Don't Forget To Breathe

This is our warp up of Season 2 and a look forward to Season 3.

Rena and Bruce look at another layer of the Holiday Sandwich, and talk about more personal experiences and offer resources, help lines and text lines to have close if you feel overwhelmed during the Holidays.

We find ourselves in the Holiday Sandwich; the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In this episode, Bruce talks very candidly about the Thanksgiving experience he just had, his STERB of anger and what comes next.

With the Holidays upon us, we discuss the impact the Holidays have had on them, along with what's coming up this year. We talk about the necessity of allowing yourself to do and feel what comes up for you during an especially emotional time of the year. We also put out a call for you to send a message to the loved ones who won't be with you this season.

Welcome back to the newest episode of the Don't forget to breathe podcast! Gone for a while but now WE BACK! In today's episode, we just give a few updates on some changes in our lives. We got a puppy, one of us finally got the courage to quit our jobs and see what we've been up to regarding our fitness and health! Leave a like/comment and subscribe for more!

In this episode, we try to explain what it means by "Doing the Work". And by doing do, Rena gets very open and personal about a loss she experienced this week, and how she is doing the work.

The word "grief" has typically been associated with death. In this episode, Rena and I discuss the actual meaning of Grief, and begin talking about the 40 different forms of Grief. In a world full of trauma and loss, you will encounter many people in your daily life that are grieving. Let's talk about that and the need to create space for Grief.

In this episode, Rena and I continue our "unperson" session from Nashville, as we discuss finding your joy during celebratory events, all the while you continue your journey through grief. We talk about some specific tools that can help you navigate the invitations that may or may not come.

Can you experience joy at a special occasion when you are in your journey of grief? Is it even ok to feel joy? What will people think of your tears? Does it mean you are "moving on"? Rena and Bruce dive into this subject and discuss those questions in this special episode recored just a few days before Bruce's Son's wedding.

Have you been in the grocery aisle, maybe near your child's favorite snack or food; maybe it was a certain brand of chips? And you could hear your child asking for their favorite; really hear their voice in your mind? Rena and I dive into those moments when the chips start to talk in the grocery aisle.

After The Show is a series of conversations Rena and I have after we've stopped recording the podcast. We noticed that we spend a great deal of time talking after the shows, continuing our conversations about grief and recovery or sometimes just talking about our experiences, thoughts and ideas. And then we realized that some of what we talk about should be shared with our listeners; sort of a casual, more intimate chat. So we'd like you to find a comfy spot and be with us while we just talk.

As parents who have experienced the death of your child, we have all had things said to us that make us say...inside..."Did you really just say that to me?" We have internal explosions or gasps of disbelief. In this episode, we expose and share some of the things that have been said to us and said to friends that leave us shaking our heads. We are getting real and raw in our talk, so there is definitely use of explicit language; there's your warning.

We are diving into a few ways survivors feel a sense of guilt,  or is it just another form of grief. We talk about how that can manifest itself into a sense of not allowing yourself to feel joy, and if you do have a moment of joy, it might be immediately followed with a sense of guilt. That guilt can be debilitating and lead you to anger, sadness, and even depression and despair.  But is it really "guilt"?

In the first season of our podcast, you got a very clear view of who I am by me telling my story. Now that we've added a Co-Host, I think it's important for you to get to know her and hear her story as well. Rena is a Certified Grief Specialist, but so much more...

We begin Season 2 by adding a very special co-host, Rena Ooi, a Certified Grief Specialist. Rena has walked in your shoes in a powerful way. She will share her story in Season 2, Episode 7.In this Preview, we talk about some of the subjects we will discuss this season and how we hope to help you navigate your grief and recovery.

This will be a really short chat; I didn't plan on doing an episode for a couple of weeks, but this thought popped up and I wanted to share it. This will be short, but hopefully, you will find something in it that might help. The big theme of my New Year's Message…YOU MADE IT!

In the midst of the Holidays, The First Time Since talks about those events, favorite places and special occasions that we experience for the first time since losing a child, or anyone close to us. Simply living life day by day will reveal moments of remembrance that can trigger sorrow, pain, anger and more. But this can feel overwhelming during the Holiday season. If only to know that you are not alone with your avalanche of emotions, maybe this episode will give you a glimmer of connection with another grieving parent.

