I have been immersed in health and exercise since I was very young. As I came into my High School years I involved myself in aerobics and running. My parents soon added free weights and a cable machine to our workout room and I have been lifting ever since. However, my interest in exercise and health soon became an obsession. In college, I became certified in teaching aerobics and taught night classes for the school. I still worked out everyday on my own on top of that. Even though I was obsessed with exercise and nutrition, I was not into gimmicks, dieting, or quick weight loss schemes. I knew they didn't work and were harmful to the body. I stayed away from sugar as much as possible and ate eggs for breakfast instead of cereal or baked my chicken instead of frying it. I never allowed myself to buy candy, treats or candybars. But with all that I did right for my body, I never did and still don't have a perfect body...although that has always been my goal: the best that I can be at my height and frame. Even though I never bought a candybar, if I was offered one I would eat it. It's not like I was perfect - just very well informed.
During college my plans were to become a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Phys Ed was my major. I took Anatomy and learned all I could about the human body and I loved it. I planned to come home after graduation and start teaching at a gym. I wanted a career in Health and Fitness and I wanted to live the dream! Life had a lesson to teach me, however, and things did not go as planned. But with all that was wrong with my life at the time, I was blessed to find work at a chiropractic office and find a whole new meaning of health. I learned what Kinesiology was and about real natural health and myths and lies and even the government's deceit in what they call health care. It changed my life.
Over the next several years I struggled immensely. My life was still centered around exercise - I knew it was good for me and I loved it but even though it was something I wanted to do, I always felt it was something I had to do and that caused me problems. I still ate as healthy as I could but I punished myself when I didn't. I struggled with my body image and became more and more depressed. I was so very miserable and had been for so much of my young adult life. It wasn't until 2006 that I was introduced to another person that changed my life. She helped me understand things on a deeper level and helped me to break out of the constant punishment and misery. I started accepting myself no matter what I weighed or what size I was and even more important - numbers were thrown out all together. It was extremely liberating. To this day I have no idea what I weigh and that works great for me!
I got married and my husband became my workout partner. We worked out everyday together. Mentally I was a lot better off, but I still had a lot of work to do. I still felt like I had to be a certain size in order to like my body (which is not a healthy way of thinking) and I decided I would try a "get skinny quick" diet. It had worked for my sister, who had lost 30 lbs her first round, and seeing her lose that kind of weight in six weeks had me seeing skinny jeans. I'm talking about the hCG diet. I did lose twenty pounds and I felt amazing. It was an extremely hard diet to be on (especially since I did it through the holiday season) but I loved being skinnier and I wanted to do another round as soon as I was able, to just drop about 15 more. I kept thinking: 'If I only lost 15lbs then I will weigh this much and I'll be happy then.' Not Good. But I did it anyway...and this time the weight didn't melt off. I was frustrated and mad and by the time I was done with the second round, I needed to go see my friend again. Also during this time, I was laid off of my job. It was very bad timing for me to be alone and by myself everyday. I had broken my rule of not weighing myself because you are required to while on the diet. I thought I would be just fine since I was 'fixed.' But that was not the case and I had to throw that scale out again and re-train myself not to worry about what size I was or how I looked. I immersed myself into exercise, lifting and running, and feeling stronger everyday. Since I didn't have a job I worked out twice a day Monday thru Thursday and once on Friday and Saturday. My body was getting leaner by doing this and I began to love exercise and not look at exercise as "I have to." I was eating A LOT! Lots of vegetables and protein and Dub supplements had me feeling great! I had dreams of getting into Figure Competition like my sister did and knew I could do it!
Today I am working again so I am back to working out once a day and that's okay. Once is good enough. I won't have time to train for a competition but one day I will. And because my husband and I are involved in Dub Nutrition, and because I have so much I want to share about what I have learned about health, we decided to make this blog, which is something that has been on my to-do list for quite some time. I hope people find it and can learn something new all the time. I am obviously not as good as a natural health professional and wish that I had a pinkies worth of the knowledge they do, but I am still in the mood to share!!
During college my plans were to become a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Phys Ed was my major. I took Anatomy and learned all I could about the human body and I loved it. I planned to come home after graduation and start teaching at a gym. I wanted a career in Health and Fitness and I wanted to live the dream! Life had a lesson to teach me, however, and things did not go as planned. But with all that was wrong with my life at the time, I was blessed to find work at a chiropractic office and find a whole new meaning of health. I learned what Kinesiology was and about real natural health and myths and lies and even the government's deceit in what they call health care. It changed my life.
Over the next several years I struggled immensely. My life was still centered around exercise - I knew it was good for me and I loved it but even though it was something I wanted to do, I always felt it was something I had to do and that caused me problems. I still ate as healthy as I could but I punished myself when I didn't. I struggled with my body image and became more and more depressed. I was so very miserable and had been for so much of my young adult life. It wasn't until 2006 that I was introduced to another person that changed my life. She helped me understand things on a deeper level and helped me to break out of the constant punishment and misery. I started accepting myself no matter what I weighed or what size I was and even more important - numbers were thrown out all together. It was extremely liberating. To this day I have no idea what I weigh and that works great for me!
I got married and my husband became my workout partner. We worked out everyday together. Mentally I was a lot better off, but I still had a lot of work to do. I still felt like I had to be a certain size in order to like my body (which is not a healthy way of thinking) and I decided I would try a "get skinny quick" diet. It had worked for my sister, who had lost 30 lbs her first round, and seeing her lose that kind of weight in six weeks had me seeing skinny jeans. I'm talking about the hCG diet. I did lose twenty pounds and I felt amazing. It was an extremely hard diet to be on (especially since I did it through the holiday season) but I loved being skinnier and I wanted to do another round as soon as I was able, to just drop about 15 more. I kept thinking: 'If I only lost 15lbs then I will weigh this much and I'll be happy then.' Not Good. But I did it anyway...and this time the weight didn't melt off. I was frustrated and mad and by the time I was done with the second round, I needed to go see my friend again. Also during this time, I was laid off of my job. It was very bad timing for me to be alone and by myself everyday. I had broken my rule of not weighing myself because you are required to while on the diet. I thought I would be just fine since I was 'fixed.' But that was not the case and I had to throw that scale out again and re-train myself not to worry about what size I was or how I looked. I immersed myself into exercise, lifting and running, and feeling stronger everyday. Since I didn't have a job I worked out twice a day Monday thru Thursday and once on Friday and Saturday. My body was getting leaner by doing this and I began to love exercise and not look at exercise as "I have to." I was eating A LOT! Lots of vegetables and protein and Dub supplements had me feeling great! I had dreams of getting into Figure Competition like my sister did and knew I could do it!
Today I am working again so I am back to working out once a day and that's okay. Once is good enough. I won't have time to train for a competition but one day I will. And because my husband and I are involved in Dub Nutrition, and because I have so much I want to share about what I have learned about health, we decided to make this blog, which is something that has been on my to-do list for quite some time. I hope people find it and can learn something new all the time. I am obviously not as good as a natural health professional and wish that I had a pinkies worth of the knowledge they do, but I am still in the mood to share!!
Sorry it took so long to visit your fitness blog. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I think everyone has issues with their body in some way (that dang devil) and it's not good to dwell on those issues, especially when there is so much awesomeness to enjoy. All it takes is to lose the use of your legs to not care what shape they are in, as long as they work (mom taught me that).
ReplyDeleteAnd just so you know...to me, you are fabulous darling! I mean that. You look GREAT!
Here's to good health, happiness, and a positive self view! Cheers