A little about me...

I come from a large family; the 6th of 8 kids to be exact. I was the first girl following 5 boys which means I spent my formative years watching teenage boys eat and was pretty sure I needed to eat that much too (I know... that thought scares me now too). It only made matters worse that I didn’t have an “off” switch to signal when I was full. As a young girl, that was a seriously unfortunate set of circumstances.

The summer I got a bike was apparently the summer I worked off the “girly roundness" <insert heavy sarcasm> one gets when trying to eat like someone twice her age with a totally different metabolism. As I got older, I loved soccer and ballet and being active. What I didn’t love is that I never looked like my friends. I look back at pictures now and realize that I looked like a normal girl and I just had the unfortunate luck to have two exceptionally tiny friends. But, between being constantly reminded that “girls don’t eat like that”, “you’ve probably had enough” and constantly comparing myself to my two tiny best friends, I developed a serious complex that I have carried with me for as long as I can remember.

In high school, I started to gradually gain weight and considering how busy I was both academically and socially I would get up at 4:45 a.m. to work-out and was watching everything I ate; I also found my “off” switch or at the very least learned to read the signals that told me that I’d had enough. As any girl knows, image is already a big deal at that age. You want the boy to notice you, like you… date you and I was slowly gaining weight despite all my efforts. I was so discouraged! It was the Christmas of my freshman year in college that I found out why. I had Type II diabetes. I probably actually had insulin resistance to begin with, which would explain the unwanted weight gain during high school; but not only did I not know to watch for the signs; it wasn’t something that was diagnosed as prevalently as it is now.

I began studying nutrition and declared my major in Community Health Education with an emphasis on Health Promotion. My desire and motivation was that I wanted help others, specifically those that been through the struggle with weight. My career ended up in Human Resources with Corporate Wellness programs being one of many job functions.

In the years since college, I have become a wife and mother and have continued to grow professionally. Unfortunately, this also put me in the rut that many women find themselves in… my life became about other people. Although I have the knowledge and background, my health has taken a back seat for the past 10 years… that is, until now. It isn't easy for me to be so open about my past struggles and I venture to guess that there will be more ups and downs in my future, many of which I will probably struggle to want to share. That being said, I have learned the hard way that being open and honest is very freeing and even more importantly this blog isn't really about me. It's about you! Let my experiences be the ones to help and motivate you. Join me on my journey to Health Happening!

New Beginnings

You know the saying that "life is a journey, not a destination?" Well, the same can be said for health. It's all about the journey, the lifestyle changes, the commitment to enjoying the good things; it's not about making drastic changes just so you can look good for the next event (you know the crazy thought to stop eating altogether until you are your dream size has fleeting crossed your mind in a brief moment of desperation).

I can't tell you how many times I've thought that I was commited to turning my health around because of an upcoming hot date, wedding, class reunion, job interview... you name it. The problem always is, the date of the event would come and go and I'd either hit my goal (or wouldn't) and I'd go right back to my old habits. Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing what you've always done expecting different results. Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not a crazy person, so I guess it's time to change what I do so that I can get the results I want.

Let me tell you about my defining moment...

Christmas was fast approaching and I was in charge of the company Christmas social. The social was a huge success and seeing as how much I love a good party, I was thrilled that everyone had a great time and I was feeling pretty darn good about the outcome (okay, there was a little pride involved). I had finished cleaning up and was heading down the stairs with a group of employees that had stayed behind to help and we were laughing and talking about our holiday plans. We were about halfway down the stairs when I glanced up into the mirror lined wall opposite the stairs and had to take a closer look because I didn't recognize one of the people coming down the stairs.

That woman was ME! And she didn't look anything like how I pictured myself. All the happiness that I had felt only moments before was instantly gone as the realization sunk in. Now, like you, I see my reflection in the mirror every day, but when I saw myself in relation to those around me, I was forced to see my true reality. And let me tell you, I didn't like it.

Way back in my college days I majored in Community Health Education so knowing what to do has never been the problem, but actually living it is. I joke around with my mother that I'm much better at helping other people do things and organize things than I am at doing it myself. Those that can't do, teach, right?! :) I have had many defining moments during the past few months, not only in relation to myself, but my family also, that has made me realize that if I want to have the type of life (and body image) that I envision, then I have some changes to make.

The purpose of this blog is to share my journey and the journey of my family. Perhaps you can relate to myself, my husband, or my whole family. Maybe some of the changes we have made and are making will be the same changes you need to make. Or maybe they will just inspire you to find your own path to health; after all, if you're doing the right things.... Health Happens!