Vibrant Virginia

04/03/2024

How brain tumors and cancer affect my life.

31/01/2024

Happy 1st Year Fit Journey to me! On January 31, 2023, I decided that I would fight for my life, to fight brain tumors and cancer, and to move my body even while facing chronic illness.

I began my journey wearing a very tight 18/20 (I should have gone up a size) and a Men’s XL Tee. My waist was more than 44 inches. I weighed 198 pounds on my 4 foot 10 inch frame. My body fat was more than 50%. My visceral fat was more than 19.

Today, one year later, I am a size 4, wearing an XS Missy’s or XXS Petite sweater. I’m 117 pounds, 29% Body Fat, 7 visceral fat, a BMI of 24, and a 27 inch waist.

This next month I am going to be celebrating my journey and sharing what I have learned.

I would like to answer any questions that you have. Please drop them in the comments.

27/01/2024

Hello! I’m celebrating my birthday today! It is my wish to be able to help others live their best physical lives. I would greatly appreciate if you would follow my fitness journey on social media. And, I would also appreciate if you would share my information with others. You can find my social media information in this post.

Thank you.

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/vibrant_virginia?igsh=a3p3ZWxodDlvejc1&utm_source=qr

Facebook
@ Vibrant Virginia
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095139804023&mibextid=2JQ9oc

TikTokvirginia2
https://www.tiktok.com/.virginia2?_t=8jNxa5A5rb9&_r=1

Website
vibrantvirginia.com

YouTube (videos coming soon)

https://youtube.com/?si=PkXWlYNRaTc_WBl_

20/01/2024

Are you reaching your healthy lifestyle goals? If not, what is one action that you can take? Could you drink one more glass of water? Could you go to bed 30 minutes earlier? Could you say no to the office sweets? Could you exchange your toast for fruit? You have the power to change your life!

18/01/2024

Want to be able to improve your walking time? Try this one technique: walk at your normal speed for 5 minutes, then slightly increase your speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Return to your normal speed.

I used this technique to achieve one of my long-term goals this month: to walk 1 mile in 20 minutes or less. I actually achieved 2 miles in under 40 minutes. I held onto the rails of the treadmill for a good a portion of the time, but I was motivated to move my body.

This time last year, I couldn’t walk across a room without being out of breath and in severe pain. I became motivated to improve my health when I realized I was 198 pounds on my 4 foot 10 inch frame, and I couldn’t see my feet or tie my shoes. I knew that only discipline and motivation would help me improve my life.

Now I hope to inspire you to reach your goals.

Tell me in the comments what you’re working on in your life. 🫶🏻❤️🫶🏻

16/01/2024

Enjoying my breakfast on this cold winter day. I cannot believe that I am able to eat 2 ounces of berries and keto cereal without fear of my glucose spiking for hours. This has been a nine month journey, thus far. I still have work to do to reverse my insulin resistance. I’m thankful for my Continuous Glucose Monitor. I have dropped 20% body fat and 77 pounds. It feels great to know that I can learn my body’s responses to food. If you would like to try a CGM, use my code for a discount: https://gr3f.co/c/52517/31moG .

05/01/2024

Exactly! I’m thankful for being able to move my body. No, I’m not an elite athlete, but I’m being the best version of myself.

This❤️❤️❤️

I do because I can, and I can because I do.

31/12/2023

OMG! I saw this and couldn’t stop laughing.

31/12/2023

Tips to strengthen your quads and stabilize your knees. These are beginner exercises. I will post another video with slightly harder exercises. What exercises would you like to know more about?

22/12/2023

Love my dogs! Leia and Padmé are great cuddle buddies after a workout and a walk. Do you have any pets?

18/12/2023

You are stronger than your fears.

13/12/2023

I’m struggling with accepting my grey and silver hair. I would prefer to keep coloring my hair to its deep dark brown. I feel like I look older than I should, but finances limit my choices.

I started using positive affirmations: I love myself. I am beautiful.

Have you experienced times in your life when you struggled? Let me know in the comments.

13/12/2023

What is your favorite morning drink? One of my favorites is protein coffee. Here is the recipe: 11ozs hot coffee, 1 scoop unflavored Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, 1/4 cup Elmhurst Milked Almonds Unsweetened. Use a frother to have a foam top. Drop me your favorite drinks in the comments.

02/12/2023

I’ve experienced many firsts this last year: taking full body pictures, wearing athletic leggings and tops in public, working out in a gym, and smiling at myself in the mirror. Learning to accept myself is the best gift to give not only myself but others who care about me. Are you on a journey of self love and acceptance? What tips can you share to help others? See the comments for some of my tips. 🫶🏻

17/11/2023

Face-to-Face Friday. I have officially lost 75 pounds and more than 30% body fat. The first two pictures were snapped today at the park. The third picture was taken June 2022. And, the last picture was captured in June 2017.

Dreams can become reality.

06/11/2023

We all need moral support in our lives, especially when we think a task is insurmountable. I thought having brain surgery and living in my overweight body was one of the hardest seasons in my life. My daughter Gloria-Anne, who is in this picture, would drop by the house almost daily to have a cup of coffee and discuss weight lifting, nutrition, and spirituality. She would encourage me not to give up hope for a slimmer, fitter body. GloGlo would tell me that answers would come, and my life would start to improve.

I left Oklahoma to travel to the Mayo Clinic in May 2022. GloGlo and my eldest daughter Zoë agreed to take turns looking after my dog and house while I received medical care.

GloGlo would video phone me every day to discuss her workouts and show me her muscles. She was prepping for her body building show. And, we were planning to start an IG page about fitness for disabled people.

I didn’t make it home for her competition, but I did get to view it via video phone.

