Okay, I know it has been a while since I last posted, but summer is INSANE! I swear, I never have one moment to myself or "downtime". I have got to stop over committing us...but that is another post :)
So, food choice. Yikes. When we started 21 day fix we decided to really do it (the whole damn thing!) for the first 21 days. We were making these incredible and VERY healthy meals and it was awesome. We were feeling so great and loved how well the new eating habits were taking shape. So then we went to Hawaii. To be honest, we still ate really clean, but alcohol was consumed and that sort of threw us off track.
Ever since then, we have been on and off the clean eating diet. When we are on, it is amazing. But to be honest, the prep and grocery bill deter me some weeks. I know I should focus on how the food makes us feel, how healthy it is and how much better it is in the long run. It's just hard to do that sometimes. It just seems like a lot of work, a lot of prep and expensive.
However, we have decided to try and recommit. We are on week 2 of eating (pretty) clean and it is going well. I realized I don't need fancy recipes for each meal, I can keep most of them simple. A protein, veggie and fruit for dessert works great for us. I also find that if I prep on Sunday - shop and cook - it goes a lot smoother for the week.
We recently purchased the new cookbook from Autumn Calabrese, Fixate. It is actually really great and has a lot of easy recipes (even I can make them!) that are tasty. I have just decided that some of her more detailed ones will be for a special night or dinner. Keeps cost and prep down, and makes it more of a treat.
I also have a LOT of great recipes on my Pinterest that are clean or 21 DF approved. We have made most of them once or twice and we end up liking a lot of them. If you are interested you can follow my pinterest "Dinner Ideas" and see them for yourself.
What are some of your clean eating recipes? I love trying new things, but also love easy :)
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
TIME!
With summer officially under way, I am seeing that time is a hard thing to come by! I have a VERY part time job, but am mostly a stay at home mama. I now have all the same "stuff" to get done (laundry, cleaning, grocery shipping, yard work, etc) AND 3 kiddos at home. Throw in there that my hubby is changing jobs and will be working from home until mid-July and we are a FULL house. To say we are busy is an understatement. I like having a pretty full calendar, but summer for me gets overwhelming very quickly. Now that all 3 boys are active and moving, I have underestimated the amount of time I need for our daily life.
So I find myself wondering when am I supposed to get in my workout, my SD (self development) reading, quiet time, a shower and going to the bathroom alone (TMI)! It has become easy to justify pushing off workouts, food prep and "me" time. I am already seeing all my hard work start to disappear - which is REALLY frustrating. Not to mention that when I do get in a workout it is harder since it feels like I have taken a few steps back.
Don't even get me started on food...with BBQ's and being lazy or busy, we have gone to convenience. YIKES! Admittedly it is still healthier than we ate in the past, but it is not a meal plan I would want to share with anyone as "what to eat". Then there are those tasty summer beverages that help take the edge off and sound so yummy on a warm evening (or afternoon, lets get real). Water...what is that? Oh right, that stuff that hydrates me. I should focus on that too...
Okay...so I took the first step and have realized I need to make time for working out and meal planning. And drink water (so not as fun as vodka). Now how do I make that happen? Well, I started taking things off of our calendar. The house is a little messier. The laundry is "pretty" caught up. I read for 10 or 15 minutes before going to bed (even if it is 11pm). I am making it work. I need to focus on my health and fitness and I refuse to give up on that.
I'm sure we all have a tough time adjusting to summer (please tell me it isn't just me?!) and I know I love hearing how other people get it all done. If you have ideas or things that are working for you, please share! I'm open to (just about) anything :)
So I find myself wondering when am I supposed to get in my workout, my SD (self development) reading, quiet time, a shower and going to the bathroom alone (TMI)! It has become easy to justify pushing off workouts, food prep and "me" time. I am already seeing all my hard work start to disappear - which is REALLY frustrating. Not to mention that when I do get in a workout it is harder since it feels like I have taken a few steps back.
