-belief and with my renewed energy, am feeling that I will be truly unstoppable from now on. I decided I will never let myself get sucked into that stress vortex again without exiting PROMPTLY from the situation for my own health. Sometimes we make excuses for not leaving such as we “need the money” or “don’t want to lose our seniority”….bah to that. I left 27000 seniority hours and Magic 80 retirement plan behind. To heck with it. Being stuck in a stressful scenario is VERY destructive to our health and I was on that downward spiral myself, so I know how it feels! I could hardly stand myself being like that, but could not snap out of it.

If you are feeling stuck and stressed and not believing in yourself…. seriously, consider doing a nutrition reset for yourself, get OUT of the stressful situation(s) you are in (get out quickly, do not wait!) and just feel the positive energy start to flow. The belief in yourself will naturally start to happen! Ask me if you need help with this!

I am feeling very encouraged today and ready to start sharing my health journey again with a new start and I hope that you will continue to follow me and learn from my mistakes. We are human and do make far too many mistakes, but as long as we learn from them, we are still growing as a person. Just KNOW that everything you need to have a happy and fulfilled life is inside you RIGHT NOW.

I am going to start today by re-educating myself on the key tips to achieve SELF DISCIPLINE. I have put a copy HERE for you as well!

September, A Great Time for Change

I got a great sweat on this morning with a yoga and Pilates continuous movement combination work out… It was really tough but I felt great and was dripping sweat afterwards… I never really thought that I would enjoy this type of exercise, but I’m finding out that it is really improving my health and I’m totally loving it!!

September is approaching and I don’t know about you, but I find September is a great time of year to start new things, develop my knowledge, and get creative by implementing new things into my life. I have always felt this way I guess because September is the start of a new school year and it’s just a great time to start implementing change. Some people get nervous about making changes but it truly is exciting if you make yourself do things outside your comfort zone!

Starting in September, I plan to implement a completely new diet regimen, a new exercise plan, and as well implement a new and exciting career in providing healthcare services with my own business. I am adding this to my already existing health business where I help people with fitness, optimizing their nutrition and lifestyle change as a coach … It is all just very exciting …even though it can be scary at times, I am pushing through the fear!

Make September the decision time to make a change in your life! Take a course! Start a new health plan! Revamp your financial plan! Dig into that relationship you have been afraid to take to the next level! Make a career change! Start a new business!

Do something to make fall time exciting! It makes the transition to winter much easier when you are feeling fulfilled, energized, healthy, happy and passionate about something you love!

FYI… My job as a FREE coach is to help you select the health program that will best help you achieve your goals… Be sure to contact me to discuss!

Why Exercise Every Day? (Very Good Reasons!)

Why do I push myself to exercise every single day even when I don’t feel like it you may ask? Why work out intensely and get my face red and the sweat ?flowing?

I will tell you why…
1. Exercising keeps you looking and feeling younger!
2. Exercise helps keep blood pressure healthy and the arteries clean by boosting HDL (good cholesterol)!
3. Exercise helps keep muscles conditioned, strong and pain-free!
4. Exercise boosts mood, positivity and helps you enjoy each and every day to the max!
5. Exercise keeps your body functioning with its optimal abilities and boosts metabolism and hormone balance.
6. Exercise helps me keep up with my 2 year old grandson and I want to be around (and in great health) for my grandchildren for many years yet!!

7. By pushing myself and doing new challenges, I stay motivated, am never bored and continually make progress in building my fitness level and strength. As a result I can always do more much easier than I did the day or week before… Seriously, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone really accomplishes a lot more than you might think!

Remember our body is made to move and be physical, not to sit around or lay on the couch! If you push your body to exercise every day, it will reward you with much better health in the long run!

Do something active today!??

#athleticgrandma #neverquit #exerciseiscritical #cleaneating #longevity #reducerisk #beatcholesterol #killdiabetes #preventioniskeytoahealthylife

Get Started Now (Don’t Wait!)

When it comes to health and fitness, you just gotta START.

Don’t wait until the time is right, don’t wait until after some event, or to start tomorrow…don’t wait until you have more money or until a loan is paid off. We will always have these procrastination style excuses, so might as well set them aside and get going!!

The time to start is as soon as you get the idea that you maybe should do something about your health. Drop everything and go for a walk, write down ideas for healthy meals for the week… whatever it is…just START right away as soon as the thought strikes you! Recruit the help of a coach (like me) to keep you accountable to the promises to yourself.

Without our health, life is just not the same. Since I have committed to being healthy, every area of my life has improved… happier, more energy, more productive etc. No more of being in pain all the time, miserable, not sleeping and just plain grouchy and unhappy. I am proof that health and fitness, personal development, a coach to keep you accountable and superfood literally transforms you from the inside out.

Today was chest and triceps workout…day #1 of a new 56 day fitness challenge. Got it done ✅ and now time for some superfood to recover then a hot shower to get ready for a busy day!

Have a marvellous Monday!?

#timeforchange #now #start #getgoing #avoidprocrastination #healthisking #athleticgrandma #nursepractitioner