I was so proud of her!

We celebrated her birthday in August 2022. A few days later, she left for a trip with her boyfriend to go to Texas. GloGlo never returned home.

She was found dead in her car on a backroad.

Law enforcement can’t prove who murdered her.

It took a year for her headstone to arrive. Today, we decorated the headstone for the first time.

Not only is it for our daughter but also our grandson Max. He died from SIDS when he was a month old. Max was GloGlo’s whole world. She wasn’t sure what to do with her grief until she started lifting weights.

Body building became her therapy, and GloGlo began to live. She used her platform to raise SIDS awareness as well as encourage women to be proud of their natural bodies.

I write this post in honor of my daughter and grandson.

I choose to honor their memories by being an encourager for others, and, yes, that includes you.

Love yourself. Be good to yourself.

I’m here if you need encouragement.

26/09/2023

I’m struggling this month while I’m away from home to receive care from the Mayo Clinic. I want to create IG content to inspire others, but that is hard when you can’t film in public due to privacy reasons. I took my tripod into the Mayo, but I was reminded by security that filming is not acceptable due to HIPPA laws. Sigh. 🤔🙄🤔 I snuck some pictures of my feet and a few selfies in a quiet area. I love these green walls because they are calming. I hope you are doing well. ❤️❤️❤️

25/09/2023

This has been a month of waiting on doctors and tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I started taking pictures of my feet to pass the time.

For those of you who don’t know, I have brain tumors that drastically affect my physical capabilities. The tumors can’t be totally removed; they can only be mitigated. The tumors are causing TIAs (mini strokes), and, now, my brain blood flow is greatly diminished. This explains why working out has been more challenging in the last 3 months.

I had set myself goals for my time at Mayo. I had a goal to workout at the gym three times weekly, and I haven’t met that goal. In the past, I would have mentally tore myself up. But, I am happy to report that I haven’t regressed to poor mental fitness. I can see my mental fitness. progress: I haven’t met my physical workout goal, but I have met my caloric goals and continued with my intentional body movements, like walking in place, chair exercises (leg raises, arm rotations, and tricep dips), and stretching. -I made some people giggle by doing walking lunges in the waiting areas. Hey, it is movement.

I’m celebrating this nonscale victory by sharing it with others. I know IG is filled with workouts and recipes; however, there is not as much discussion regarding mental fitness and nonscale victories.

These components are as important as workouts. Our mental health affects our overall physical health. Permitting ourselves to feel our emotions, process our emotions, and live a joyful lifestyle aids our fitness journeys.

We all have stress in our lives, and we are learning to manage the stress. We don’t always show our stress in our IG pictures. We can share our concerns and be a community that lifts each other up.

Are you facing some challenges? Is it affecting your fitness goals?

10/09/2023

07/09/2023

http://vibrantvirginia.com/2023/09/05/do-housework-fulfill-social-obligations-or-go-to-appointments/

I ask myself these questions daily. Living with my chronic illnesses, like brain tumors, metabolic disorder, hypothyroidism, or diabetes insipidus, or with rare genetic conditions, like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, dwarfism, or Madelung deformity requires constant energy negotiations as well as careful a...

07/09/2023

Exercise videos may be a little scarce for a couple of weeks. I’m in Minnesota to receive my next round of treatments for my brain tumors. Currently, I’m staying with a friend who doesn’t want the apartment in social media video footage. I will try to film when I go to the YMCA, right now, my energy is low. I hope you will understand. Thank you.

05/09/2023

I've received 200 reactions to my posts in the past 30 days. Thanks for your support. 🙏🤗🎉 It means a lot to me.

04/09/2023

I saw this quote while scrolling through social media. I am surprised how much progress I have made in one year since my brain surgery and in the last six months since I started wearing my Continuous Glucose Monitor. I had given up hope that I would crack the code to my body and lose weight and fat.

Now, I’m starting to socialize again and even sharing my fitness journey with others.

I am presently in Minnesota to receive my next round of brain treatment from the Mayo Clinic. Last time I was under-eating. My endocrinologist and nutritionist set my calories at 800 daily. I was constantly hungry and feeling lightheaded as well as still packing on pounds and fat.

My calories are now set to 1300 (with a 200 calorie deficit). I have more energy, feel happier, and appreciate the progress that I have made both physically and mentally.

I shared some pictures of my breakfast as well as the caloric and nutritional information. Later today, I will be using my resistance bands to get some exercise.

I’m breaking the pattern of despair. I’ve replaced it with self-love.

What habits or patterns are you breaking?

What habits or patterns have you established to keep you fit and happy?

03/09/2023

Traveled from Oklahoma to Minnesota to go to the Mayo Clinic, so I can receive the next round of treatment for my brain tumors. I’m thankful that I have my Brother-by-Heart to help me while I am away from home. I appreciate Body Armour Electrolyte water when I’m traveling because I know it provides extra hydration support. What are things you appreciate when traveling that help support your fit lifestyle?

02/09/2023

Snap those pictures! Make memories. Love yourself. Be yourself. You will want to look back.

I left the Mayo Clinic in August 2022 after having brain surgery. My daughter encouraged me to take a picture with her. I really didn’t want to because I was ashamed of myself: I was fat and miserable in my body and mind.

Looking at these two pictures, I see not only a weight loss but also a mental shift.

This journey of self love didn’t start until January 31, 2023, that is 5 months later.

Now, it is a year later, and I’m thankful that my daughter encouraged me to take the photo with her. I can see the love she had/has for me. She didn’t care what I looked like; she just loved me.

I encourage you to love yourself now. Let your self love guide your health journey. Take pictures along the way. Write about your thoughts and experiences. You will be glad you did.