Here’s how I decided to take control of my life: I was a wife and mother in my early 40’s. I was unhappy, overweight and on the verge of needing prescription medications for a bunch of problems. I had lower back pain, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol. Whaaat???!!!
I felt like I was shaken from a deep sleep. Who was this person? How did I arrive here? Why had I neglected myself so much? How was I going to change it? I finally got brave enough to take a good hard honest look at myself and I really did not like what I saw. I was a smart nurturing person, who was on the fast track to a future full of prescriptions, pain, illness and death. As I saw it, my choices were either I make a change or die an early death. I wanted to see my children grow into adulthood. I wanted to be happy. It was a no-brainer- enough was enough! I decided then and there to take control of my life! I was going to make some healthy changes. I was ready!
I think the hardest thing that I had to do was to convince myself that I deserved to be happy. I knew I was a good mother and I thought I was a good wife, but I felt so alone and unhappy. I felt like a servant in my own home. In addition to working full-time, I cooked, cleaned, did the laundry and I ran the kids around to wherever they needed to go. I had very few friends of my own. I never went anywhere or did anything for myself. My whole life revolved around what the family needed. Don’t get me wrong, the blame was on me. I let it happen. I chose to put myself last for so long that everyone started treating me like the hired help. Before I could take steps toward getting healthy, I needed to convince myself that I deserved to be happy. I decided to go for counseling.
This is me at 48, before I started getting healthy with It Works and running with Team in Training.
Through counseling, I rediscovered myself and I liked what I found! When I first started, I naively thought that something was wrong with me and I wanted to fix it so I could repair my marriage. Once I was fixed, I could start taking steps to figure out how to get healthy. What a silly and simplistic way of thinking, right? Well, what I came to discover was that the problem wasn’t me! I was in a very unhealthy relationship. I won’t get into the specifics, but once I realized this, I knew I needed to leave that relationship behind in order to move forward. I was always a goal setter, but for some reason I lost that when I got married and had children. I put myself on a shelf while I took care of everyone else. You know where that got me? It got me to a place where no one respected me because I didn’t respect myself! Actions truly speak louder than words and the example that I set for my family was that moms don’t matter. That moms are the maid and caretaker. OMG! I realized that I needed to make a change immediately to set a better example for my children. I also knew that it had to start with taking control of myself, loving myself and making time for myself. Being a good mom doesn’t mean that you sacrifice who you are and give up everything you enjoy! Who knew?! I sure screwed that one up, didn’t I? Better late than never I guess.
I started doing things for me and it was empowering! I got a gym membership and made time to go to Kickboxing classes, or just workout on the machines. I joined a weight loss program and although I lost 20 lbs in 6 months, I soon realized that I couldn’t relate to the stories of out of control eating. I wasn’t compulsive about my eating, I needed more portion control. Besides, all of the low point foods were so processed that it really didn’t fit with my idea of eating healthy. For example: I was eating fat free bologna because there were no points! Yuk! That was just dumb. I needed to leave that program behind. I started researching with healthy recipes and healthy substitutions. Cooking Light magazine was a great resource along with Tosca Reno and Ellie Krieger. I started to pay attention to portion control. Over time I just started eliminating bad things and replacing them with better choices. The biggest transformation came when I started to eliminate white flour and white sugar. If you want to start, that is the perfect place. You’ll be amazed at just how much those 2 changes will make!
I chose to focus on health rather than weight. Tracking points, pounds and calories can be tedious. Over time, it just doesn’t effectively fit into everyday life. I just try to eat as clean as possible, exercise regularly and supplement wisely. These 3 things together will keep me on a healthy path as I grow older. I have lost about 20 lbs and maintained that weight loss. I can still stand to lose 20 more, but I am more muscular and lean than ever before. (The scale can be a deceiving measurement tool and I do not allow myself to be a slave to it.) I no longer have issues with high cholesterol, high blood sugar or high blood pressure. My lower back pain no longer exists. With core strengthening and weight loss, that problem corrected itself.
This is me now! Healthy, Strong and Confident!
At 53, I am happy, healthy and learning new things everyday. I’m optimistic of the future, because I decided to take control of my life! I love to tell my story in the hopes that someone might identify with it and be inspired. There truly is a happy ending out there, but you need to make some effort towards it! Be open to change and new ideas. Explore opportunities and try new things. Life can be boring, or life can be an adventure. It is up to you to decide. Are you ready to take control of your life?
If you connect with my story, I would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at info@eileenhealey.com, or connect with me through one of my social media accounts above.
If you are looking to lead a healthier life and would like to make money while you do it, I’d love to have you join my team! Go to this page for more information: “Start Your Own Business” and then reach out to me for more information. There are some really great bonuses this month and you won’t want to miss out on them.
If you would like to learn how you can supplement effectively with our natural plant based products, visit my website to learn more or contact me at info@eileenhealey.com!
Let's Wrap! 