Don't even get me started on food...with BBQ's and being lazy or busy, we have gone to convenience. YIKES! Admittedly it is still healthier than we ate in the past, but it is not a meal plan I would want to share with anyone as "what to eat". Then there are those tasty summer beverages that help take the edge off and sound so yummy on a warm evening (or afternoon, lets get real). Water...what is that? Oh right, that stuff that hydrates me. I should focus on that too...
Okay...so I took the first step and have realized I need to make time for working out and meal planning. And drink water (so not as fun as vodka). Now how do I make that happen? Well, I started taking things off of our calendar. The house is a little messier. The laundry is "pretty" caught up. I read for 10 or 15 minutes before going to bed (even if it is 11pm). I am making it work. I need to focus on my health and fitness and I refuse to give up on that.
I'm sure we all have a tough time adjusting to summer (please tell me it isn't just me?!) and I know I love hearing how other people get it all done. If you have ideas or things that are working for you, please share! I'm open to (just about) anything :)
Monday, June 8, 2015
Guilt Free Mama
Okay, so one thing I did not understand when becoming a mom was all the "mom guilt" that would come with it. From every decision to every move, I end up feeling guilty about most of them. I didn't make all their baby food - guilt. I gave them formula when I was over nursing - guilt. I tell them I'll play in "5 minutes" when I know I won't - guilt. I put them in front of a 30 minute show (gasp!) to do laundry - guilt. I yelled at them (they were being shits!) - guilt. I gave them cheetos with lunch - guilt. I mean what the heck is all of this guilt and where does it come from?! I am SO over the guilt!
It doesn't stop with everyday things either - I have so much guilt when I decide to put my health and fitness first (even if only for 30 minutes!). I try so hard to get my workout in before the kids get up, but it never fails that they wake up right before or right after I start. Which of course irritates me (insert guilt) and starts my day off on the wrong foot. So I have been trying to figure out how to better manage this guilt and realize that what I am doing for myself isn't something to feel bad about. It actually helps everyone!
When I get time to myself to get in a 30 min workout or a run and find time to actually eat something (preferably healthy!), I am a MUCH happier mama, wife, person. So is it worth putting the kids in front of a show or having them play on their own so that I can get my sh*t together??? I think we would all agree YES! Although it can be hard for me and all of us to remember, our kids honestly will survive and are able to play ON THEIR OWN for a little bit. We have to take care of ourselves too - they need a happy and healthy mom/dad :)
The other thing I find about this "mom guilt" is that it is an EASY excuse when we don't feel like focusing on health or fitness. I TOTALLY use this on days where "the boys" want a cheeseburger (who put that idea in their head?!) or decided to sleep in because it was a rough night with the kids. I find it can be convenient and acceptable when I don't want to hold myself accountable. Here is the thing - it is okay to have an off day, week, etc (see my Regroup post!), but you need to own your breaks. Don't use "mom guilt" as an excuse to neglect your own health and fitness.
We all feel the guilt (ALL DAY LONG!), but it is important to channel it as much as we can. We are all doing the best we can and to put focus on ourselves is actually the RIGHT thing. Try to remember that the next time you hear your kids screaming for you while you do a workout. They will survive and you will benefit from a few minutes all about you. You might want ear plugs though...;)
It doesn't stop with everyday things either - I have so much guilt when I decide to put my health and fitness first (even if only for 30 minutes!). I try so hard to get my workout in before the kids get up, but it never fails that they wake up right before or right after I start. Which of course irritates me (insert guilt) and starts my day off on the wrong foot. So I have been trying to figure out how to better manage this guilt and realize that what I am doing for myself isn't something to feel bad about. It actually helps everyone!
