A Season of Healing

Have you gone through yours yet? The human condition mandates that eventually you will. Here's hoping you sail through yours quickly, happily, and gracefully, with energy to spare. Wish I could tell you that's how mine progressed, but that would be a lie. Maybe sharing my own journey will give you hope, or at least an overall feeling that you're not alone. It's never too late to get started. You are deserving of a functionally fit and fabulous next chapter of your life!

Years of "survival mode" can do immeasurable damage to the body. (Notice I didn't say "irreparable.")

I once had a successful business, in my eyes anyway. I was a personal trainer, certified nutritional counselor, wellness coach, and had my own wellness studio. The 30's and 40's were wonderful years. You could still eat and drink occasional crap, work out a little, and maintain your figure easily if you wanted. Hormones were functional and you still had energy after 9pm. Ah, the good ole days!

A couple of life-changing events, a car accident, our youngest daughter's acting career taking off after meeting with a talent scout, and a major move across the country from Michigan to LA produced stress like you wouldn't believe. Add to that a frozen shoulder, painful arthritis, chronic inflammation and trying to daily navigate through crazy LA traffic, all taking a toll on my overall health.

Let's just say I fell off the health and fitness wagon and lingered for years on the survival-mode train. Chugga chugga.

Just as it does for us all, life happened. It actually didn't slowly, blissfully happen at a pace I could easily adjust to. It rammed at full speed, straight into me. I was body-slammed and left in a puddle on the floor, feeling like a crash-test dummy from one of those 1980's commercials.

My days were spent trying my best to put my family's needs above my own, as most moms do. While my health was declining, I told myself that my requirements to be healthy, my own personal needs, didn't really matter, and that my focus needed to be on my family. Besides, I'll worry about myself tomorrow. Or as Scarlett O'hara would say "tomorrow is another day." I'd have plenty of time in the future to get myself back into shape, and feel better.

But kids grow up, graduate, move out, get married, give you grandbabies, and leave you. If you are anything like me, you may begin to wonder who you even are anymore. Do you even have a purpose? I was empty-nesting on steroids. Huge emotions spewed out every so often. Not the look I was hoping to portray in my 50's.

Now, we still have kids in California and Tennessee (where the world's best grandbaby on the planet resides), while we live in a beach community in North Carolina. Our years are filled with lots and lots of coast to coast trips. Fulfilling, amazing, exuberant and exhausting all at the same time. The physical recovery time from those trips seemed to lengthen. The last stint watching my grandbaby made me determined, more than ever, to regain my energy, strength and stamina just to keep up with him.

All of the above, along with my desire to build my practice, get back to work, and coach and train my clients led me to implement a personal lifestyle change. This coach actually needed a coach to quickstart me back into a positive relationship with food. The exercise part of me was easy, since I've done it all my life. The eating had changed for me, since I had dramatically changed physically and even emotionally. Stress takes its toll, and we should never be ahsamed or afraid to ask for help.

As we age, hormones, the body and stress-levels can change. What once worked to help us lose weight, beat inflammation or regain natural energy and stamina may no longer work the same for us. I've always designed personal programs for my clients based on this absolute truth that we are all unique individuals, "fearfully and wonderfully made," Psalm 139:13-14. A cookie cutter fix doesn't work for everyone.

This eating plan gave me the kickstart I needed. Yes, I've lost weight. But what I've gained has been so much more than only losing weight. My energy levels have increased and inflammation has lessened. I'm beginning to rediscover a part of my life that I thought was over, or that it was too late for me to pursue. I'm rediscovering who I used to be, and I really want to get to know that girl again.

As any of my clients could probaby recite to you (since it's been my mantra for 20 years now) "It's never too late, you're never too old, too young, too out of shape, or too far gone to begin again. There is always HOPE."

The plaque on the wall in my office states:

"Bringing hope & health

to the world,

one person at a time"

...The Fitness Dr

The journey continues. You don't have to travel yours alone.