3 Important Pieces of Advice for Health and Fitness

If I could give you 3 small pieces of advice it would be this:

1. Consistency is Huge! Consistent food and effort in exercise are where you will see long term results that you are happy with. You can apply that to all areas of your life not just fitness! Changes are achieved by CONSISTENT effort, day in and day out.

2. Just because you don't see the results you want doesn't mean you aren't progressing. You may have to take detours in your fitness journey that may delay what you consider results. This doesn't mean that you are not progressing. Even though I can't exercise much right now because of my situation doesn't mean that I will lose all that I have worked for. Healthy Eating is the biggest part!! Healthy Eating by itself will change your body! Through healthy eating I am maintaining as much tone as possible without lifting heavy weights and intense exercise.

3. Its easy to get discouraged when life gets crazy and things get off track. When this happens the only option is to get back on track and move forward, the longer you wait the harder it is. Let go of your mistakes and get right back to it. Falling of track DOES NOT mean you have failed! Having a successful Journey does not mean being perfect. There is no perfection in ones journey! Its okay to make mistakes but its not okay to let setbacks discourage you to the point of quitting. Just keep moving forward! If you do that....YOU Win!

We all have struggles......

What my stuggles are may be different than others, but we can all relate in one way or another.

My challenges happen to be with Food.....

 I finally learned why I'm having so much trouble with food and all these different symptoms I've been having for years. After years of stuggling, I am so relieved to finally know what's wrong so I can fix it and start feeling better. I've had lots of testing done lately but knowing deep down that food is my culprit has also been very hard for me to comprehend for some reason. It has lead me to want to binge, to get mad and depressed knowing that I probably can't have a lot of the Holiday foods and goodies I make with the kids. It really has been an emotional and mental thing. How can food have so much control over us? 

The verdict by the Doctor is that I'm allergic to Dairy, Wheat, Soy and Sugar. It's crazy how I started finding all this out after eliminating these things and feeling so much better, better than I have felt in a long time and getting so sick when I tried to eat them again. I've always known that something was wrong with me and sugar. My body has never really liked it or processed it well. I never knew all along it could have been the combination of sugar, wheat, dairy and soy. I always had terrible stomache aches as a kid, would get sick after eating sugar (now thinking about it probably a combo of all the things), was tested for diabetes and other things. Now finally in my 30's after a lot of studying and experimenting on my own, I finally knew what to test for and knew what it could possibly be. Your body is your own! You have control over your body! Fight to figure out your body if you feel like something is wrong!! If I can teach anybody anything that is what I have learned. Through a lot of prayer and trying to find the answer on my own. I finally found the answer! 

Now I am learning to be strong in my own way and learning that family functions can be more than about the food! We will see how I do during the Holidays. Believe me I have had these mind games with myself thinking "oh it will be ok, this really isn't what's wrong with my body, this is just a joke," to find out time and time again after I eat just a little bit of any of the culprits, to be downright Sick!! Stomache pains, dizziness, weak, so sleepy, breathing problems/asthma, hormones all over the place, acne, mouth sores, body can't fuction, headaches, tingly fingers, Hot flashes, heart palpitations and more. Why would I continue to do this to myself now that I finally know I cannot have those things? As hard as it may be...sometimes I don't know the answer to that question. If you know what you need to do why not just do it!!!?? In the moment the food seems so great even knowing what it will do to me if I consume it! 

I finally realized that I am more powerful than food. Food cannot control me. I can no longer do this to myself literally for my health and to feel good and be happy. I know the consequences! Little did I know that I found the Whole30 for a reason. This would be my life long guideline for my health. The Whole30 really saved me. So instead of focusing on what I can't have. I'm focusing on what I can have. Although this is a challenge in my life, I am still so blessed in many other ways. I know there are many others faced with bigger and heartbreaking challenges.  Although mine is a challenge for me, it is a small challenge in the whole scheme of things. Whatever your challenge may be, all that you can do is focus on the positive and continue to try!!  

"You are Stronger than you Realize, You are more capable than you can imagine, You can Do it Now!"

-adapted from Pres. Uchtodorf during Priesthood session of LDS General Conference, Oct 2013

Meet Sonia: Her story!

I love to hear your stories and get other inspiration for Healthy living.  Sonia found my blog and contacted me and wanted to share her story.  Thanks Sonia! Check out Sonia's blog at www.frescavida.com She is focusing on eating Whole Foods and is trying to do a Vegetarian/Vegan diet.
See Sonia's Story Here! Thanks for sharing Sonia!

I'd love to hear your story, if you are just working on reaching your goals or if you have reached them.  You can inspire others.  Please email me at sparklesandbugs{at}hotmail.com

The Reward= My Embarrassment!!??

So, do you have a goal you are trying to reach? Do you give yourself a reward at the end that keeps you motivated the whole time?? Well, listen to this.....

I'm always trying to get my hubby more active and lose weight for his health.  But, motivating him is so hard and trying to fix something healthy that he will eat is also so hard.  He's not picky, just picky with the more Healthy food, he doesn't give himself enough variety and options. Pain in my Butt!! :) Well, back in October I knew he was really starting to think on the lines of losing weight, etc.  And HE was the one who wanted to.  A close friend of his had a scare and was diagnosed with Diabetes due to Obesity, I know he was thinking this could also happen to him if he didn't do something about it.  So, on Halloween Day (his favorite Holiday btw) he asked me...."You want me to get Healthy right?" I said, "Ya." He said I will make a deal with you.  I was super excited, I love making Healthy deals and competition.....He said, "If I lose 50 pounds by next October, I get to choose whatever Halloween costume you wear!" I was like "huh?" He said again, "you want me to get healthy right?" Uh....YA! He said, "deal then?" I said, "uh, okay!?"  But, umm....WAIT A SECOND.  Is he going to make a fool out of me....his wife! He's not going to pick something inappropriate now is he?? I have to be able to go OUT IN PUBLIC!  Why is this so exciting to him....he's crazy!!!

He started working out during the Holidays and has been going since then and not looking back.  He's been doing pretty good with his eating.  Is this his Motivation?  The Reward!! Oh my Gosh! I'm nervous....he really wouldn't do anything crazy and make me walk around all skimpy would he....that's so not me!! Not out in PUBLIC Anyway....HAHA! He told me I better look REALLY good by then too because I have to be able to wear "the costume."  What is he thinking???? What have I gotten myself into?? What's MY reward suppose to be? Feeling super awkward in a crazy Halloween costume.....OH YA...& of course HIS HEALTH!!  What??