It’s no secret that living a healthy and fit lifestyle can be very challenging. It takes loads of dedication, consistency and determination that can just be so stinkin' hard to have at all times. If it were easy, everyone would do it, right? I started this journey of health and fitness in August 2011 with Jamie Eason’s LiveFit trainer. But a few times over the past 4 years, I’ve found myself falling off the wagon and having a heckuva time finding the motivation and drive to get my butt back on there.
I’m a wife, a stay at home mom (that needs a maid), I homeschool our boys, I’m a chicken farmer and I find myself being pulled in a million different directions every.single.day. I always have a to-do list a mile long, and I noticed I was making a habit of putting myself and my goals on the back burner. Pure laziness? Maybe. My husband and boys are constantly needy of me (which I love to death and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world) but good LORD, it can get a little overwhelming. Which usually results in chocolate, that I might as well just slap on the back of my legs and love handles, ‘cause Lord knows that’s where it’s headed!
So there I was, a little bundle of stressed out mess. I would have a cheat meal that would turn into a cheat day, which usually resulted in a cheat weekend, and multiple cheats throughout the week. The crappy food left me exhausted and feeling sluggish so my workouts became hit or miss and before I knew it, I let myself go (again). A transformation challenge came along online, and it was JUST the kick in the pants that I needed to get myself back on track. 12 weeks later and I had some pretty awesome before and after pics. I felt proud, fit, healthy as heck and ready to conquer the world! This has happened a few times and one thing I know is that this momma NEEDS health and fitness in her life. On a daily basis. No more falling off the wagon. Ever. When I eat junk, skip workouts and let myself go, I feel terrible. I’m tired, out of shape, obviously not happy with myself, so I’m grumpy, and probably not very much fun to be around. I have realized that making my health a priority is not selfish. It’s necessary for a happy, healthy and sane mommy. I need to be healthy and fit so I can be HERE to take care of my family (seriously, they’d be lost without me, 😉 lol). No matter how huge my to-do list is or how backed up I am on the laundry, I make it a point to wake up at the crack of dawn and get my hour-ish workout in everyday (except Sundays). I spend a few hours on Sundays meal prepping for the week to be sure we have healthy food ready to go. It makes it impossible to fail when I plan ahead.
If there’s just one thing you remember from this post, let it be “The Harder The Battle, The Sweeter The Victory.” Keep focused on where you want to be. No matter how many hurdles you have to jump over to get there. Keep pressing forward, knowing that you're going to win this. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Know that you aren’t alone. We're human. Life happens and it happens to all of us. I know how hard it can be to take time for yourself, but even if you have only 20 minutes a day to squeeze in a quick workout, do it! It can make a world of difference and you'll feel so proud for getting it done. All the small changes add up to a huge transformation over time. Take a couple hours over the weekend to prep some healthy meals for the week. Set yourself up for success. Make it impossible to fail. Think about your WHY. Do it not only for yourself, but for the people in your life who love you, need you and want you around for a long long time. It’s hard. Not even going to lie. It’s hard to stay consistent. But if you can picture your goal, where you want to be, and think of the people in your life who love you and need you, work like heck towards it, and don’t ever stop, you are going to make it! You will get there before you know it and can you imagine how amazing it’s going to feel? You will be the proudest, healthiest, strongest, and fittest version of yourself and it’s going to be so rewarding. There’s freedom and happiness in living a healthy lifestyle.
Before I wrap this up, I want you to close your eyes and picture your dream best self. Picture your goal. Picture yourself reaching your goal. Picture your success. What does it look like? If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. Now open your eyes and TAKE ACTION!! Don’t let anybody talk negatively about your dreams or tell you that you can’t do it. You CAN and you WILL! Don’t stop. It’s a lifestyle. A healthy, happy lifestyle. It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be so worth it!
I’m no pro, but I have learned so much over the last 4 years of living this lifestyle and I am just truly passionate about it. I love the way I feel and want the whole world to know how good healthy feels. If you don’t know where to start, please feel free to send me a message through the "Contact Us" tab, I would love to help you the best I can!! I have had the privilege of helping hundreds of women through my Facebook and Instagram pages, and I would love to help you too! <3