After

You cannot have transformation without an after…right?  So I told you my story about what led me to be unhealthy, stressed, overweight, tired, and the plethora of other things. Now it’s time for me to tell you what I did to shed over 20 pounds and give myself a complete inner-self makeover.

Just a tid-bit here…I tried every quick-fix you can imagine…but they didn’t work (imagine that).  So when I was finally fed up and tired of being sick and tired, I did what I do best…I learned.  I hit the Internet and did research on the best ways to get healthy.  Yes I wanted to lose weight to look better, but I really wanted to feel better.  All the expert advice (and even some of the quack advice) said:  eat a diet of whole, unprocessed foods full of veggies, fruit, and lean protein and whole grains and get some type of strength and cardio exercise each week. But I even dug a little more and learned all I could about how sugars and gluten affects the body.  So begins my journey.

I started on my own.  I gave up bread, pasta, and any other white flour products.  I also gave up processed foods (for the most part) and sugar (again for the most part).  This along with eating smaller portions of the healthy whole foods I chose, I started to see dramatic results on the inside – I stopped having acid reflux and headaches, and I started losing weight along with gaining energy.

Then a friend of mine reached out to me.  She had an accountability group for nutrition and exercise.  She introduced me to Beachbody, Shakeology, and the portion fix nutrition plan.  Little did I know that although I was eating so much better and my body was beginning to feel better, I still wasn’t getting all the nutrients I needed or in the portions for me to reach my weight loss goal.  And I definitely wasn’t getting to the gym regularly.  So I tried this 30 day (money-back guarantee) group, and I fell in love. Having a group of other people who are working toward their own health and fitness goals right alongside you is priceless.  Knowing that the expectation is to check-in every day with your nutrition and fitness keeps you accountable and it helped me stay on track…I mean if I have to tell them what I was eating, then I better keep it to the plan.

So the nutrition plan was all laid out for me, so it made it easy to follow.  As I learned how to plan and prep meals, it became even easier.  The recipes available online and shared among the group were so good and kept me from making the same thing and getting bored or tempted to go back to old habits.  And the at-home workouts were perfect for me.  I could literally hop out of bed, go to the computer and push play and in 30 minutes (that really seemed like an hour) got in a great workout.

But something else began to change for me as well…my mindset.  As my body got healthier, I found myself being more positive.  I found that I had more patience and stamina to deal with all that life decided to throw at me.  I learned that I could do hard things (complete a program) and boy did that boost my confidence.  Then I learned to pay it forward.  I shared what I was doing and tried to be a positive influence – I mean I hope I was already doing that for my students, but this…this helped me find me.

Through this journey (and the many programs I have done) I found my purpose.  I chose to take the opportunity of coaching because it lets me live out my purpose.  I am here to help others be a better person than they were before they met me.  I am here to help others discover the best version of themselves. This wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t made the choice to get healthy.

To sum it up…in order to be my best self, I had to get healthy.  And that means mind, body, and spirit.  I had to start with the body through nutrition and fitness because that helped me open my mind up to endless possibilities. By finishing programs, learning how to appropriately nourish my body, my mind and spirit are better equipped to handle life’s situations.  I’m not the person I used to be and tomorrow I won’t be who I am today. That’s the beauty of transformation, when you are always striving to be better, better is what you get.