My so called fitness journey: What ruined me but made me at the same time.

In 2012 I made an impulse decision to participate in my first fitness competition. It took all of 24hrs to convince myself to do it, impulse decision to say the least. Given my background I figured it would be an easy thing to do and I would love it. I was a very active kid growing up going from sport to sport and I loved working out as an adult so this should be a piece of cake I thought. The 18 week process changed my life forever. I’m a laid back, non-ridged person that just goes with the flow. This competition required me to be very rigid and structured so I was totally out of my element but at the time I could not see that. All I could see was the bait

dangling in front of me and the reward at the end. I completed my 18 week journey to the stage and took 3^rd place overall and won a fitness photoshoot with a very talented photographer. I was very pleased to say the least.

:My 18 week Journey:

It was about a week post show and I decided to hop on the scale and I had already gained about 10lbs, my heart sank. This thing called the scale that I never really got on much before was now ruling my life. Within 3 months post show I had gained my weight back roughly 25lbs and then some. You see before I was always an active person and I enjoyed my fair share of food but my balance between the two was natural and I managed to stay fit and happy for what I can say was most of my life. I would always joke that I worked out because I loved to eat. I was now gaining weight like wild fire and it seemed that I could not stop it. It seriously hit me about three months post show that I have something wrong with me. I was not seeing food in a healthy way anymore and I was what you would call binge eating. I would be good for a while and then eat all the tasty things I had deprived myself of. It was almost a year of deep thinking, searching and becoming real with myself that I realized I was in a state of depression. I had a group of loved ones around me and they could see the change in me and it was their comments and concerns that truly woke me up. I was depressed for the first time in my life. With a year of continuous searching and healing I was able to truly realize my core issues and came to terms with where I was and what happened. It was a tough process but one I am thankful for now.

:The day my life changed:

Come Nov 2013 I was proposed to by the man of my dreams and instantly went into wedding planning.As most brides do I was determined to get into the best shape of my life. It was in that moment that I truly realized that I had changed as a person. I had a healthy clear mind set of how I was going to lose some extra lbs. and I began my journey. It was a very exciting thing for me to see myself doing something in a healthy light. I had officially made this a lifestyle change. Not a 4 month journey or a quick fix, I was doing what I thought was best for my body. I was looking at food in a healthy light. What will nourish my body and make it thrive. What foods will heal my insides and make them run better. My body had become a temple in my eyes and I was now honoring it.

:My so called Fit Life:

:The happiest day of my life:

This change didn’t happen overnight and it was a tough journey to see myself go through but I can now say I have a healthy relationship with food and I know how to keep my body thriving and well. It was a slight switch in my mindset that made the biggest difference. When I looked at food as what can I have that will nourish me my window of options became endless. I started doing research on organic foods and how to shop and what to look for on labels. Instead of before I saw healthy foods as very limited and just a small list I could choose from. I now feel confident in knowing I will be bringing a child into this world and I can pass along a healthy lifestyle to him and raise him with nourishing foods and instill good healthy habits into his lifestyle. Life is a journey and our bodies are what we are taking along with us on this journey. It’s so important to treat our body as a temple and to honor it and nourish it with the foods we eat and the lifestyle we live. I hope this will touch some people’s hearts and spark a change in them. It was a tough journey for me to live out but one that I am thankful for now as I can honestly say I am happy, expecting a precious little boy in one month and I am looking forward to the journey of life ahead of me.