I believe that during the course of our lives, both individually and collectively, our daily activities, experiences and relationships are woven together to eventually form an amazing and complex tapestry; our very own life's tapestry. A tapestry is made up of so many threads, each with its own purpose and distinct place in the pattern being created.  But why those threads; why then; why now. Let's discover some of those threads in my life's tapestry.

In this episode we discuss our absence from recording. We also discuss how the pandemic, work stress, and a new puppy have all contributed our slack gym habits. We also discuss Sade pursuing her dreams at a new job and the stress of quitting her job of the past 4 years.

It was time to go back to Denver; time to get out of Louisiana; time to leave behind the horrible experience of burying my daughter. There was nothing to live for any longer. I was cloaked in despair; a walking death-wish. But someone had another plan for my life. This is the story of a divine encounter that changed everything.

From the moment I entered the Funeral Home until the time I exited, I was left with a lasting impression of the "business" of funerals. On top of being there because my child had died, the experience was one that I hope no parent will need to go through, even though I know it happens every single day to someone.

So on a day like any other, I got the call no parent ever wants to get, or ever really imagines they will, and one they never should. My daughter was dead. This episode covers the moment my life changed forever, and the living nightmare that began the next chapter of my life.

Don't Forget To Breathe is a podcast that follows the journey of a father who suddenly lost his 20 year old daughter, and his life after a tragedy that no parent should ever endure. In these podcast episodes, I'll talk about the last 14 years, my grief, my anger, my depression, my emptiness, and even those moments of joy, of happiness, of learning to laugh again. I'm planning to open my deepest thoughts and feeling to you during this ongoing journey. Also, we'll talk about a variety of thoughts and feeling that you have, either from your loss of a child, or if you are walking beside some who is living the unimaginable. I'll talk with guests who have their own story to share that might help you, and I'll chat with a therapist who can share her tools and advise that also might help. So if you have a friend that has lost a child, please share this podcast with them. If it is you who has lost a child, then I hope you find something here that helps. Or at the very least, a feeling of knowing that someone, somewhere, understands the emotions you feel. You're not alone.If you have questions or topics you'd like to discuss, let me know.But please don't look at this podcast series as a “how to” on anything, but I will try to help. I'm no therapist or counselor.  I'm just a man, a Dad, and now I guess, a storyteller. So let's begin with my story, a tragic story…and unfortunately…a true story.

In this week’s podcast, we talked about our new, updated gym routine. Due to the “Rona”, our schedules/habits have changed a bit. We currently just go to the gym once or twice a week and keep human exposure to a minimum. The rest of our workouts we do from home or our apartment gym. I got a workout book from one of my fitness inspirations, fitgurlmel or Melissa Alcantara as a gift (linked below). It includes her fitness journey story, recipes, a six-month workout plan and pictures. Anthony purchased an online workout pan from the rapper, Ace Hood. It includes a basic six-week workout plan. We talk about how we are trying to stay active and on track during these tough, stressful times. It has been difficult, but we are making it work. Thanks for listening and hope everyone stays safe!

In this week’s episode of our podcast, we talk about how we are dealing with the stress related to the COVID predicament and how its changed our lives. We recently realized how different our lives currently are regarding our careers. Anthony is able to work from home, while my job doesn’t have the resources to let their employees work from home. This is causing a lot of stress in my life due to the undergoing changes that are happening in the company such as, limited employees, reducing pay across the company and still dealing with the ongoing effects of the virus and trying to stay safe at the same time. Things are stressful for everyone right now! The way I deal with the current conditions is starting off by being aware of my surroundings and how they change my attitude and emotions. Once I recognize the emotion I’m feeling, I make sure stay there, feel it, work through it and look at it through positive eyes. Along with all of this work stress, I decided to limit the use of my anxiety medication and stop using it as a crutch. This will be a long journey to learn how to cope with stress and anxiety but I think it is worth the effort.

