Bad Food, High Stress, Drinking & Late Nights, No Exercise, AND all with an attitude of “I do what I want.”
It all was catching up to me & I wasn’t listening!
My body was screaming at me for long time to STOP the madness and I didn’t listen or pay attention to the signs. Was I too late?
I thought I was living the dream, a job I loved, lots of friends to hang around with, traveling, family time, and doing whatever was fun at the moment. The kids were grown and I was on my own. I had lots of vacation time from my job, earning a decent living and I truly thought I could do anything I wanted with no worries.
I remember on a lunch break doing one of those magazine questions about “how much stress is in your life” tests. We all had a pretty good laugh about it; all of us with varying levels of stress. I was the highest of the group though, I think there was only 2 or 3 questions that I could say NO to. Even though I laughed, it did make me stop and consider what was going on? I thought the answer would be to lose 40 or so pounds and I would be great!
It is a long story over 10 years, but I feel like I have come out on the other side it. I will give you the highlights.
1. What wasn’t working:
eating “healthy” food 2 or 3 times a week and the rest of the week was cheeseburgers, fries and Jack Daniels
drinking diet coke - no sugar
riding my bike to work twice a week
eating in bed while watching TV
giving myself limits that were ridiculous - only a medium popcorn with butter and a diet coke when I went to the movies - which was at least once a week
having the TV on to fall asleep to - 1 or 2 in the AM
work 50 to 60 hours a week - yup a week
joining a slo-pitch team - wings and beer anyone?!
traveling - the perfect time to indulge - why not I am on holidays
Sure felt like I was having a good time. But when you know you are going to live a long life, if I continued, what quality of life would that be?
2. What might seem like it was healthy but turns out not to be:
started a strict low calorie diet
started training to run a half marathon
I accomplished my goal weight and ran the 1/2 marathon. But what was that price?
You ever hear stories of people that work their butts off for decades and then retire. They are NOW going to do all the fun and wonderful things they have always wanted to do. 6 months later they have a horrible illness and either become physically challenged or given a few months to live. They CAN’T do any of the wonderful things on their bucket list. So sad and I was on that track!
Then the crash happened . . . . . literally I crashed - okay I fainted. But I hadn’t done that since I was a kid. My body was never the same after I fainted. At the time I chaulked it up to stress, long and fast hours at work, too much wrong food and more Jack Daniels, less exercise, well you get the picture. But I just didn’t feel good after that. The weight was slowing coming back on too.
I didn’t see it as a wake up call but over the next year my body just was feeling worse and worse.
Then I did something that I thought was going to be wonderful and it turned out the complete opposite. I quit my job! Yup left my job and move in with my boyfriend. I was going to take the summer off, relax and recuperate. Why was this so bad? How could enjoying the sunshine and doing ALL the fun things be bad.
I became that newly retired person. Like that retired person, I gave my body time to health. My body said, “great, now I can work on fixing a few things”, instead of the go go go, suck it up and go attitude. But somethings were too far gone and couldn’t be fixed. I became gluten intolerant.
After 3 months my world was crashing around me but in slow motion. I rarely felt good, low energy, emotional, stomach issues, headaches, my joints ached, diarrhea, and just tired. I mean I was so tired that laying on the couch was all I could do for hours; I didn’t even care if the TV was on.
By accident, I was slowing figuring out that I was gluten intolerant. Where did that come from? That question was my wake up call but it was still slow. I found tidbits of answers but nothing that made me pull my head out of my ass.
My wake up call was a long journey. And it was just a little to slow; I am gluten intolerant and that won’t go a way. BUT I believe I did save myself from being that retired person. I believe I saved my self from a diagnosis an autoimmune disease; a life time of challenge or no life at all.
My hope with all of this is that I may help speed up your journey of your wake up call so that you do not suffer an long term or permanent illnesses.
3. What I have done right - I learned things and I continue to learn things
no more TV in the bedroom and restrict blue light; I have a bedtime routine that include self care
Processed sugar is bad and so is aspartame - no more diet coke or any soft drinks
of course a gluten free diet
supplements are required
self care - this are daily things just for me: reading, puzzles, hot baths, exercise
learn to ask questions - don’t settle because one person said so
use the medical system to benefit you - understand their perspective and then question it
functional medicine: learning to support my bodily systems for permanent improvement
natural alternatives: understanding quality products and how then can support my body
cleansing my systems - cleaning my body from the inside out
drink clean water, eat clean food
buy locally and organically when I can
learning meditation and increasing exercise
I found that taking small steps made huge difference.
Continually learning about nutrition, essential oils, cleansing, supplements, hormones
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