categunnell, New Orleans, LA (2025)

12/06/2021

All smiles for the Gram.

It can be so easy to post all smiles and love yourself and life is great. And most of the time it is.

But the reality of the situation is that I am battling in a war that rages every single day. Depression tries to take hold every morning when I wake up. This dark black ominous cloud.

This cloud that tells me “you’re not good enough.”

I told my dad yesterday that I was frustrated with myself because for the past four months, I haven’t been doing the things I know I need to do. Building my business has been tough. I’ve been quick to anger. I’ve been struggling to get things done - even the things that make me happy like working out. Or reading books. I’ve been breaking promises to myself and that weakens the trust I have in myself.

He asked me who I was making a promise to. I said “myself.” And he said “which one?”

And I realized what I had been doing. I was comparing myself to the person I was BEFORE having my daughter. So I said “the Cate before I had Clara.”

He said “oh, you mean when you were a Mom before?”

Of course I was able to work out every day, I was more patient. I had more energy to cook healthy meals and go on walks with the dog. I was able to take 2 hours in the morning for a morning routine.

But that girl doesn’t exist anymore - and she never will again. I’m so happy to be a mom. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And it’s time to let that girl I was before go. It does not do me any good to think about what I “used” to be able to do. Because it only fuels that dark cloud.

It’s a process. I know I put a bunch of smiles on here. Life is amazing! But I also don’t want you to forget that many days it’s dark. If you feel this way, you are not alone.

Remember that your babies don’t need a perfect mama - they need a happy one. And that may mean making sacrifices. Taking a few minutes to yourself every day. Getting a sitter, or your partner to watch your kids so you can go to a coffee shop by yourself. You’ve got this, mama! Borrow belief from me until you believe it yourself.

12/04/2021

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Swiler!! It was such a BEAUTIFULLLL wedding and I was so honored to have been asked to stand next to you as you said YASSS to forever. Love you both and cheers to choosing each other every day! 👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏼‍♂️🥂

12/01/2021

My favorite Christmas memories are now the ones we get to create with our girl ♥️🎄🎅🏽

11/29/2021

Mom and Mini ❤️🎄

11/25/2021

PSA: you do not have to EARN your Thanksgiving dinner!

❌ You do not have to workout extra hard today to earn your meal or dessert
❌ You don’t have to workout extra hard tomorrow to punish yourself for what you eat and drink today
❌ You do not have to obsess about what you put on your plate and what it will do to your progress

When you are following a healthy lifestyle, there’s nothing wrong with having treats, no losing progress, because your diet is a balance of all food groups. You aren’t restricting for a goal and then “going back” to what you were doing before, yoyo-ing between “healthy” and “unhealthy.”

How can you enjoy Thanksgiving, while continuing on your healthy lifestyle?

🦃Balance your plates with veggies, treats, carbs, etc.
🥧Stop eating when you feel full.
🦃Don’t force a second or third helping of food. There’s no reason to stuff yourself (and if someone suggests you eat more after you feel done, just let them know you are good, thank you)
🥧Enjoy the time with your friends and/or family.
🦃 If anything or anyone threatens your peace, go for a walk or say “I’m not comfortable with that topic of conversation.” And change the subject. Just because someone is blood family does not mean that you are required to talk to them or be around them if it disturbs your peace.

Enjoy your holiday, if you are celebrating today! Either way, I hope you have the best day! And tomorrow we continue our healthy lifestyle NOT punishing ourselves for enjoying today. Aight I’m out to relax after the Turkey Trot Clara and I did this morning✌🏽

11/22/2021

Happy Early Thanksgiving from the Wedigs/Glass families! 🦃🦃

11/19/2021

The year is 2018, I am miserable.

I hide in the back of pictures. I stave off depression everyday - sometimes I win the battle and sometimes I lose. When I lose, I binge eat the worst foods and sleep all day. I drink entirely too much. I look in the mirror and don’t recognize myself or know how I got here.

The year is 2019, I am sick of being miserable. I want to love myself, but I don’t recognize myself. I’ve tried every diet in the books: keto, weight watchers, advocare, intermittent fasting, cutting carbs, cutting sugars, whole 30 etc. Each one, at the end of it (if I made it to the end) I came back binge eating with a vengeance.

