Thoughts on 33 years

Yesterday I turned 33.  And as my Mom pointed out, that is the age that Jesus died on the cross.  That was the start to my birthday.

I remember when I was younger I thought 30 was so old.  Then I turned 30 and felt fabulous!  Now, at 33, I should be feeling old.  But I am feeling the best I have in years!  And here is why.

My early twenties were a time of finding myself, however many miss turns I took, I ended up here.  And I am grateful.

I had a horrible boyfriend at the time, I was far from financially responsible, I was still trying to decide what to do with my life, I was partying A LOT, I was physically and emotionally unhealthy and I lost touch with friends who I will later find out should have been there all along if I allowed them to be.

Then, I met my now husband and he guided me to the light!  Seriously! He taught me about financial responsibility.  He taught me about being emotionally healthy and physically healthy and, most importantly, he showed me that I am a good person and I should trust my instincts.

Here I am, age 33, two amazing daughters and one irreplaceable husband later, and I am so pleased with where I am at.

7 months ago, I set out to get healthy for real.  No more of these fad diets or get skinny quick schemes.  I was going to do it the hard way, but the healthy way. In my past, I have tried every diet, exercise program, diet pills, shakes and even some interesting electronic devices (ab shocker, anyone) to get fit.

I have tried Jullian Michaels 30 day shred, Shaun T's Insanity (which is the only thing that actually worked for me), P90X, hip hop dancing, and then some.

I have tried SlimQuick, Hydroxycut, Hoodia, All'i, Xenadrine, Garcinia Cambroguia, Sensa, Caffiene pills, and laxatives.

I have tried Paleo, no carb, no gluten, no salt, no sugar, no fun diets.

So, I feel like it is safe to say that I am an expert on the quick fixes.

Instead, I decided to add more fiber to my diet, less sugar, and cute back on alcohol but not limiting myself to what I want.  So, if I want a brownie for dessert, that just means that I eat healthy all day or go for an extra run.  I feel free!

And I run.  I run to clear my head.  I run to be held accountable to my buddy, Knox.  And I run to make sure that my kids have a mom who is active and can keep up!  I want to be that mom practicing Softball with my kids, not the one sitting in the chair.  I want my kids to see me take care of myself in a healthy way and not being obsessed with my body shape so that they are confident in their body when they are teens.  I want my kids to see me as a role model.

I don't weigh myself very often.  But on my 33rd birthday, I decided to do it.  I discovered that I have lost 29 pounds in 6 months.  I went from a size 12 to a size 6-8.  All due to running and eating healthy.  I did not starve myself, I did not take pills and I worked out when I could (2-3 times a week).  I am happy, not just about how I look, but I feel so healthy!  I see the correlation between unhealthy habits leading to depression.  And I never want to be there again.

Me in June 2013

Me in February 2014