It's nice to meet you...

I’m so excited to be taking this journey with you. So you have some background information about me:

I’m a young woman in my mid-twenties, working a full-time job in a national restaurant chain (Italian!), carrying a full graduate school load studying journalism. I am married to my wonderful husband, and we don’t have any kiddos yet. So, basically, I’m like most American women – busy.

I’ve had a number of health issues over the years, primarily with my GI tract. My symptoms closely resembled IBS, and it significantly impacted my quality of life. I would be up for hours in the middle of the night with nausea, I started avoiding restaurants because I would feel sick after eating meals, and I couldn’t hang out past 9pm because my stomach would cramp so badly. The long and short of it is that I have an acid issue, and I have to be careful what I eat.

I also struggle with acne even though I take superb care of my skin with medical grade products. My mom is a medical aesthetician, so I’m always using the newest and best topical medications. And I still struggle with acne. Ugh.

I started focusing on healthy living a couple years ago when I started going to a health and wellness counselor. She worked with me on all the specifics of healthy eating – she gave me lessons in her kitchen and everything. She also talked a lot about holistic health and the importance of living a balanced life. Our health is about much more than diet and exercise – your stress levels and satisfaction with life play crucial roles.

I made a number of strides in the right direction, but I got overwhelmed with the amount of information. That – and I have a problem with follow through. I start a lot of activities, but I have a hard time finishing them. I know the right things to do. I have a lot of head knowledge. You know what it looks like, though. “I don’t feel like going to the gym today” or “water just doesn’t sound good right now.” I can come up with an excuse or anything. Well, not anymore. I’m done making excuses.

Joyce Meyer is constantly saying that the battle is in our mind. If we can change our minds, we can change our lives. So I’m changing my mind with the goal of changing my life. I’m setting my mind on healthy living, and I’m keeping it set.

This blog is my accountability to move every day toward a healthy lifestyle. It will be a journey with many ups and downs, but such is life. I’ll share what I’m thinking, what I’m learning, and what I’m doing. I’ll let you know the books I’m reading, the recipes I’m using, and the workouts that are working (and aren’t working). If you have ideas, please share them. 

I’ll never reach my potential without some hard work and determination – and neither will you. I hope you’ll take this as an inspiring challenge and go on this journey with me.