I’m sure everyone has heard that the 30’s are the best years of your life. I don’t know about anyone else, but I didn’t believe it. I was absolutely terrified to turn 30. I know that technically I was no longer a child in my 20’s, but to me it was a prolonged adolescence. Even though I was an adult who was responsible for my own life, I was still figuring things out. There are so many decisions to make, so many paths to choose, that it all seemed very overwhelming. As I neared 30, I began figuring things out. I started becoming more comfortable in my own skin. When I turned 30 last year, I knew I still needed to make some changes, but I wasn’t quite ready. In February of 2012, I hit the refresh button on my life.
There is something you should know about me, in order to get the full picture here. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. Healthy foods were just not for me, and I certainly wasn’t into exercising. I just liked to eat and I didn’t like to do what was necessary to burn the calories. Every once in a while I would get on a health kick and lose 10, 20, 30, or maybe even 70 pounds. However, I was always doing it because I felt like I should, not because I wanted to. I didn’t try to find healthy things that tasted good, and I certainly didn’t try to find exercise that I enjoyed. Being on a diet was not supposed to be fun. It was work, so there was no way I could enjoy it. My attitude was never in the right place. So, a few months (or weeks…or a year…) later, the weight would slowly creep back on until I was back where I started.
This year, something just clicked. I decided I was going to let being healthy become my lifestyle, not something I was forcing myself to do. I started Weight Watchers once again. This is a program that I tried twice before. I was pretty successful at it too. I lost 70 pounds the first time and 20 pounds the second time. However, my head wasn’t in the right place, so I quit and it came right back on. I knew this program worked, but I was too lazy to put in the effort. This time, something was different. I was different. I wanted to change my life. So the journey began. I started working out regularly, finding things that were actually fun. I started tracking what I ate, which became like a game. I found healthy versions of the foods I always loved. Right away, the pounds started coming off. The results were definitely encouraging, but most of all, I liked how it made me feel.
As I began sharing my story and my progress with others, people began asking me questions about it. I found that there are so many people in the world with stories just like mine. We are different ages and come from different backgrounds, but our struggles are the same. I wanted to create this blog to expand the circle even more. Here you will find personal stories on health, beauty, fitness, and faith. As I also struggle with sensitive skin, you will find an occasional beauty review as well. I am not an expert by any means, but I hope that you will be able to relate to my story and feel encouraged to share your own. Maybe you will even hit the refresh button yourself; and start your own healthy, beautiful, blessed life.