I remember on the day of Stella's baptism, being at my in-law's house celebrating with both of our families. We were taking the family pictures of everyone and as soon as I got my hands on the camera and got a glimpse of myself, I almost lost it. I literally had to go to the basement to cry. I didn't recognize this person and I couldn't believe how much the image of that person made me feel.
I know I just had a baby a while before this so naturally I would have some baby weight. But this wasn't all just baby weight. This was the true reflection of the years that I mistreated my body. Years of not caring what I ate, not exercising, stress,....you get the point. I remember on this day is when I vowed to myself that something had to change.
I was tired of being scared to look in the mirror. I was tired of having NO energy. I hated it that I told my husband not to touch my stomach because I was so self-conscious. I complained and made excuses upon excuses- and I never did ONE thing to change. My excuses controlled my life. I guess I just figured one day I would find a quick fix to lose weight and gain my energy back. But as we all should know....that is never the case.
I had a new baby and I wanted to feel good and full of energy so that I could be the mother I knew I wanted to be. I wanted to feel good about myself so I wasn't feeling so depressed anymore. I wanted to take pictures WITH my family and I wanted to stop hiding. I didn't want 5 years to go by where we only had pictures of the family without Mom in them. I wanted my children to have a mother who was confident so I could teach them by example.
I wanted to feel alive. So I made a choice. I started watching what I was eating, started tracking calories...and that was a great start. I lost weight and then got pregnant again shortly after. I went back to my old ways during my pregnancy. I figured it was the only time where you can eat what you want and not feel bad about it. So I gained 50 pounds with my second pregnancy.
I knew after Vera was born that not only did I need to watch what I ate, but I needed to start exercising and treating my body right. So I started running every day. I started making personal goals for myself and I soon fell in love with running and with how I was feeling. I had energy again. I didn't cringe when I looked in the mirror. I wanted to be in the pictures with my family.
Then I had the desire to really change my body. To become stronger and have muscle and definition. I wanted to learn how to eat clean, and I wanted to learn about proper nutrition. I wanted to be a good example for my children so they could grow up learning healthy habits. So I joined my first challenge group and started doing T25. This changed my life. The challenge group and my coach offered so much support and accountability that I really felt like I had all the tools I needed to succeed in my goals. I learned about what I should be eating, when I should be eating it, healthy alternatives to things, how to meal prep, and lots of great fitness tips.
It didn't take long for me to learn that my passion lies in health and fitness. Since becoming a coach, I'm now on my 4th program, hold my own challenge groups where I get to pay it forward and help so many other people write their own story about their journey like I wrote above, and I drink Shakeology every day because I believe that it is truly one of the healthiest meals for me.
Looking at these pictures side by side - it brings back so many emotions. I don't even recognize the girl in the first photo anymore. The REAL me is on the right. Strong, confident, determined, HEALTHY, energetic. I don't think about being skinny, I think about being healthy. I know that making good decisions each day brings me closer to the woman I always knew was inside. I now know that I can do anything I set my mind to.
I write all of this to let anyone out there who is struggling with some of the things I was know that they are not alone. You can make a change in your life - trust me....if I was able to do it after a lifetime of unhealthy habits - you surely can do it too. It all starts with a decision and you take it one step at a time after that. No diets, no get thin quick schemes. Hard work, dedication, and the true longing to feel like the best version of yourself. To feel like the person you know is inside that reflection.
I have a new challenge group starting October 13th and if you'd like to hear more about how the challenge group works and all of the great support that goes along with it - please email me or message me on Facebook. I would love to talk to you. :)