When I get time to myself to get in a 30 min workout or a run and find time to actually eat something (preferably healthy!), I am a MUCH happier mama, wife, person. So is it worth putting the kids in front of a show or having them play on their own so that I can get my sh*t together??? I think we would all agree YES! Although it can be hard for me and all of us to remember, our kids honestly will survive and are able to play ON THEIR OWN for a little bit. We have to take care of ourselves too - they need a happy and healthy mom/dad :)
The other thing I find about this "mom guilt" is that it is an EASY excuse when we don't feel like focusing on health or fitness. I TOTALLY use this on days where "the boys" want a cheeseburger (who put that idea in their head?!) or decided to sleep in because it was a rough night with the kids. I find it can be convenient and acceptable when I don't want to hold myself accountable. Here is the thing - it is okay to have an off day, week, etc (see my Regroup post!), but you need to own your breaks. Don't use "mom guilt" as an excuse to neglect your own health and fitness.
We all feel the guilt (ALL DAY LONG!), but it is important to channel it as much as we can. We are all doing the best we can and to put focus on ourselves is actually the RIGHT thing. Try to remember that the next time you hear your kids screaming for you while you do a workout. They will survive and you will benefit from a few minutes all about you. You might want ear plugs though...;)
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Regroup
We had a WONDERFUL vacation in Hawaii a week and a half ago...and on that trip we even worked out (most days) and ate clean. Lets not get into the alcohol consumption (Mai Tai please?!). All in all though, I felt like we did a good job sticking to our new lifestyle while also enjoying our vacation. Then, we came home. Why landing back in Portland changed everything for me, I don't know, but it did. I lost all of my drive and motivation to work out and eat healthy. It was terrible.
I gave myself the excuse that we were just adjusting to being home, that we needed to take time getting back into our routine and then there was the minor issue of my husbands burned hands (see phytophotodermatitis) so he couldn't work out. However, after 3 full days of crap eating and nothing physical, I was feeling defeated. How did this happen??? Why did this happen??? When did I let myself slip back into the old habits and routine???
I am sure it was bound to happen and that it happens to all of us at some point. I was just so mad at myself and so down on myself it was making me spiral further. I finally realized that being mad, sad and overall pissed at myself for the past few days wasn't going to change anything. I needed to give myself a break, get back on the horse and look forward. A minor setback (and a few pounds) did not mean I was back to leading an unhealthy life. It just meant I needed to regroup and reset my mind. Lord knows I have to do this all the time with the housework, the kids, our crazy schedule, etc. Why would health be any different??? It isn't!
On that fourth day I started out much the same as the three before, only something shifted. I realized I needed to take control and make a change. Even if it was small. So I got out T25 and did a 25 minute workout. It felt good to sweat and it felt good to be moving. So, then I ate something healthy. Guess what, that also felt good! Shocker right ?! ;) So far, I am on day 3 of working out again and eating right. For some reason it is still a struggle every morning, but I am determined to get back to where I was pre-vacation and keep working toward my goals.
I have no doubt I will fall off again at some point, but at least I learned a lesson through this last setback. I am stronger than I think I am, I can do anything I put my mind to and I am doing the best I can. Some days that will be total awesomeness, some days that won't be. In the end though, I believe in myself and look forward to the success I will see.
I hope all of you remember this too - you are all doing the best you can and that is enough! And a cookie every now and then is just necessary. It just is.
I gave myself the excuse that we were just adjusting to being home, that we needed to take time getting back into our routine and then there was the minor issue of my husbands burned hands (see phytophotodermatitis) so he couldn't work out. However, after 3 full days of crap eating and nothing physical, I was feeling defeated. How did this happen??? Why did this happen??? When did I let myself slip back into the old habits and routine???
I am sure it was bound to happen and that it happens to all of us at some point. I was just so mad at myself and so down on myself it was making me spiral further. I finally realized that being mad, sad and overall pissed at myself for the past few days wasn't going to change anything. I needed to give myself a break, get back on the horse and look forward. A minor setback (and a few pounds) did not mean I was back to leading an unhealthy life. It just meant I needed to regroup and reset my mind. Lord knows I have to do this all the time with the housework, the kids, our crazy schedule, etc. Why would health be any different??? It isn't!
On that fourth day I started out much the same as the three before, only something shifted. I realized I needed to take control and make a change. Even if it was small. So I got out T25 and did a 25 minute workout. It felt good to sweat and it felt good to be moving. So, then I ate something healthy. Guess what, that also felt good! Shocker right ?! ;) So far, I am on day 3 of working out again and eating right. For some reason it is still a struggle every morning, but I am determined to get back to where I was pre-vacation and keep working toward my goals.