In this week’s podcast, we talk about how we’ve been doing the past few weeks of quarantine life since we have not updated the podcast for some time (we will do better, I promise!). We start off by mentioning some blessings that we’ve seen in our lives as of late, such as family, health and also some more materialistic things like new cars! We talk about why these things have helped us through our current situation and why they keep us moving forward. We then go into how our fitness habits and goals have changed since quarantine started. We purchased (and invented=) more gym equipment and moved our “home gym” onto our balcony so we could change scenery and end up with less distractions. We touch on some lessons we learned during this time such as workout motivation, having effective workouts, finding out how much sleep is right for you and how our new work habits are causing us to be more productive. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week!!

How has the corona quarantine effected our workouts and mental health. In this week’s podcast, we talk about how quarantine life is going for us and how our lifestyles have changed due to this. All gyms have closed to slow down the spread of the virus so our workout schedules have changed dramatically as we had to adapt to solely home workouts. Of course, you have to have more dedication when you rely on solely home workouts to get fit because you can easily just watch TV or play video games instead. We also talk about our experience with how this virus is changing other parts of our lives like our work schedules and what our plans are while we have his extra time available by working remotely. Hope everyone is staying safe out there and remaining healthy. Thanks for listening! Where to Listen

How not having your gym partner can negatively effect your workout and finding motivation. In this week’s podcast, we decided to go for a “free for all” vibe and talk about all of the current thoughts/events that are going on in our lives right now. Of course, this podcast is still coming together, meaning we are still in the works of figuring out how our segments will be formatted and if we will switch to just doing more random talks instead of having planned topics. When we do it this way, we feel that our words come across more natural and sincere. Let us know your thoughts on this! In this podcast, we talk about gym motivation and how it can decrease when your gym partner is injured, sick or needs to take a break for whatever reason. We also touch on the topic of entrepreneurship and how this way of life appeals to us and aligns with our future goals. We talk about why owning our own business in the future is important to us (ex: freedom, etc.) and also why a 9-5 job is difficult to hold when you have this mindset. Please rate and comment on our latest episode and also give us some suggestions on future topics, how we can improve, etc.. Thanks for listening! Where to Listen

Listening to your body and putting health before body goals. In this week’s episode, we decided to take a different route other than our usual “planned” topic. We opened up the podcast with a new segment called “don’t forget to read”, where we mentioned some of the latest books we’ve read or are currently reading and give a brief synopsis. We then move on to the topic of why we decided to slow down on our workouts (weightlifting in particular) and what mind frame we need to take on in order to remain sane these next few weeks without our usual routine of the gym, which acts as our daily stress outlet. We give others tips on what to do when they experience injuries as well and stress the importance of taking it easy while going through the healing process. Thanks for listening and supporting us! Stay tuned for our next episode! Where to Listen

Gym etiquette to avoid gym fails. Let’s face it, we’ve all seen weird people doing weird things in the gym (just go Google “gym fails” and you’ll see what I mean) and didn’t know what to make of it. In this podcast, we start by sharing a few stories of experiences we’ve been through while at the gym including rude things and weird people. We then share some gym etiquette we believe everyone going to the gym needs to follow to avoid these stories/encounters we mentioned at the start of the podcast. Share a good laugh with us, come along for the ride and don’t forget to breathe! Thanks for listening! We apologies for the audio issues this week ( Sade says it’s Anthony’s fault, Anthony wants it to be clear that his intentions were good) Where to Listen

What is the difference between fitness and wellness? In this week’s podcast, we talk about the difference between fitness and wellness. We begin by going over the definitions of each: fitness is mainly dealing with just the physical body, while wellness describes all aspects of life, such as mental, financial and social health. We mention how having a “fit” body does not equate to a healthy body. There are plenty of people in the fitness industry that mainly focus on their calorie/macros goals and working out, not the quality of the food they are in taking, stretching or getting enough sleep. We also mention the fact that many people with desk jobs, do not take the time to move around during the day but go to the gym after their work day and think this makes up for being sedentary for eight hours or more. On the contrary, this actually does not equate to having healthy habits and this is something we both agreed we need to work on now. In the end, physical fitness is not enough, you also have to focus on mobility, good nutrition and sleep so later on in life, you are in outstanding health and you can look back and thank yourself for following these overall wellness habits. Thanks for listening! Where to Listen

