My husband and I were talking recently about how far we have come with our health and fitness. Mainly about what a LONG road it has been!
Clean eating doesn't usually happen over night, if at all!! For us, it happened gradually with lots of trial and error. We were pretty fit and healthy when we were dating. Once we got married and other priorities took center stage (queue kids, job stress etc...) we eventually gave up our cleaner eating ways for "faster" options.
How Did We Get Here?
Simply because it was fast and easy. What we didn't anticipate was the toll it would take on our health. We didn't think about how all the, seemingly, small choices we made every single day would impact our overall health.
No, one donut or cupcake won't kill you!! But doing this every single day over time... that will! You literally get to "vote" on what you eat 3-6 times per day. But I think we were suffering from a lot of "food amnesia". We were making these choices and we were not remembering we were doing it! All those small choices add up. Not only to extra calories either, but tons of artificial sweetener, colors and sugars that have such a negative impact on our health.
We felt like crap because that is what we were eating. But we didn't know it! It was almost like that fable about the frog that boils to death in a pot of water. He doesn't jump out as the water starts to heat up and eventually cooks to death.
What Needed to Change
We needed to jump out, and jump now! We just felt terrible and the short term enjoyment of any of the things we thought we were treating ourselves didn't last. We needed a NEW way!!
I know this can seem impossible and we all have an inner child that just feels like they aren't getting what they want and REFUSES to change. But are you satisfying your physical need? Or your emotional need?
How to Start
For us we couldn't just make EXTREME changes otherwise we would fail. We needed to start small. Literally things like switching from whole milk to 2%, eventually to eliminating it all together in favor of Almond, or Cashew Milk. Really reading boxes and swaping out some things for healthier options.
Even with Vegetables- I started out with NONE! Yep literally. So I needed quick and easy, fresh frozen vegetables it was! But then as I learned more and started actually enjoying more vegetables, I now purchase organic fresh veggies. Fresh frozen still comes into play here and there but less.
If you eat alot of fast food- even staring by making better choices at the drive thru! An Egg McMuffin is actually a decent breakfast option! The Oatmeal, even better (thats about it for that though!). But making a shift and being more conscious about your choices will add up!
What changed?
We started to feel better. We wanted to take it further and thanks to a number of Beachbody programs that combine fitness with good nutrition we really learned SO MUCH MORE. Not only about getting moving and taking better care of ourselves, but about eating better, fueling our bodies in the right way and taking it to the next level.
We just didn't want to feel terrible anymore and have a better quality of life. It took the desire to really change. It also was NOT an easy road. We messed up, back slid and we still do have cheats and treats. But those major changes stuck because we feel SO GREAT now and the short term satisfaction of our "comfort foods" didn't compare to the long term impact of good health.
Results
Thru it all I lost over 40 lbs over all and my husband a little over 20lbs. Increased energy and just overall feel GREAT.
I was so successful and enjoyed teaching people what I learned so much I became a Health and Fitness Coach- I'd love to help you if you think you are ready to start making a real change! Apply below and I'll be in touch to get you started!
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