I have no doubt I will fall off again at some point, but at least I learned a lesson through this last setback. I am stronger than I think I am, I can do anything I put my mind to and I am doing the best I can. Some days that will be total awesomeness, some days that won't be. In the end though, I believe in myself and look forward to the success I will see.
I hope all of you remember this too - you are all doing the best you can and that is enough! And a cookie every now and then is just necessary. It just is.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Gratitude!
So even with my health and fitness on the right track, I was having problems with "attitude" and finding the positive in things. In Beachbody they talk a lot about Personal Development as something you should do for yourself every day. I thought, "Right! With what time am I going to focus on PD?! I have 3 kids, a husband, a demanding schedule and I need a shower!" However, I really started noticing that my attitude was not adjusting like my body and frankly, that was frustrating me. I kept hearing and seeing all these people in my challenge groups talking about how "great they felt" and how "inspired they were" and yada yada yada. I was totally there on the body side - but my mind just wasn't there yet.
To be honest, I have felt overwhelmed and spread too thin for a LONG time. In just 5 1/2 years I have gotten married, had 3 kids, had 3 jobs and been a part of countless other ventures. That is a lot of stuff! Not to mention the endless housework, driving kids around, pre-school and errands that need to be run. Therefore, I got a little "grouchy" about life and had a hard time seeing the glass half full. I realized I was quickly out of patience, easily frustrated, yelling more than I should be, overall not the person I wanted to be. But I felt stuck. I decided I had to do something about it for myself, my family and everyone around me!
I figured I would give the PD thing a chance. What could it really hurt? Not to mention, it would be dedicated time to being and feeling positive. Alone (woo hoo!). I have started with the book "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson and am LOVING it. It is one that is talked about a lot in Beachbody and I was reluctant to read it at first. I am usually turned off by the "self help" books, but something told me I should give it a try. I am SO glad I did, because I found some of the best tips for focusing on positivity and gratitude. Chapter 8 has been my ABSOLUTE favorite! A quick overview - it is a chapter focused on how to get your attitude to match your drive, and when they do, you get success. I mean success in anything and everything (health, fitness, relationships, career, etc). I am going to share his "5 happy habits" that he shares here so you can all see what I have been doing to improve my overall outlook. I am only 2 days in, but I am hooked! And I have not yet yelled (more than once a day anyway) and have not been as short on patience. HUGE steps for me...hoping I can keep it up!
“Shawn Achor’s five happy habits: 1) Every morning write down three new things you’re grateful for. 2) Journal for two minutes a day about a positive experience from the past 24 hours. 3) Meditate daily for a few minutes. 4) At the start of every day, write an email to someone praising or thanking them. 5) Get fifteen minutes of simple cardio exercise a day.”
― Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
If you are looking for an attitude adjustment as I was, I really recommend starting here. These are easy to put into practice and can get you quick results (the 3 things you are grateful for is my favorite and I found a great app on my phone to use. It is "Gratitude365" and I am loving it.) This whole book has been eye opening, but these 5 steps have been my favorite take away so far. I'm about half way through the book and looking for another one to start on my trip to Hawaii (we leave in 2 days!). If you have suggestions please send them my way! I'm interested in PD please :)
Alicia
To be honest, I have felt overwhelmed and spread too thin for a LONG time. In just 5 1/2 years I have gotten married, had 3 kids, had 3 jobs and been a part of countless other ventures. That is a lot of stuff! Not to mention the endless housework, driving kids around, pre-school and errands that need to be run. Therefore, I got a little "grouchy" about life and had a hard time seeing the glass half full. I realized I was quickly out of patience, easily frustrated, yelling more than I should be, overall not the person I wanted to be. But I felt stuck. I decided I had to do something about it for myself, my family and everyone around me!