Is it good to weigh yourself daily? Can scales be wrong? In this week’s podcast, we talk about the misconceptions regarding using scales to measure weight and progress. Usually, people like using scales because they find it easier to measure their progress with simple numbers they can easily compare and they make them feel more in control. We touch on our personal experiences with scales as well and talk about the mistakes we’ve made when using them in the past. We leave listeners with a few tips to consider if they decide to use a scale to weigh themselves. Some of these tips are: only weigh yourself while in the right mindset, remember weight goes up and down daily due to hormones, water weight, etc. and consider using a body fat scanner or pictures to measure progress as well as a scale. Thanks for listening! Continue supporting our podcast and feel free to give us some topic ideas for the next episode. Where to Listen

How to avoid falling off track at the beginning of the year Let’s face it, many beginners starting their fitness journey start off the New Year extremely motivated to reach their goals, only for that motivation to fizzle out and they quit. With this in mind, in this podcast, we talk about ways people can stay dedicated and avoid this from happening in the future. It is a fact that everyone on their journey will make mistakes along the way but as long as you are able to analyze those mistakes and make certain changes to avoid them from occurring again, you are succeeding! Remember, it’s mostly a mental game! Some of the tips we give are: don’t get distracted by other’s journeys on social media, following the two day rule regarding working out and getting someone else involved in the process for encouragement. Thanks or listening & supporting! Where to Listen

Is making New Year’s resolutions beneficial? In this week’s podcast, we reminisce and contemplate on whether we met last year’s resolutions and go over some reasons we may not have been successful in completing a few. We explain how important it is to start by planning and recognizing step one before automatically jumping to step ten, making your resolutions/goals more reachable. I have an issue, where fear holds me back from even starting step one and Anthony jumps ahead to step ten, finding it overwhelming and not completing the full task/goal at hand. We speak on our biggest weakness being “following through” when starting any habit and explain how important it is to start by changing your habits before even focusing on vague resolutions. We mentioned some changes we are going to make next year such as incorporating more cardio into our routines around the holidays in order to take preventative measures when overeating is imminent around the holidays. Also, since I’m a food addict and have been all my life, Anthony won’t give me a heads up when we have cheat meal days until we all get home so I am less likely to mess up my diet starting that morning. It’s important to find ways around your weaknesses so you can ultimately reach all of your goals for next year!  Thanks for listening and supporting! Leave us a comment and let us know how we are doing! Where to Listen

I’m Dreaming of a Meatless Christmas… In this week’s (really last week’s but we forgot to post it oops!) podcast, we talk about our plans for Christmas and what we had on the menu. We planned on having a “meatless” Christmas so we mentioned some meat substitutes we’ve wanted to try. We also bring up the controversial Peloton commercial and give our opinions. After this, we touch on how someone can politely influence their significant other to workout and eat healthier. We also mention some non-offensive gift ideas for family and friends, who are just starting their fitness journeys. Thank you for continuously supporting us! Rate us and leave us a comment and let us know how we’re doing. Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

How we are getting back on track with health and fitness after our holiday break In this week’s podcast, we talk about our experiences over the Thanksgiving holiday and how we managed our food intake (new pescetarian diet) and staying on track while out of town.  We highlighted how preparation is key after mentioning some of our setbacks during the trip. We both gave our own advice on how someone can get back on track after a long trip and possibly falling off a bit during this time. I think it’s important to let your guilt go and start fresh when you get back in town and into your regular routine. I also mention that it may help jump start a health kick if you juice or detox in some sort of way (the most important key take away is to avoid packaged foods and preservatives and eat whole foods). Also, you can go on your favorite fitness influencer’s social media and get some quick, genuine inspiration from them. Around this time of year, fitness influencers are always posting tips and tricks on how to stay motivated during the holidays. Let’s face it, it’s difficult to stay on track for anyone! No one is perfect, remember that! Thanks for listening and please subscribe to our podcast for more weekly episodes! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

