Make your mess your message!

I haven't written about this in a while but I feel it's important to remind myself and others that just because you have been through a "mess", in my case an ugly divorce when my son was born DOES NOT MEAN YOUR WORLD HAS ENDED!! In fact, a mess can be turned into your message!! I am much more awesome post divorce, post 20's and post baby! Going through a messy time in your life needs to be looked at in one and one way only. There is something much better on the other side!! For me my mess has turned into me finding my passion for helping people to be healthy and get fit. I am benefiting much more than I could have ever imagined from changing careers (I was previously in HR before becoming a personal trainer). Money is no longer what I strive for or get sad over when I don't have enough. I reversed everything and do what I am passionate about and what comes of it is a much happier more confident person. If you believe in yourself and do what you love you can make money, you can stay home with your son one day a week, you can love to go to work. You have to put the work into it and spend your time making things happen rather than complaining that they are not the way you want them to be. This theory is exactly what changing your body is about. It will happen if you do the work and if you put your heart and soul into it entirely!

 I can relate to moms, I can relate to people struggling with their weight and self-image. I was once there! Here is a picture of me with my son (April 2010) when I was just turning 30....and as I like to say," dazed and confused". I didn't know what I was going to do, I didn't even really know who I was. I have spent the past 3 years finding myself (thru trial and error) and following my passion. Working out and eating right changed me tremendously. It gave me the power to truly be me and not hide behind this girl in the picture. I was sad, mad, scared, divorced, a new mom and honestly LOST.

[caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="225"] My son and I-post divorce-April 2010-right before I started working out and eating right. 138 lbs.[/caption]

Fitness helped me FIND my true self and use that to help and inspire others!  Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to go after what I wanted in ALL aspects of life. I feel amazing now and I have no problem keeping my weight under control. I have changed all of my habits. I live this way now and it is wonderful!!! I do go by the 80/20 rule and indulge in wine, beer order pizza and even eat sweet treats every once in a while but they are not my normal and they are not what I want in my body most of the time. I eat lean and I eat often. I love fruits and veggies and good carbs. I have a daily dose of flax seeds and I drink lots of water. These things help me stay on track and feel great! They give me the energy to go after my dreams and stay fit! In the pic above I weighed 138 lbs. I never really worked out and I ate like crap, I had no muscle tone!!! I remember trying to workout in that previous year and not even being able to get past 1 min on an elliptical! I was pathetic!!! :) Last fall I ran a 10 K and I am now training for the Pittsburgh half-marthon in May! This is amazing considering who I was 3 years ago!

[caption id="attachment_689" align="aligncenter" width="200"] 10K race results-something I never thought I would do![/caption]

My scale has read as low as 109 lbs a year ago and everything in between to where I am now at 125  lbs-strong, toned, full of energy and HAPPY!!! This is where I want to be because this is where I feel my best!!! I don't weigh myself daily and sometimes not even weekly. I base everything on how I FEEL. How do my clothes fit? Am I full of energy or sluggish? The scale is a good gauge but it is not what I "rate" myself on! I would rather have more lean muscle on my body than be a certain number on the scale.

I hope my journey can help Inspire you! If I can do this then YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

[caption id="attachment_690" align="aligncenter" width="283"] Fall 2012-thumbs up![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_691" align="aligncenter" width="291"] On my way to run outside-fall 2012-Never thought this would happen either!!! Just keep going!![/caption]

XOXOXO-A