I figured I would give the PD thing a chance. What could it really hurt? Not to mention, it would be dedicated time to being and feeling positive. Alone (woo hoo!). I have started with the book "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson and am LOVING it. It is one that is talked about a lot in Beachbody and I was reluctant to read it at first. I am usually turned off by the "self help" books, but something told me I should give it a try. I am SO glad I did, because I found some of the best tips for focusing on positivity and gratitude. Chapter 8 has been my ABSOLUTE favorite! A quick overview - it is a chapter focused on how to get your attitude to match your drive, and when they do, you get success. I mean success in anything and everything (health, fitness, relationships, career, etc). I am going to share his "5 happy habits" that he shares here so you can all see what I have been doing to improve my overall outlook. I am only 2 days in, but I am hooked! And I have not yet yelled (more than once a day anyway) and have not been as short on patience. HUGE steps for me...hoping I can keep it up!
“Shawn Achor’s five happy habits: 1) Every morning write down three new things you’re grateful for. 2) Journal for two minutes a day about a positive experience from the past 24 hours. 3) Meditate daily for a few minutes. 4) At the start of every day, write an email to someone praising or thanking them. 5) Get fifteen minutes of simple cardio exercise a day.”
― Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
If you are looking for an attitude adjustment as I was, I really recommend starting here. These are easy to put into practice and can get you quick results (the 3 things you are grateful for is my favorite and I found a great app on my phone to use. It is "Gratitude365" and I am loving it.) This whole book has been eye opening, but these 5 steps have been my favorite take away so far. I'm about half way through the book and looking for another one to start on my trip to Hawaii (we leave in 2 days!). If you have suggestions please send them my way! I'm interested in PD please :)
Alicia
Monday, May 11, 2015
Finding the "Fierce Mama" in me :)
Well, first I want to say welcome! Thanks for clicking on my blog post and taking the time to read it (assuming you will read the whole thing). This is a VERY big step for me and one I am still sort of coming to terms with. I have always been a little close to the vest with details about myself and the "issues" I have had in my life. It is not easy to share the good, bad and ugly about yourself but I feel like it is time to show and share with everyone where I was and how far I have come, thanks to Beach Body. So...here goes nothing :)
It started on my 12th birthday, I had been having some "issues" in the bottom area (OMG!) and I was scared to tell my mom about them because it was, well, embarrassing. I had no idea at the time, but would soon find out they were fistulas. If you don't know what that is, the definition is here (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002365.htm). Essentially, I had a fistula that had moved around my rectum and found a way to the surface. At my birthday party I was in so much pain I had to keep going to the bathroom and crying to survive the party. I finally realized that night I had to tell my mom. So, when we got home I did just that. This of course kicked off what would become a month or two of tests and doctor visits that would put me through a colonoscopy to finally discover it was Crohn's Disease. I really had no idea what it meant or what it would mean for my future, but I was sort of numb to the whole thing. For those of you who don't know what Crohn's is or what the symptoms are, it is "a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, especially the colon and ileum, associated with ulcers and fistulae." (quoted from Google :)
We were told I would need to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist monthly and start on a few medications to get the inflammation under control. Being 12 and just starting puberty, I was horrified to be "different" and hated taking pills. This was a recipe for disaster...but it was all good for a year or two. I took the pills, felt better and decided to "stop" on my own. I had gone to hiding the pills in my room under my sink in a baggie so my parents would think I was taking them. I lied to my family, my doctor and myself about feeling good and being healthy.
Well, this lasted until I was about 15 years old. At that point, I was in high school and my Crohn's was raging (much like my hormones!). By the time I turned 16, I was a stick - I think I weighed less than 100 pounds soaking wet and was always in pain. I had NO energy and really no excitement for life. Sad huh?! I mean I was only 16 - so much ahead of me I had to look forward to. My parents were begging me to tell them what was going on and why I wasn't getting or asking for help. I thought they didn't get it, didn't see how hard it was for me to have a "disease" - and one that wasn't curable. It seemed like a death sentence (dramatic I know) and I wasn't in the fighting mood. Then, one night I had a HORRIBLE panic attack in bed and truly thought I was dying. I told myself that night, "If I survive this evening, I will tell my parents everything and get help." Thank God, I did survive the night and when I woke up I kept my promise to myself. I marched right into my parents room and told them I had been lying, showed them the baggies of expensive pills I had been hiding and asked for help. As a parent now, I can only imagine the relief, excitement and anger they must have felt. Thankfully, all they did was embrace me, thank me and make me an appointment with a doctor and counselor.