We talk about how we are challenging ourselves to give up meat and try vegetarian or pescatarian lifestyle In this week’s podcast, we talk about our new journey of wanting to go vegetarian/vegan. Some of our expectations from this change in diet are mental clarity, more endurance in the gym and also seeing more drastic results in our physiques. We are focusing on taking small steps up to completely being vegan, with the first being taking out meats such as, beef and keeping meats like fish in our diets. This way of eating is known as pescetarianism (only fish is allowed; no other meats). It’s important to take small steps because you can gain inspiration and find tasty, colorful recipes, prevents burn out due to going all in and ensure you are getting in all of the necessary nutrients. Also, since the holidays are coming up and we are all traveling and having  work potlucks, it can be difficult to begin a new diet since you are not fully experienced with the “dos and don’ts” of your new diet. We are making this a series and will take you along the process of going vegan. We will document how we feel on a daily basis, in the gym and if any of our ailments (anxiety & depression) heal. Thanks for listening and supporting our podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a comment! Peace! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

The risks we’ve taken and why we desperately need to take more In this week’s podcast we start off by explaining the technical definition of a “risk”. We then list some of the risks we’ve taken in the past, which we realize are mostly negative and came to the conclusion that we actually do not take enough risks with possible positive outcomes. With this in mind, we chat about some challenges that we can start by overcoming in order to get to a place in life where we can start taking some massive risks. Some examples of these challenges are to be able to communicate and network with the right people to get job opportunities and to start building up our client lists for our side businesses so we could make the leap of quitting our 9-5 jobs and venturing solely into our own company. In the end, we mention what we would like to do in life if these challenges weren’t even in the picture and we were able to take these risks without experiencing any fear whatsoever. Please like, subscribe, share and let us know we’re doing! Thanks for supporting! Peace! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

How what you use for news entertainment and can effect your mental health In this week’s podcast, we focus on the epiphany, “you are what you eat/consume”. We mention that it can be taken in a way of what you actually eat and put into your body can affect it positively or negatively and can lead to good health or slow death. Sorry to be so abrupt but this can be true for other factors such as movies, books, news, etc.. All of these platforms can have a lasting effect on your mental state and decide whether you live a happy or miserable life. It’s important to find balance with the consumption of these sources and find ways to get your news from sources lacking other’s opinions. We both mention our own experiences with how these type of sources have affected us in our own ways. One example of an experience that created positive energy and inspiration for us is going to the art museum. Seeing how others from around the world express themselves is truly motivating. On the other hand, looking at news sources every time innocent black people are shot down can feel like you are carrying the whole weight of your entire race on your shoulders and will do more harm to you than you assume. It’s all about balance! Thanks for listening. Please subscribe and let us know how we’re doing! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

Health supplements we have used and our thoughts In this week’s podcast, we mention all fitness related supplements that we have personally taken and provide benefits and also our opinions on if it is worth the purchase. These supplements include pre-workout, protein, BCAAs and creatine. They each have their own use and benefits such as aiding in building muscle, muscle recovery and helping to increase energy and endurance in the gym. We give some examples of supplement brands that stand out to us that are higher quality and taste better as well. Our final thoughts were that the supplement industry is very aggressive in their marketing tactics and make beginners think they need these pills and powders to function or see improvement in the gym. We state that it is important to get your nutrients from food sources if at all possible (way cheaper!) and if you need energy before the gym, make some black coffee or cold brew to get that necessary boost for your trip to the gym! Thanks for listening. Make sure you subscribe (we post every week) and leave us a comment on my site to let us know how we’re doing! TRU Supplements Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

It’s nearing the end of the year and that means you’re either hastily rushing to achieve the last bit of  your resolutions or just plain give up and brush them off until next year. In this week’s podcast we talk about our personal New Year’s resolutions we made at the beginning of the year and measure the current status of these goals. Some of these goals being fitness and nutrition related and others being  networking and also sleep related. We mention how important it is to recognize your progress regardless of how small it may be and also how important it is to not make excuses and just get it done! We also touch on burn out and how this can affect your motivation and also ways you can switch it up and become rein spired by changing your environment, etc.. Hope you enjoy the podcast and let us know how we’re doing and leave a review! As always, thanks for your support! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

