My Journey to Wellness
Let me tell you a little about my journey. First, I am NO WHERE near my goal when it comes to being healthy, but I am a heck of a lot closer. In fact, I have reached goals and done things I never thought would be possible when I was younger. Like running a freaking half marathon. I would have laughed at you if you told me I could do that one day.
Like most kids raised in the 80's my body was nourished mainly by Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. My parents were great cooks but they worked full time...and let's be honest, the Campbell's were known for making a sweet snack tray and mixing up Happy Hour cocktails. And ordering take-out. Cooking just isn't our thing.
While in High School, I was a member on the cheer team and I LOVED every second of it. But I would think of every excuse under the Sun to not run a mile before practice. I can remember weight room day during Gym class. I decided to (slowly) walk the track instead of lift weights. And many times, I would just lay on the track like a lazy turd. Running, working out, lifting weights, being active....again, not my thing. And don't even get me started on the amount of McDonald's that my BFF, P.J, and I would eat. And the drinking....yep. We did a lot of that too. I mean, I still enjoy a glass of wine but I'm not drinking sugary cocktails like I did in High School. Malibu and OJ was my go to. Anyone else have their fair share of Malibu in High School?!?
On to college and all of those habits were amplified. I didn't just put on the Freshman 15. More like a good 45 pounds total by the time I graduated. I went to the bar and drank at least 4 nights a week, ate pizza and fast food, LOVED Diet Coke, pigged out at 2am, and slept in until noon. It wasn't until I moved home, August of 2004, and finally decided to make 3 changes in my lifestyle:
1. No white bread
2. No pop
3. No fast food
I dropped 15 pounds immediately and felt confident enough to get a gym membership. I started on the elliptical and stair stepper. It also helped that I met my now husband who also worked out at the same gym. I would go there every day just to chat with him. He would flirt with me and make me feel good about myself. It pushed me to keep going. I am forever thankful for his support.
Eventually I lost those 45 pounds but it took me a long time to do so. And I kept having to make lifestyle changes every time I hit a plateau.
Later on, I moved to the UP with my boyfriend (now husband) and was feeling great. I had a workout addiction, ate healthy for the most part, and drank less alcohol, but I put about 15-20 pounds back on. I eventually started doing the Paleo diet and it was the BEST food change I have ever made to this day. I started researching the yucky stuff I had been putting into my body for years. I completely overhauled my diet and only ate like a caveman, which I try to stick to today still. I couldn't believe the nasty junk that was in our food - like corn, soy, preservatives, and other nasty fillers. I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll save that for another day. Crossfit and running were regular workouts for me. My energy level went up and I increased my speed. Weight lifting was HUGE for me! I met an awesome crew of health conscious people who were super encouraging.
Fast-forward to January 2015. It was my first winter not coaching cheerleading. I had the winter blues and I was bored out of my mind. My lovely neighbor, Cammy, invited me to an essential oil event for something to do. My mind was blown. I was totally confused but bought myself a starter kit thinking I could use some lavender for sleep and frankincense for my skin. I had been so obsessed with putting healthy food in my body, but never thought about the crap I was putting on my body. Holy crap! Do you even know the crazy amount of toxins that are in beauty products?!? It's just disgusting.
So I began mixing up my own body butters, face wash, moisturizers, perfumes, lip balms, and deodorant. I threw away all my cleaning products and switched to one product....Thieves Cleaner. It cleans every last thing in my house. I started drinking Ningxia daily ( again, another post) and started taking important vitamins. I started noticing key benefits that I was experiencing. And it didn't just happen overnight, it was about 6 months later when I realized I was sleeping like a champ, my skin was glowing, and I had energy for days. Then about a year later I realized I hadn't gotten sick once. I still haven't been to a doctors office since I started using essential oils. It's been almost 3 years. The other HUGE benefits are the friendships I've made, the abundance essential oils have brought to my family, the opportunity to do things I've never dreamed of, and an overall feeling of happiness.
