Down from 190's to Healthy & Happy

My health really wasn't a concern until I got out of High School. A series of choices, each one seeming insignificant at the time, began to add up. Eat a burger, drink a beer, watch tv for hours after a long day, friends that bring me down... I could go on. None of those actions seemed to make a considerable difference in my life right then but over time, I began to see in the mirror and feel in my body that the choices I was making were toxic. "Diet" plans over the years allowed me to shed pounds, and gain them again quickly. It was a vicious cycle.

After the birth of our second child I was tipping the scales at 190+ and feeling just about the worst I'd ever felt, mind, soul and body. My husband and I resolved to take charge of our lives and make the necessary changes to better ourselves. We began to invest more in our relationships with the Lord, each other, and our children. We began to seek out healthier food options and incorporated some fitness routine into each day. Of course, we've had two children since and my weight continued to fluctuate, but armed with better knowledge each time, I was able to take the bull by the horns and return to a healthy weight.

We are always learning and finding new ways to better ourselves and I'm happy to say that right now, I feel better about my body (even though I haven't reached goal weight/muscle tone) and have more energy than ever. Someone said to me a few months ago, "taking time for yourself isn't selfish - it's SELF CARE" and that was a turning point for me. I'm not just a mom, or a wife, or a maid, or a cook, or a teacher, or laundress, I'm a person! I can be selfless in life and live to serve others and still have time for ME without feeling guilty. Now, I consistently workout every day, even as a homeschooling mom of four! I've got plans for what I want this body to look like, the real body that God intended it to look like! We mostly follow a Paleo lifestyle and continuously push ourselves to try new foods that are good for us, even if we don't like them at first. We've also promised ourselves to budget for quality foods and supplements, that help us get the nutrition our body requires. It's said that money is the root of all evil. Well, I think that being unhappy, unhealthy and miserable is evil! We won't allow something like money prevent us from being healthy. I've discovered that I'm a better person, more fun to be around, and have more energy for life when I take time for me. I've discovered that I'm worth making good choices, even if those choices seem insignificant at the time -- they add up!