In this week’s podcast we talk about how we would react and explain how our lives would change if we found out we won the lottery for a whopping $20 million dollars. We went through the step by step process of what we would do as sin as the money hits our bank account. We mention the very real issue of experiencing shock after such a big change and being afraid to make brash decisions and lose the money in a short period of time like many who win the lottery. We also spoke on the cons of winning a large amount of money overnight like how money changes you in negative ways. We mention that in our experience, inspiration and motivation mostly comes from struggle and once you have your money problems solved, you could lose yourself in the process. Due to this, we both agree to only spend money on the minimum amount of material items possible like cars, shoes, etc. and investing a lot of it in businesses and business ideas. Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

Building confidence in your passion and confidence in you fitness journey In this week’s podcast, we talk about how the mind can be deceive when creating goals and trying to reach them. Both Anthony and I have had the same issue of easily becoming discouraged about certain ideas or when thinking of starting new endeavors. We get anxious and overwhelmed and get caught up in ten thousand different reasons we cannot achieve success. I mention this new mind-frame that I’ve come to adopt and that is to not even think too deeply into the task or new endeavor and just do it. It doesn’t give you any time to talk yourself out of it and give up before you even start. Anthony mentions that if you know that you have an overactive mind, there are also some pros to this in that you can reverse that anxiety and fear and think on how to solve the issues or roadblocks you have encountered during your project’s brainstorming process. We also mention how this way of thinking also affects people in the gym when you want to go up in weight or see someone else lifting heavy and assume you will never get there. If you change your way of thinking, you change your way of life! Please subscribe to our channel for new podcasts every week and make sure to follow us on IG and FB. Thanks for your support! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

The importance of communication in healthy relationships In this week’s podcast, we talk about communication and why it’s important to use in all of your relationships in your life, including with your spouses, family, co-workers, etc.. First, we mention our stance on communication and the benefits that it brings in our relationship. We introduce some of the communication issues we are currently dealing with and also some positive traits that tend to help our relationship, like having very similar personalities, likes, and dislikes. We address that it’s important to listen to others’ words and viewpoints and avoid speech writing in your head in order to just get your point across. We also mentioned why we might have picked up some of the negative communication skills we have today and what we can do to improve it from this day forward. One example of this is to put yourself in the other’s shoes and switch sides to try to imagine how you would feel if you were on the other end. Please subscribe and leave us a comment to let us know how we’re doing! Also, follow us on our socials! Thanks for supporting and have a great day! What we are reading: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/19066862-anthony https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/51010260-lavette-warren Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

In this week’s podcast, we talk about misconceptions in the fitness industry surrounding cardio and weight training. We started off by mentioning some clear benefits of weight training versus cardio, which are that: metabolism stays elevated for up to 38 hours, better for building muscle, ability to reshape your body and it’s more sustainable and fun to do. We mention the misconception of women that lift heavy weights will get bulky. We explain our experience of sticking to the cardio machines and being afraid to lift weights at the beginning of our journey because of this myth. We also mention the misconception of women’s body image issues and the myth of being thinner versus curvier is healthier and more accepted in society. Nowadays, social media has slowly begun to fix this issue and has elevated and put much curvier, plus size women in the forefront of ads and made it more appealing to have curves. Please rate our podcast and leave some comments on if you enjoyed this podcast. As always, thanks for your support! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

In today’s podcast, we talk about some habits that we’ve already incorporated into our lives and also some that we plan on adding into our daily lives to continue improving ourselves and our lives. Anthony mentions some health and fitness habits that have helped him like tracking calories and macros, meal prepping, morning workouts and drinking a gallon of water. I talk about how budgeting has helped my financial status and also helped increase my credit score. I also talk about how intermittent fasting helped me reach my fitness goals a lot quicker and that I want to incorporate it back into my daily life. We also mention some habits that we want to start incorporating into our daily lives such as meditating, journaling, reading, getting more sleep and revisiting our passions, like painting. What are some habits you would like to start incorporating into your daily life? Remember to subscribe and visit our FB page to leave comments/ratings. Thanks for your support! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod

