Taking care of your health is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Even knowing that it is really easy to get wrapped up in other priorities and end up putting yourself last. I know I’ve totally been there. It wasn’t really until I started having kids did I realize that I needed to start making some changes. In this post I am going to share what caused me to get started on this wellness journey and a few mistakes I made along the way!
I really hope hearing that you are not alone will help inspire you to get started or to keep going on your own journey. Life totally gets in the way sometimes and that is to be expected. But the truth is your health is one of the most important things you have and in order to keep it, you have to work for it.
Keeping Up With My Kids
After having my first son I started to realize just how important my health was. I was always on the healthier side of the spectrum, my diet was fairly ok and I played sports throughout my whole childhood. This definitely would come and go as I became an adult with periods of being super health conscious to not so much. And the time right before I got pregnant was definitely a time where I wasn’t so interested in it at all.
Throughout my pregnancy I knew something was going to have to change if I wanted to be able to keep up with my little one. Obviously they are not on the go right from the start so I had a little time but I also knew, even back then, that change doesn’t happen overnight. I joined crossfit with my husband after I had my son. Walking into that gym after having a baby was really hard, not going to lie, I talked myself out of going a few times! The overall goal of wanting to be adventurous and playful with my kids was always on my mind though.
I would see families playing in the park or going on these fun adventures and I knew I always wanted to do that. I also knew I would have to work at getting back into shape if I wanted that to be my reality. That was a big reason why I started out on this journey. I know so many people say you should do it for yourself and while I agree with that, it doesn’t always have to be the reason you begin!
Modeling A Healthy Lifestyle For Them
Growing up I was lucky enough to be one of those people who didn’t have to worry about what they ate at all. I could eat whatever and still look and weigh the same. That didn’t stick though and my unhealthy eating habits turned into me having a negative relationship with food. I tried more diets than I could count and they would work but the weight would always come back on.
It wasn’t until I was pregnant with my second son that I realized I needed some help with food. I had gained about 15 pounds in the first 10 weeks of my pregnancy. Finally I reached out to a nutrition coach at my gym and WITH permission from my doctor (super important part I want to keep emphasizing) I started focusing more on my nutrition. This was an eye opening experience because in my eyes I was eating healthy but in reality I really wasn’t.
The more I got engulfed in this new lifestyle the more I realized I had so much to learn and I wanted to learn it all for myself and so I could teach my kids to have a better relationship with food. I always felt the best way to teach my kids was to lead by example. If I wanted them to take their health seriously, then I needed to take mine seriously.
My kids are now 6 and 8 and they can tell you which foods are proteins and carbs. They can also tell you which carbs we should eat more of and which we should eat less off. We still travel to find local donut shops and indulge in treats and buy ice cream for good report cards. I feel we taught them balance and that was one of my main goals.
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting
It’s always easier to look back on your journey and wish you knew more when you started. Obviously that would have made the path easier but sometimes the journey itself is so important because we learn all those lessons. I wanted to share some big things I’ve learned because I want you to know that you are not alone with some of your fears or hard moments. You are not alone in having them!
- I put way too much stress on myself going back into the gym. I went from gaining 40 pounds with my first pregnancy to walking into a crossfit gym once I was cleared. Now my husband was a member there and we did know some people. I did beg one of the girls to come with me for my first class and she thankfully came. My biggest fear was being judged by everyone. I was heavier than I had ever been and by far in the worst shape of my life. And you know what, no one judged me. If they did I never knew about it and I’m ok with that also! People weren’t there to judge me, they were there to workout on their own.
- Healthy diets take time and work. I know that one isn’t fun to read but it’s true. I spent years doing all these crazy diets because they seemed perfect. That was mistake number one. There is no perfect and I wish I knew that earlier so I could have stopped trying to find it.
- Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up everything you love to eat. When I was pregnant with my second son I started working with my coach. We were focusing on macros (yes with doctors permission!). I could not believe I was able to eat ice cream as many nights as I did. And it all fell within my numbers. My whole outlook switched from dieting to lifestyle changes and eating foods in moderation. It took time to all happen but man was that journey worth it!
This is not the typical post I usually write, where I give you tips and tricks to be successful. I just wanted you to know my journey and why I even took it. There were ups and downs and some things worked out so well. Some things backfired so badly I still shake my head. But at the end of it all I started this journey because I wanted to keep up with my kids. I wanted to be able to go to the park and show them up on the monkey bars and run around playing soccer. I wanted to feel good in my own skin. And show my kids what it is like to live a balanced lifestyle. And when I look back I am so glad I worked so hard to accomplish those goals. You can do the same! Find your why and start going!
Did you know I started a podcast! This was another big goal of mine and I started it because I wanted to be able to help out all of you and connect more! It would mean so much if you came to check it out!