I decide to try something different. Less restrictive. I focused on eating veggies and proteins (even complex carbs!). I focused on portion sizes instead of cutting out food groups. I found workouts that were only 30 mins a day. I started walking outside…then jogging. I worked on my mental health, focusing on personal development and self care. I also got on an anti depressant.

Not only did I lose the weight, but I had also never been happier. The missing piece to my success in my health and wellness journey had been a coach and a group of women holding me accountable.

When I was by myself I was like “yeah ok I guess I’ll try this.” I saw other people getting success with it, so it HAD to work for me.

But here’s the thing, we are not all made the same. So not every diet or workout program will work for everyone. I was so grateful to have had a coach to help me figure out what worked for me and held me accountable for my new healthy habits.

If you feel like you’re kind of flailing out there alone, message me. I’m always here to support you!! Let’s find a solution that works best for you and get you feeling confident and healthy!

11/14/2021

Dear and ,

We cannot wait until your epic party of a wedding in a couple weeks!! Kaylee you are such a great friend and the most laidback bride I’ve ever met! So happy we got to celebrate you today, my love!!

11/12/2021

1 year from today I get to marry my best friend! Our life has taken many unexpected twists and turns but everyday we choose each other. I never expected to be wedding dress shopping with my daughter and picking out her flower girl dress but now I can’t see it any other way. Who knew those “kids@ 7 years ago would be here? I love you and I can’t wait to marry the s**z out of you!

11/12/2021

“I’m going to do *that* when life slows down.”

*That* could be prioritizing your health and wellness.
*That* could be starting that business.
*That* could be following that dream.
*That* could be getting married.

Whatever it is I’m here to tell you with so much love that that’s a BS excuse and you know it. Life will never slow down!

I thought my life was slowing down and then I got pregnant.
I thought life was slowing down and then we got engaged.
I thought life was slowing down and then I started a business.

But you will always have time for what is important to you.

Do you ever notice that you have a fully packed day and you get a flat tire on the way to work. Suddenly you have the time to fix the tire. The time appears. Now whether you had to shift your entire day around or evaluate which things in that packed day weren’t as important as you thought they were, the point is time was made for what was urgent.

But why are your dreams not urgent? Why is working out not urgent? Why is traveling not urgent? We have a TBD amount of time on this planet. We have no idea when that time will end - so why waste it being so busy we can’t make time for things we love or that are truly important?

This is coming from a new Mom. So I do get what it is to be busy and stretched thin. I’m planning a wedding on top of being a new Mama on top of starting a health and wellness biz. Yikes! But working out, finding healthy recipes, pouring into myself. That’s way more important now than it ever was because I have to be the best version of myself so I can juggle all of the things I have going on.

What are you putting off to tomorrow that you can do today? And what are you doing today that could really be pushed off to tomorrow or cut out entirely?

11/09/2021

Today is a very special day! Today our snuggly, protective, loving boi turns 3! He’s been so amazing with Clara, very careful and patient. He’s the best big pup-brother we could have hoped for! I can’t wait to celebrate our boi today ♥️♥️♥️ Everyone wish Satchmo a very happy birthday! 🎂

11/02/2021

Attention new mamas!

I know that life is hard. In one day we became a whole new person. We became: Mom. Giver of the food, comfort, love, cuddles, medicine, baths. Changer of diapers and clothes. Cleaner and chef of the house. Chauffeur. And so much more.

It’s overwhelming. Suddenly we get to keep this tiny human alive. This tiny human that we grew inside of us. This human who is our heart living outside of our bodies.

No pressure.

Oh and uh we have to go on living the rest of our lives too. Keeping up our relationship, our health, our job, friendships, paying bills, chasing dreams. When all that seems to matter anymore is the child we just birthed.

Like HELLO?!?! My body just created a miracle - have you seen it? It’s pretty cool. How am I supposed to concentrate on ANYTHING else???

I know it can be stressful trying to balance it all. So don’t. Do what you can, and if all you did today was keep yourself and that tiny human alive and happy today, then you’re doing a good job Mama. You control your thoughts - so why not choose to focus on the good? Comment below ONE thing you’re proud of yourself for today (and save for when you need to be reminded of how much of a superhero you are for just being YOU).

categunnell

12/06/2021

12/04/2021

12/01/2021

11/29/2021

11/25/2021

11/22/2021

11/19/2021

11/14/2021

11/12/2021

11/12/2021

11/09/2021

11/02/2021

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