From there I saw many different doctors - naturopaths, gastroenterologists, counselors, therapists, etc. I was put on different medications, no medications, different diets, no diet restrictions, told this was because I was a perfectionist, this was because I was selfish (maybe some truth in that at 16) and the list goes on. By the time I was living on my own (after college and a stint in California for a year) back in Portland, I had racked up quite a credit card bill paying for all of these treatments. I had been on remicade (a type of chemotherapy drug), prednisone (a steroid) and several other less intrusive drugs before I stopped to see where I was. Sadly, I was still feeling sick and was unhappy, but now I had debt up to my ears which added to my stress.
So, I decided to get off all medicine and manage the Crohn's symptoms myself. I did pretty well by managing stress and diet, but had a few flare ups throughout the years. I met my husband at 25 and I swear due to the overwhelming excitement and love I felt, I was pretty good for awhile. Then, we got pregnant right away, which caused my symptoms to go away (yay!) and we got to focus on baby #1 with no complications. VERY quickly after that, we got pregnant with baby #2 so I never had time to relapse in between. At this point, I had been feeling good for so long I forgot what it felt like to relapse. That was until our second baby turned 1. It was like all of a sudden it was back and with a vengance. I was very sick again and it was much harder to be sick with two kids! We decided to shell out the money for a colonoscopy to see what was going on. Sure enough, Crohn's reared its ugly head again. This time, the doctor suggested Cimzia, a monthly drug you inject yourself with every month for the "forseeable future". I was devastated and defeated - I didn't want to be on a drug forever that I had no idea what the side effects would lead to. I didn't see another way so I said yes and signed up to get the drug.
The day I got the drug in the mail, I found I was pregnant with our third little nugget. I now see how perfect that was, because it kept me from starting the drug. Through that pregnancy my Crohn's went away again and I had a healthy baby boy with no complications. This time, I decided I was going to be proactive and help myself before the Crohn's came back.
I was able to manage my diet and stress (as much as you can with 3 kids!) pretty well on my own. Then, my little one turned 1 and right on time, Crohn's symptoms started to pop up. Not terribly, but noticeable. I started to wonder what I could do to help myself without having to take drugs. Here is where the exciting part comes in....one day I saw a friends post on FB about her new health and fitness - she was doing a Beach Body program called 21 Day Fix and taking a shake each day called Shakeology. She mentioned feeling better, feeling energized and an overall sense of clarity. I commented on how great she looked and a few days later told my husband I wanted to do the program she was on. That SAME day, I got a FB message from her telling me about the program and how she thought it might help me. I quickly told her I was already going to reach out and was sold! I ordered it right away and couldn't wait to get started. Exercise was something I had always struggled with because you have to feel good to want to move. I didn't always feel good and had given up on a lot of the physical activities I liked in my youth. I saw this as a way to get my health on track and get stronger too.
When I got the Beach Body package in the mail I was a little scared - what if this didn't work? What if I had to call a doctor and start treatment? I was really hoping and praying I had found a way to help manage my disease. Two days into the program I was feeling SO GREAT! I hadn't realized how bad my symptoms had gotten (stomach aches, pains, bathroom issues) until I wasn't feeling that way! The shakes in combination with the clean eating diet had made a HUGE difference and fast! I felt like I had gotten my life back and was beyond thankful for a program that helped me feel good. I was able to focus on being a mom, a wife and on myself instead of managing crohn's. It was such an overwhelming feeling - I really do think I have found a way to live my life on my own terms. No pills, infusions, dr visits or shots. Just a daily workout, a daily shake and clean eating. How awesome!