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In a nut-shell, the biggest and best changes I have made in my life are
1. Deciding to make a change (no fast food, no pop, no white bread)
2. Workout!
3. Paleo
4. Essential Oils
 |
| My little family. |
Like most kids raised in the 80's my body was nourished mainly by Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. My parents were great cooks but they worked full time...and let's be honest, the Campbell's were known for making a sweet snack tray and mixing up Happy Hour cocktails. And ordering take-out. Cooking just isn't our thing.
While in High School, I was a member on the cheer team and I LOVED every second of it. But I would think of every excuse under the Sun to not run a mile before practice. I can remember weight room day during Gym class. I decided to (slowly) walk the track instead of lift weights. And many times, I would just lay on the track like a lazy turd. Running, working out, lifting weights, being active....again, not my thing. And don't even get me started on the amount of McDonald's that my BFF, P.J, and I would eat. And the drinking....yep. We did a lot of that too. I mean, I still enjoy a glass of wine but I'm not drinking sugary cocktails like I did in High School. Malibu and OJ was my go to. Anyone else have their fair share of Malibu in High School?!?
 |
| At 17 I didn't care too much about working out and eating healthy. Here I am, on the left, in Panama City, FL with my BFFs. |
On to college and all of those habits were amplified. I didn't just put on the Freshman 15. More like a good 45 pounds total by the time I graduated. I went to the bar and drank at least 4 nights a week, ate pizza and fast food, LOVED Diet Coke, pigged out at 2am, and slept in until noon. It wasn't until I moved home, August of 2004, and finally decided to make 3 changes in my lifestyle:
1. No white bread
2. No pop
3. No fast food
 |
| This was when I was at my heaviest, unhealthiest, and unhappiest |
Eventually I lost those 45 pounds but it took me a long time to do so. And I kept having to make lifestyle changes every time I hit a plateau.
 |
| Me, in the center, post-paleo in the best shape of my life. I'm surrounded by my support group , Katie and Amber |
Later on, I moved to the UP with my boyfriend (now husband) and was feeling great. I had a workout addiction, ate healthy for the most part, and drank less alcohol, but I put about 15-20 pounds back on. I eventually started doing the Paleo diet and it was the BEST food change I have ever made to this day. I started researching the yucky stuff I had been putting into my body for years. I completely overhauled my diet and only ate like a caveman, which I try to stick to today still. I couldn't believe the nasty junk that was in our food - like corn, soy, preservatives, and other nasty fillers. I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll save that for another day. Crossfit and running were regular workouts for me. My energy level went up and I increased my speed. Weight lifting was HUGE for me! I met an awesome crew of health conscious people who were super encouraging.
 |
| First Place @ Festivus Crossfit Competition |
Fast-forward to January 2015. It was my first winter not coaching cheerleading. I had the winter blues and I was bored out of my mind. My lovely neighbor, Cammy, invited me to an essential oil event for something to do. My mind was blown. I was totally confused but bought myself a starter kit thinking I could use some lavender for sleep and frankincense for my skin. I had been so obsessed with putting healthy food in my body, but never thought about the crap I was putting on my body. Holy crap! Do you even know the crazy amount of toxins that are in beauty products?!? It's just disgusting.
So I began mixing up my own body butters, face wash, moisturizers, perfumes, lip balms, and deodorant. I threw away all my cleaning products and switched to one product....Thieves Cleaner. It cleans every last thing in my house. I started drinking Ningxia daily ( again, another post) and started taking important vitamins. I started noticing key benefits that I was experiencing. And it didn't just happen overnight, it was about 6 months later when I realized I was sleeping like a champ, my skin was glowing, and I had energy for days. Then about a year later I realized I hadn't gotten sick once. I still haven't been to a doctors office since I started using essential oils. It's been almost 3 years. The other HUGE benefits are the friendships I've made, the abundance essential oils have brought to my family, the opportunity to do things I've never dreamed of, and an overall feeling of happiness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a nut-shell, the biggest and best changes I have made in my life are
1. Deciding to make a change (no fast food, no pop, no white bread)
2. Workout!
3. Paleo
4. Essential Oils
 |
| We Can Do It |
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