It is harder to remain as you are

Do you ever have this conversation with yourself…it is SO HARD to change. It is SO HARD to exercise. Or, it is SO HARD to eat healthy. Or, it is SO HARD to keep your home clean? Or, It is SO HARD to…insert your challenge? Well, I’m working to change my mindset…isn’t it really harder to remain as you are? In a state of stuck…wanting to change, but not doing the work to make it happen?

Well, I’m working to change my mindset…isn’t it really harder to remain as you are?

This conversation has been resident in my mind for too many years. I have had these conversations over and over. Each time I bemoaned the task in front of me. I need to get back to exercise, but its SO HARD. I need to be more self-controlled with my food choices, but its SO hard. I need to…you get it. But, the funny thing that I have come to realize is…the dreading of the task is so often the hardest point. Actually doing the task…while challenging, is usually not that hard and it is actually rewarding.

the dreading of the task is so often the hardest point. Actually doing the task…while challenging, is usually not that hard and it is actually rewarding.

The task ahead of me right now is taking control of my health. For those who have been a part of my life for some time, you know we live a full life that I am very thankful for. Over the past year much of my life was spent helping my dear husband recover from a heart attack and its complications. I am SO thankful to say that he is fully recovered and back to work…we are amazed and thank God regularly for allowing him to remain alive. In the midst of the last year, I have also come to see that I had some health challenges of my own…starting with high blood pressure at my first doctors appointment in many years. I was told, come back each month for three months and have it tested. If its still high, you will be diagnosed with high blood pressure and need medication. Wait, what? I’ve never had high blood pressure. Really? Me? Are you sure?

I scheduled an appointment with my doctor to have a full physical (had not had one in YEARS!). And, I canceled it. I wanted to make some changes first…but would I do it this time? We are not big medicine people and avoid it where we can and try to instead address root causes and make changes. I didn’t want a label and I didn’t want high blood pressure medicine which comes with its own set of complications.

SO, September of last year I dove in. Its funny how life experiences have a way of being defining moments. This defining moment had to stick. Change had to be made or I would be the one in the hospital next…that fear was very real as we had just lived through it. Doing a round of Whole 30 was my first step. 30 days after beginning…I was 19 lbs down and felt more energetic than I had in some time. The second round…a little HARDer. I was about 85% in and lost another 10 lbs…still feeling more energy that I had in years. Even more than the weight loss, I learned through the elimination aspects of the Whole 30 that my body didn’t have to ache any more. And, my digestive system could actually work well! There were foods I was eating that needed to be eliminated for good.

The holidays came and healthy eating became HARD again. It was HARD to get back on track. It was HARD to bake goodies and HARD to not bake holiday goodies. It was HARD to go to parties…you get it. I was back in that conversation. The aches and digestive issues returned.

January came…and a life changing set of labs were taken. I found out that I was on the edge of many different life-altering diseases…on the edge of diabetes. One the edge of heart disease. My inflammation levels were off the charts. I had regained 10 lbs of the weight I had lost. This time, the medical professional I saw was a Functional Medicine Practitioner. She didn’t say come back each month and if you don’t change you will be labeled…she said, here is what you need to do to change. Are you WILLING to do it? It will be HARD, but staying as you are would be HARDER. She was right! I needed to change my perspective.

Are you WILLING to do it? It will be HARD, but staying as you are would be HARDER. She was right! I needed to change my perspective.

I drove from that doctor’s office to the gym and signed up…and scheduled a trainer for once a week. I had joined many gyms before and knew I needed this extra push to keep at it. We had been talking about joining this gym for months…I just did it. I am so glad I did! I am making lots of progress and meeting with a trainer 2-3 time a week. She has graciously taken the challenge to help me…even more than she is being paid to do. I am SO grateful!

We were already eating pretty clean…but, those “little” treats I had been allowing myself were becoming more and more frequent…I needed to kick them out for a time until I could get things back under control. We are now Paleo-ish here at our home…mostly Paleo with a few exceptions…insert yummy chili here! 🙂 I am still on the weight loss journey with a total of 35 lbs lost, most aches gone, immeasurable energy regained and a second round of lab tests came back with progress being made.

I’ll test again at the end of the summer. I’ve learned that while making changes can be HARD, it was definitely HARDER staying as I was. Progress is being made! I have also learned that it is not just our food and exercise that effects our health…I will write more about that in part two of my health journey. We have not only cleaned up our food, but also our cleaning products and our personal care of beauty products. It is a long journey, but a good one and our family is enjoying the fruits of our labor.

What changes are you putting off because they are HARD? Maybe, just maybe, you will learn what I have been learning…that it is much HARDER to stay as you are.

Blessings!