One day, a friend and I took our dogs for a hike.  The dogs were having a great time running in the woods while we were keeping a decent pace on the trail.  We got to this hill and she reached the top first.  By the time I got there I was winded and not feeling well.  She was 8 months pregnant at the time.  I was not.

This was my wake-up call.  Mainly because someone about a month away from giving birth should not beat a 20 something year old up a hill!  The next day I joined the local gym, hired a personal trainer, and made working out a priority.  I was lifting weights, building muscle, and getting stronger.  I started running on the trail behind my house (anyone who knew me in highschool is already laughing at this one… me running is huge!).   When a new martial arts dojang opened down the road, I signed up for some Hapkido classes (great self defence).  

At the height of my activity frenzy, I was doing body pump at the gym 2-3  times a week, learning Hapkido 2-3 times a week, and running for a bit nearly every day.  Some weekends I would skip the classes and go for a 10 mile hike or a 20 mile backpacking trip with a 25-30lb pack.  That is a lot of activity!  But my weight didn’t really change.  

I was getting frustrated… and a bit tired.  Then I met my boyfriend, Casey.  He is crazy active and introduced me to skiing on our 3rd date.  I love it!  We started going every weekend in the winter and hiked all spring, summer, and fall.  After dating for about year, we decided to move in together.  I started cooking more and lost about 6-7 lbs.  Finally!!

Then I started a new job that was 2 hours away from our home and life started getting crazy.  We started going out to eat more and cooking less.  The weight I worked so hard to lose for years came back and brought friends.  I felt huge and unhappy.  Something had to change, but I no longer had time to spend over an hour at the gym every day.

I tried several different diet plans, but they all left me feeling hungry and antisocial.  I felt like I couldn’t go out to eat, because there was nothing “approved” at the restaurant.  Or it would be too complicated to calculate points or find a similar food in a pregenerated database.  I just didn’t have the time for a plan that would leave me hungry and unhappy.

Around this time, a Facebook friend’s wife was posting about this new plan she was using.  Everyday, she posted something about how they were eating clean healthy food and how she was feeling better about herself and about her life.   She had more energy for her kids and her husband and and they were all eating well.  

So… I Googled.  I looked for reviews both good and bad.  How hard was this going to be?  How much time would I need to commit to this?  Would this plan be sustainable?  Would it be healthy?  I needed a long term change and I didn’t want to fall for another fad diet.  I needed to fuel my body and be healthy.

I placed my order, planned my meals, and committed to giving it a try for just 3 weeks (one cycle).  I joined a few Facebook groups that offered advice, motivation, and support to me on my journey.

The plan finally gave me an easy to understand way to make sure I’m getting enough protein, carbs, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats.  I’m eating 5 meals a day and am not hungry.  About the time I start to get a little peckish, I eat another snack.  One of these is a special shake designed to be a meal.  As someone who works 8-10 hour days with a 4 hour commute, I do appreciate having one meal that I don’t even think about.  It’s a protein, fruit, and a bit of peanut butter out the door and on my way.  I could check in with my group online whenever I had a question (which in the beginning was a lot!).

So far I’ve completed two cycles of this plan.  I’m down 10 lbs and feeling so much healthier.   One more time - that is 10lbs in about a month and half.  The only time I’m hungry is because I got distracted and went too long between meals (I’m human, it happens).

This is no quick fix.  It’s not some fad diet that has you eating a full cow’s worth of protein every day or cutting out an entire food group.  This is a lifestyle change.  I work out for 30 minutes a day and make sure that I eat real food in the correct portion sizes.  This is totally sustainable!  Part way through my first round, I had all of the color coded containers in my head.  I could look at a menu and say “ok, I have 1 red (protein), 1 green (veggie), 1 yellow (carb), and 1 blue (healthy fat)  left for the day” and use that even when I’m out to eat with friends to help me pick a meal and stay on track.  I have a support system through my on-line groups that help me make the best decisions I can so that I know that I’m never going it alone.

Ok.. reeling it in here. I get excited about finally finding something that works for me.  It took 34 years… but it’s finally here!!

I actually started talking about this so much to everyone I know, that I decided to become a coach.  I love the free challenge groups that coaches run and enjoy encouraging people to take control of their health and their lives.  

My advise to you is:  Don’t wait until someone who is 8 months pregnant beats you up a hill.  Start today!  I want you to feel as good as I’ve been feeling.

If you are still searching and hungry for something that will work, I’m available to answer your questions.  You are welcome to join one of my challenge groups for accountability and encouragement.  Or just to see what it’s all about.

At the end of the day, you need to decide what you want out of life.  If you are happy at your health and fitness level, fantastic! Congrats!  If you aren’t happy and are willing to commit to 30 minutes of exercise and meal prep time, then send me a message and we’ll talk.