There was no way I couldn't become a coach of a company that had products that help people this much. Not only did it help me with Crohn's management and toning up, my husband joined the program and in 42 days lost 22 inches! We are a healthier family because of what we have learned through this program. It is so rewarding to see our kids "working out" with us and choosing "healthy" foods over unhealthy foods. Not only do I get to focus on them more, they get to see a good example of health and fitness through their parents. What could be better?!
I know this is a LONG post, but I felt like I had to share the whole story for all of you to see just how incredible this program is. I have not had any drug or treatment that has helped me as much as this has (aside from being pregnant, and this baby factory is SHUT down!) in my life. I can't even tell you how incredible this feeling is and how grateful I am to my friend/coach for showing me this product. She gave me a new lease on life and I hope to pay that forward for someone else. If you want to know more about me, my story or 21 Day Fix and Shakeology, please reach out. I would be more than happy to chat with you - I promise it won't be this long of a response :)
Alicia
It started on my 12th birthday, I had been having some "issues" in the bottom area (OMG!) and I was scared to tell my mom about them because it was, well, embarrassing. I had no idea at the time, but would soon find out they were fistulas. If you don't know what that is, the definition is here (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002365.htm). Essentially, I had a fistula that had moved around my rectum and found a way to the surface. At my birthday party I was in so much pain I had to keep going to the bathroom and crying to survive the party. I finally realized that night I had to tell my mom. So, when we got home I did just that. This of course kicked off what would become a month or two of tests and doctor visits that would put me through a colonoscopy to finally discover it was Crohn's Disease. I really had no idea what it meant or what it would mean for my future, but I was sort of numb to the whole thing. For those of you who don't know what Crohn's is or what the symptoms are, it is "a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, especially the colon and ileum, associated with ulcers and fistulae." (quoted from Google :)
The main side effects are as follows:
- frequent diarrhea
- rectal bleeding
- weight loss
- fever
- abdominal pains/ cramping
- fatigue
- reduced appetite We were told I would need to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist monthly and start on a few medications to get the inflammation under control. Being 12 and just starting puberty, I was horrified to be "different" and hated taking pills. This was a recipe for disaster...but it was all good for a year or two. I took the pills, felt better and decided to "stop" on my own. I had gone to hiding the pills in my room under my sink in a baggie so my parents would think I was taking them. I lied to my family, my doctor and myself about feeling good and being healthy.
Well, this lasted until I was about 15 years old. At that point, I was in high school and my Crohn's was raging (much like my hormones!). By the time I turned 16, I was a stick - I think I weighed less than 100 pounds soaking wet and was always in pain. I had NO energy and really no excitement for life. Sad huh?! I mean I was only 16 - so much ahead of me I had to look forward to. My parents were begging me to tell them what was going on and why I wasn't getting or asking for help. I thought they didn't get it, didn't see how hard it was for me to have a "disease" - and one that wasn't curable. It seemed like a death sentence (dramatic I know) and I wasn't in the fighting mood. Then, one night I had a HORRIBLE panic attack in bed and truly thought I was dying. I told myself that night, "If I survive this evening, I will tell my parents everything and get help." Thank God, I did survive the night and when I woke up I kept my promise to myself. I marched right into my parents room and told them I had been lying, showed them the baggies of expensive pills I had been hiding and asked for help. As a parent now, I can only imagine the relief, excitement and anger they must have felt. Thankfully, all they did was embrace me, thank me and make me an appointment with a doctor and counselor.
From there I saw many different doctors - naturopaths, gastroenterologists, counselors, therapists, etc. I was put on different medications, no medications, different diets, no diet restrictions, told this was because I was a perfectionist, this was because I was selfish (maybe some truth in that at 16) and the list goes on. By the time I was living on my own (after college and a stint in California for a year) back in Portland, I had racked up quite a credit card bill paying for all of these treatments. I had been on remicade (a type of chemotherapy drug), prednisone (a steroid) and several other less intrusive drugs before I stopped to see where I was. Sadly, I was still feeling sick and was unhappy, but now I had debt up to my ears which added to my stress.
