It only took 25 years and 7 months!

As many of you know, I've been on a fitness and health journey as of late. I've seen a lot of great progress, stumbled, and landed back on my feet. The single most important thing I gained from this is a fresh perspective on health and fitness. I am not skinny, I am not a model, I have fat, I have cellulite, I have insecurities, I am not perfect. Before, these were the things that held me back. I let the goal of being perfect get in the way of being good. I couldn't put my health and fitness in perspective regarding what was realistic, what was necessary, or even what mattered. I would work out and eat right for a few weeks, look in the mirror, see that same person and quit.

So what changed? Why is this time different? In short, I don't know what is different, there is not one thing I can point to and say that was what made the difference. I just started small, I took a step back and looked at my life. Was I happy with myself, no. Did I feel good about myself, no. Were my insecurities getting in the way of my happiness and my marriage, yes. Did my clothes fit, no. Did I have energy, no. It quickly became clear that it was now or never. No more waiting until next week or next month to get healthy. The time was now.

Fast forward, 7 months and my life is very different, I am so much happier with myself. I'm stuck though and haven't been making forward progress. I have always struggled with my diet. I love being active, but I'm not sure what to do with my diet. So, knowing I need my husband's support, I asked Matt if he would be interested in trying the paleo diet/lifestyle with me.  We will be researching the paleo diet and working together to make some big changes in what we eat and why over the next few months. I am going to take before pictures and track my progress through this blog.

Now I can't take all the credit for my success in changing my lifestyle. My husband has been my number 1 supporter, cheering me on when I needed it most. He has been my solid foundation when I felt like giving up and has helped me celebrate my small wins, each and every one of them! He even lets me flex my muscles and acted impressed, even when there was no visibly change in flexed vs. unflexed muscle. That of course has changed as I now have muscles, which I still flex for him almost weekly.  My friends and family have also been very supportive and I know that tracking my progress publicly has helped me stay accountable and on track!

I also plan on writing about my experience as a cycle instructor (hopefully). The idea is that if I share everything I learn, I am both held accountable and hopefully provide insight and advice to others on the same journey.

So check back in a few weeks for the BEFORE pictures!