Today I’m linking up over at HealthyLivingBlogs.com for their Healthy Living Tuesday Posts. The topic is “Healthy Living Freed me From…”
Healthy living has become so much more than just a way to categorize my blog… it has become my life. When I first started my weight loss journey it was more about getting skinny rather than about finding healthy. I tried so many different “fad diets” including HCG and the diabetic diet. I lost some weight here and there, but nothing too notable.
After discovering I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and then having my daughter in 2010 I realized that I needed to be more concerned about my overall health instead of my weight. In my early 20s I was told that I had high cholesterol. While not exactly surprised due to my family history, that was another wake up call. You see my grandmothers on BOTH sides passed away from heart issues at very young ages (50s-60s), my uncle on my dads side passed away from a heart attack at 30, and my dad had a heart attack at 36, has a pacemaker, and has had several heart surgeries since. As far as heart health goes, the cards were not stacked in my favor. Obviously being significantly overweight didn’t make those odds any better. Neither did the weekly Pizza night, soda, or other fast food. I knew that if I wanted to be around for my daughter I had to learn how to live healthy.
Pizza night was replaced with salads or lettuce wraps, soda was exchanged for water or tea, and other fast food replaced with having healthy meals and snacks prepped in advance. Working out became the norm instead of sleeping in.
Instead of feeling fear or shame, I am now proud of my progress and my health. I’ve lost 40+lbs so far and am happier than I have ever been.
I also know that I am setting a good example for my daughter. I knew that growing up a “chubby” kid was hard. I didn’t ever want to have her go through that. By making healthy living the norm in our house I hope to make it easy for her to make healthy choices in the future. She already loves to exercise with us and has even done her first 5k!
So, I would say that Healthy Living Freed me from living in fear of heart disease, self sabotage, and 40lbs of unwanted fat (so far!). It has also helped me learn to ENJOY life more.
What has healthy living freed you from?
imperfectly courtney 
Seriously, your posts never cease to inspire me! Healthy living has kept me mentally healthy. I’ve gone through some tough times over the years and being all around fit – exercising, eating well, etc. has helped keep me physically, mentally & even spiritually strong(er…or as strong as I could be).
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Oh man, I should have added that in… Healthy living (exercising) keeps me sane and my family safe from any harm that may come to them if I were to not exercise… lol
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amazing post! your transformation is fantastic, and it’s so inspiring to read about!! you go girl! healthy living and weight loss freed me from self doubt, weakness, thoughts of not being good enough, and lack of confidence in all areas of my life. wonderful words today! thank you and SPA love!
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Man, that self-doubt is a pesky little booger and tries to pop up every once in awhile. But I tell that meany where to put it 🙂 more SPA love back atcha!!
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I love this! Healthy living has freed me from my self-destructive perfectionism – you only get better, stronger, faster if you’re willing to fail.
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Those words are profound, I need to put them on a tshirt or something!
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What a fabulous post! You should be so incredibly proud of yourself and what and inspiring mother you are to your daughter!!!
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Thanks Danielle!
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Great post! Your journey is very inspirational! Healthy living has freed me from being uncomfortable in my own skin, and setting me on a path to help inspire my kids to be active and healthy!
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Isn’t inspiring your kids one of the biggest motivators?!
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What an inspirational post. I think it’s important to focus on health, like you said, and not getting skinny. I still have a hard time with healthy living… I’m great with working out, but it’s the healthy EATING part I’m still struggling with.
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That’s a hard one! It took me some time to find the balance in it. Sometimes I would get so caught up in counting calories that I would have a melt down if I ate something that I thought had too many… I think I’ve learned to walk the line between healthy eating and obsessive eating, but I still have days I struggle. Thanks for stopping by!
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healthy living has made me SO MUCH HAPPIER!
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