So, I decided to get off all medicine and manage the Crohn's symptoms myself. I did pretty well by managing stress and diet, but had a few flare ups throughout the years. I met my husband at 25 and I swear due to the overwhelming excitement and love I felt, I was pretty good for awhile. Then, we got pregnant right away, which caused my symptoms to go away (yay!) and we got to focus on baby #1 with no complications. VERY quickly after that, we got pregnant with baby #2 so I never had time to relapse in between. At this point, I had been feeling good for so long I forgot what it felt like to relapse. That was until our second baby turned 1. It was like all of a sudden it was back and with a vengance. I was very sick again and it was much harder to be sick with two kids! We decided to shell out the money for a colonoscopy to see what was going on. Sure enough, Crohn's reared its ugly head again. This time, the doctor suggested Cimzia, a monthly drug you inject yourself with every month for the "forseeable future". I was devastated and defeated - I didn't want to be on a drug forever that I had no idea what the side effects would lead to. I didn't see another way so I said yes and signed up to get the drug.
The day I got the drug in the mail, I found I was pregnant with our third little nugget. I now see how perfect that was, because it kept me from starting the drug. Through that pregnancy my Crohn's went away again and I had a healthy baby boy with no complications. This time, I decided I was going to be proactive and help myself before the Crohn's came back.
I was able to manage my diet and stress (as much as you can with 3 kids!) pretty well on my own. Then, my little one turned 1 and right on time, Crohn's symptoms started to pop up. Not terribly, but noticeable. I started to wonder what I could do to help myself without having to take drugs. Here is where the exciting part comes in....one day I saw a friends post on FB about her new health and fitness - she was doing a Beach Body program called 21 Day Fix and taking a shake each day called Shakeology. She mentioned feeling better, feeling energized and an overall sense of clarity. I commented on how great she looked and a few days later told my husband I wanted to do the program she was on. That SAME day, I got a FB message from her telling me about the program and how she thought it might help me. I quickly told her I was already going to reach out and was sold! I ordered it right away and couldn't wait to get started. Exercise was something I had always struggled with because you have to feel good to want to move. I didn't always feel good and had given up on a lot of the physical activities I liked in my youth. I saw this as a way to get my health on track and get stronger too.
When I got the Beach Body package in the mail I was a little scared - what if this didn't work? What if I had to call a doctor and start treatment? I was really hoping and praying I had found a way to help manage my disease. Two days into the program I was feeling SO GREAT! I hadn't realized how bad my symptoms had gotten (stomach aches, pains, bathroom issues) until I wasn't feeling that way! The shakes in combination with the clean eating diet had made a HUGE difference and fast! I felt like I had gotten my life back and was beyond thankful for a program that helped me feel good. I was able to focus on being a mom, a wife and on myself instead of managing crohn's. It was such an overwhelming feeling - I really do think I have found a way to live my life on my own terms. No pills, infusions, dr visits or shots. Just a daily workout, a daily shake and clean eating. How awesome!
There was no way I couldn't become a coach of a company that had products that help people this much. Not only did it help me with Crohn's management and toning up, my husband joined the program and in 42 days lost 22 inches! We are a healthier family because of what we have learned through this program. It is so rewarding to see our kids "working out" with us and choosing "healthy" foods over unhealthy foods. Not only do I get to focus on them more, they get to see a good example of health and fitness through their parents. What could be better?!
I know this is a LONG post, but I felt like I had to share the whole story for all of you to see just how incredible this program is. I have not had any drug or treatment that has helped me as much as this has (aside from being pregnant, and this baby factory is SHUT down!) in my life. I can't even tell you how incredible this feeling is and how grateful I am to my friend/coach for showing me this product. She gave me a new lease on life and I hope to pay that forward for someone else. If you want to know more about me, my story or 21 Day Fix and Shakeology, please reach out. I would be more than happy to chat with you - I promise it won't be this long of a response :)
Alicia
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