For most of my adult life I have been interested in fitness and nutrition. After becoming a mother in 2004 I became very interested in the relationship between what we eat and our health. I started to really look at taking all artificial ingredients out of our diets and also how I could eliminate chemicals from our household items, too. I always loved working out, but had been somewhat inconsistent with my own weight seeing it yo-yo up and down.
In September of 2012 our lives were turned a bit upside down when our oldest son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This was quite a shock to us. On a Friday we took our “healthy” son to the Doctor because he just wasn’t acting himself and had been losing weight and on a Sunday we came home forever changed. I dove head first into my roll as a diabetic mom! I learned everything there was to know about diabetes, carb counting, and how healthy eating and exercise could help. While I was focusing on his health, my own became less of a focus. I didn’t realize the slippery slope I was heading down.
In early 2014 I was living the life I had always wanted, but was somehow miserable. I was unhappy that I had once again gained weight. I was tired all the time. I lacked patience and therefore was not the best wife or mother. I had a lot of guilt, too. I was living the life I had dreamed of, why wasn’t I happy? This is when I met someone who changed my life by inviting me to a fitness challenge group. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I knew something had to change.
For the first time in a while I focused on my own health by carving out time to workout and by getting back to eating clean healthy foods. In no time I started to feel better and in no time I realized I wanted to pay it forward and help other people, women and moms especially, do the same thing. I wanted to help them realize that healthy equals happy and to stop feeling guilty about taking care of themselves. I now run my own monthly fitness challenges where I work to motivate and inspire others to be their best versions of themselves by putting the focus back on themselves and their health.
I will never go back to that old me. I will be a better mom, wife, friend and person by putting myself back on my priority list. I will love myself enough to live a healthy life.
wendylivingclean.com 