You may be wondering why we even started this podcast and what our long-term goals for this new endeavor, ur podcast may be. In this episode, Anthony and I sat down and spoke on our motivations and our past and how far we’ve come since meeting five years ago.  We’ve both encountered a lot of obstacles, which we struggled through but overcame such as, moving to a new city without having anything at all, having to use our skills to make a small income and making mistakes along the way and also asking for a raise after being a loyal, hardworking employee for many years. These were obstacles that led us to our current vision of working for ourselves and not having to deal with a typical “boss” and working for someone else’s vision. We mention all of the benefits of working for yourself such as, the importance of owning our own time and being in charge of our own opportunities. We also mention the difficulties of this process such as, knowing your worth so you can charge your clients more accurately and make a profit. It is difficult to work for others but in a way challenging to work for yourself because you have to be proactive at all times. Working for other companies is a more consistent check as long as you do the minimum but you can be let go at any time and in the end, you are working towards someone else’s dreams, not your own. Creating your own business is not for everyone but we’ve decided a while ago that it is the most fitting choice for us! Please rate the podcast and share with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify soundcloud stitcher tunein

In this week’s podcast, we talk about our differing mindsets and personal experiences with cheat meals and cheat days. Anthony and I both have differing views and have had different experiences and relationships with food throughout our lives. I explain that I have more of an addictive mindset regarding food, while he eats food to live and thinks nothing more of it. I think there is more of a cultural reasoning behind this in how we grew up and how our families treated food. Anthony’s family is Seventh Day Adventist and has been vegetarian for most of their lives. On the other hand, every gathering my family had was based around food and alcohol and this shaped my mind to believe food is more than sustenance to live, it is delicious and there has to be lots of it. Also, I’m a sweet tooth (which doesn’t make things any better) and Anthony gets headaches when he eats too many sweets (this helps him keep his portions small or stay away from them completely). Regardless of our differences, we both agree that if you change your mindset and way you think about cheat meals (and even what you call them), this could help with food addiction and prevent someone from binging and overeating. Everyone has the power to change/reroute their thoughts into more positive ones. We also touch on the topic of not even partaking in cheat meals and just eating the foods you crave while staying within your caloric budget. This can prevent you from binging on that one food that you’ve been craving all week. Also, we mention some alternative, low calorie, high protein options for ice-cream, candy, pizza, etc. that can be consumed for cheat meals instead of going all the way in. I hope you enjoy this week’s podcast and don’t forget to rate us so we know how we’re doing. Thanks for listening and supporting! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

In this week’s episode, we talk about the importance of taking a “breather” or break every now and then. We talk about getting older and along with this feeling, more aches and pains in the gym. Due to this, we decided to take a week off in the gym but continue to do home workouts with low weight and cardio. A lot of people lose sight of this but it’s important to listen to our bodies and take breaks and also get sleep so our bodies can heal. When we work out (especially lift heavy), our bodies get sore and our muscles literally tear and grow back stronger. If we don’t give ourselves time to rest, our bodies will never fully heal and we won’t reach any of our goals in our fitness journey. All in all, it’s important to listen to your body and avoid burn out! Enjoy the podcast! Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

In this week’s podcast, we brought up the topic of IG influencer’s fitness plans we have tried in the past and recommend the one we learned the most from. We also talk about how a beginner can get started in the gym like working out with a trainer for a while to learn correct forms of exercises and later apply it to your own fitness plan in the future. Since Anthony and I are in between the intermediate and advanced levels of fitness, we now make our own gym plans. It will be easier to do so once you learn more about certain exercises that work well for your body and correct form so you do not get hurt in the gym. Let us know if you’ve tried any fitness plans that you enjoyed and made amazing progress completing. http://www.florinafit.com Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod

The benefits of socializing as an introvert In this week’s podcast, we bring up one of our weaknesses since we’ve moved to Atlanta and that is socializing and leaving the house. We moved to Atlanta about four years ago to branch out and spread our wings in a bigger city. We were anticipating the diversity, all of the events and places to go and of course being able to network outside of Alabama. Our problem is, we get so caught up in our routines (going to work, going to the gym, etc.) that we forget that socializing and having date night is also important. We are both introverts, which doesn’t help the situation. In this podcast, we talk about the things holding us back from making friends and networking. We also talk about the side effects of this and how we can prioritize being more outgoing and social. Where to Listen: itunes Spotify Google Podcasts soundcloud stitcher tunein Follow Us facebook.com/dontforgettobreathepodcast twitter.com/df2bpod instagram.com/df2bpod