Why do I strive to live a healthy life style?

It’s the Army Way

As a military spouse, what we do at home reflects on our soldier. If we serve them unhealthy foods full of bad fat and sugar, their performance will suffer greatly. That’s why I love to cook healthy meals full of protein, vegetables, and good carbs for my soldier and our family. My husband is required to do physical training every day for his job. If that’s his requirement as a soldier, it should be my requirement as a stay-at-home wife and mother to do the same. I should be able to keep up with him and our growing boys. When I wasn’t working out on a regular basis I would feel so lazy and unhealthy compared to my husband. He motivated me to change my lifestyle.

Family Matters

My family has a history of diabetes, cancer, and heart conditions. I believe that what we’ve put into our bodies has contributed a lot to these problems. My great grandma passed away from diabetes in 1925. My grandma and grandpa were both diagnosed with diabetes when I was a child. My grandpa also had a few strokes and heart attacks because of his bad cholesterol.  I don’t want to develop diabetes or have heart problems. Having a healthy lifestyle is very important to avoid these problems.

Fighting the Blues

I was diagnosed with depression when I was thirteen. A lot of factors contributed to that diagnosis. I turned to food for comfort. By the time I started high school I was wearing size 14 and 16. I was not active at all and didn’t eat healthfully. The summer before my freshman year we moved from living with my grandparents in Colorado to California. My mom worked long hours and my dad worked the night shift. We ate a lot of pre-made, packaged food on the weekdays since my mom worked until late most days. When my brother and I got home from school our dad would be sleeping. Before we moved, we were used to having our grandma there to greet us. That made my depression worse. I continued taking medication until I graduated high school. I went to see a psychologist shortly after and we discussed methods about how I could wean off the medication. Exercise and a healthy diet was her solution. Within months of our first visit I was completely off the medication and haven’t been on it since. I still struggle though. Being so far away from family affects my depression but my husband helps a lot. Going to the gym and getting my sweat on helps a lot. Taking a break from military life and taking trips with my family helps a lot.

Sticking To It

I was so tired of trying the newest fad diet just to find out it didn’t work for me and I’d gain all the weight back that I lost and then some. I’ve tried so much. Beach Body, Weight Watchers, low carb, Hydroxycut, many other diet pills and exercise video packages. I couldn’t stick to anything. I’d get bored or get cravings for something I couldn’t have. When I started watching Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition I saw that it wasn’t about fad diets or the latest exercise craze. It was about choosing a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it by eating healthy food for nourishment instead of comfort and exercising for strength instead of burning off the crap you ate. I started that healthy lifestyle in July 2013 and I have stuck to it. I make healthier choices, I read labels, I allow myself to eat the things I’m craving once a week and exercise is now a regular part of my life.

The Future

I want to live a long healthy life. I want to be able to meet my grandkids and great grandkids. I don’t want sickness and disease to take over my life. The choices I make today will affect my future. I want my kids to grow up with this healthy lifestyle and not have to struggle with obesity and the problems that come with it. That motivates me to make the healthy choices.