Day 26 - This is my why...
I'm on day 26 of my new nutrition program. 26 days without alcohol. 26 days saying no to all of the pizza that I still crave. 26 days of saying enough is enough and it's time to get your $#!t together, girl!
I've been an athlete all my life. I played competitive soccer most of my youth and carried on until I got hurt in college and couldn't play anymore. Up until that point, I worked out so much that I could eat anything without thought or consequences. Yay youthful metabolisms! As I was transitioning from collegiate athlete to weekend warrior, my bad eating habits came along for the ride.
Fast forward to my mid-twenties and the habits got worse. Alcohol became a clutch after a big life altering event. It was the therapy that I thought I needed when no one or no one thing could help me cope. Not only was I treading a thin line between social drinker and alcoholic, but my bad eating habits now had a partner in crime!
Not that any of you would know the feeling (*ehem*) but have you ever had so much to drink that the only thing you can think about doing is binge eating the biggest plate of loaded nachos from your local 24-hour taqueria? Or a massive bag of Jack In The Box tacos?! How about those Hot Pockets?!?! Yeah, that was my life! I drank excessively. Then ate to "cure my hangover". Then followed that up with more drinking because I loathed the body I was living in, built by Jack Tacos. But better believe I NEVER said no to a happy hour because how could I be sad during a happy hour or pass up those loaded potato skins?!
It didn't happen overnight. And the cycle changed ever so slightly over the years. I was drinking more because of the stress of work and my home life. I ate like crap more often because I traveled three weeks out of the month for a few years in a row. Whatever the case, I still hated the person I kept seeing the the mirror and kept pushing those feelings down with food and beers. The cycle never ended!
Every now and then I would make a piss poor attempt at getting into shape. I'd go paleo. Or I'd work out for a few weeks in a row before throwing in the towel because I wasn't seeing the results that I wanted. Of course I was still drinking everyone under the table every weekend and eating anything that would bring me some sort of short term satisfaction. Again never thinking about the consequences.
A few weeks ago I turned 30. I spent most of my twenties not giving a crap about my health. Which was dumb in general but I had every reason to care. I've had a few biopsies done over the years for lumps that have been found on my ovaries. I've suffered from severe fatigue issues that would at times feel paralyzing. I've had stints with cluster headaches that floored me so badly that I would have sooner given up my life than experience them again. Yeah, my health hasn't been a priority.
Until now.
Remember the movie, 13 Going on 30? Where Jenna wishes for nothing more than to be 30, flirty, and thriving. Well I'm with her! I decided last month that it's time to get this damn show on the road!
I'm not saying that I will never have a beer again or enjoy a deep dish pizza. But I am breaking free from bad habits that have literally weighed me down. I'm learning that food and booze doesn't have to be the answer to all of life's challenges. That I don't need either to help me cope with my sadness or to be my go to when I'm celebrating the end of any day ending in 'Y'.
So like I mentioned before, I'm on day 26 of my new nutrition program. I'm down 20lbs. I have way more energy than I have ever experienced before in my life. Even better, I have a huge community of people that I get to do this with. I have an amazing coach who is walking along side me as I do it. I know that I am not doing this alone.
I also want you to know that if YOU need support in your own journey, you have ME! I hope this blog helps to support your health journey. Or at the very least, my dog will make an appearance every now and then and he's super freaking cute.
None of this is to toot my own horn but to let you know that it's never too late to reclaim your health. You just have to find your reason why. I was sick of feeling like a complete slob-kebab. I saw sickness take the lives of people that I care about and I didn't want that for my life. What's your why?
Whatever your reason for joining me here, I'm looking forward to sharing my ongoing progress and some more yummy recipes with you!
~ M
I've been an athlete all my life. I played competitive soccer most of my youth and carried on until I got hurt in college and couldn't play anymore. Up until that point, I worked out so much that I could eat anything without thought or consequences. Yay youthful metabolisms! As I was transitioning from collegiate athlete to weekend warrior, my bad eating habits came along for the ride.
Fast forward to my mid-twenties and the habits got worse. Alcohol became a clutch after a big life altering event. It was the therapy that I thought I needed when no one or no one thing could help me cope. Not only was I treading a thin line between social drinker and alcoholic, but my bad eating habits now had a partner in crime!
Not that any of you would know the feeling (*ehem*) but have you ever had so much to drink that the only thing you can think about doing is binge eating the biggest plate of loaded nachos from your local 24-hour taqueria? Or a massive bag of Jack In The Box tacos?! How about those Hot Pockets?!?! Yeah, that was my life! I drank excessively. Then ate to "cure my hangover". Then followed that up with more drinking because I loathed the body I was living in, built by Jack Tacos. But better believe I NEVER said no to a happy hour because how could I be sad during a happy hour or pass up those loaded potato skins?!
It didn't happen overnight. And the cycle changed ever so slightly over the years. I was drinking more because of the stress of work and my home life. I ate like crap more often because I traveled three weeks out of the month for a few years in a row. Whatever the case, I still hated the person I kept seeing the the mirror and kept pushing those feelings down with food and beers. The cycle never ended!
Every now and then I would make a piss poor attempt at getting into shape. I'd go paleo. Or I'd work out for a few weeks in a row before throwing in the towel because I wasn't seeing the results that I wanted. Of course I was still drinking everyone under the table every weekend and eating anything that would bring me some sort of short term satisfaction. Again never thinking about the consequences.
A few weeks ago I turned 30. I spent most of my twenties not giving a crap about my health. Which was dumb in general but I had every reason to care. I've had a few biopsies done over the years for lumps that have been found on my ovaries. I've suffered from severe fatigue issues that would at times feel paralyzing. I've had stints with cluster headaches that floored me so badly that I would have sooner given up my life than experience them again. Yeah, my health hasn't been a priority.
Until now.
Remember the movie, 13 Going on 30? Where Jenna wishes for nothing more than to be 30, flirty, and thriving. Well I'm with her! I decided last month that it's time to get this damn show on the road!
I'm not saying that I will never have a beer again or enjoy a deep dish pizza. But I am breaking free from bad habits that have literally weighed me down. I'm learning that food and booze doesn't have to be the answer to all of life's challenges. That I don't need either to help me cope with my sadness or to be my go to when I'm celebrating the end of any day ending in 'Y'.
So like I mentioned before, I'm on day 26 of my new nutrition program. I'm down 20lbs. I have way more energy than I have ever experienced before in my life. Even better, I have a huge community of people that I get to do this with. I have an amazing coach who is walking along side me as I do it. I know that I am not doing this alone.
I also want you to know that if YOU need support in your own journey, you have ME! I hope this blog helps to support your health journey. Or at the very least, my dog will make an appearance every now and then and he's super freaking cute.
None of this is to toot my own horn but to let you know that it's never too late to reclaim your health. You just have to find your reason why. I was sick of feeling like a complete slob-kebab. I saw sickness take the lives of people that I care about and I didn't want that for my life. What's your why?
Whatever your reason for joining me here, I'm looking forward to sharing my ongoing progress and some more yummy recipes with you!
~ M
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