3 YEAR HEALTH AND FITNESS ANNIVERSARY

This month is fast coming to a close and I do not want it to pass without me marking my 3 year anniversary in some way.

It has been one hell of a ride, challenging, tough, there have been tears, frustration and even anger, but there has also been smiles, laughter and success.

My health due to a condition called adenomyosis was in trouble, monthly periods which saw me in A &E in extreme pain, and violent vomiting for days on end. Sometimes I would be kept in over night, fed strong drugs to stop the pain, injections to stop the vomiting, and all while on a drip re-nourishing me!

It was a miserable existence. A visit to a homoeopath, made me re-evaluate how I was treating my body and what I was doing which could be contributing to the condition. Having your head constantly down a toilet bowl, is not a lot of fun so being faced with that every month, learning to eat better was a no-brainer.

I won’t lie the first time I visited the homeopath and he told me I would have to give up refined sugar, I almost cursed him out and walked out of his office. In my head I was thinking, "What kind of quack is this, what the hell has sugar got to do with my damn periods!"

Little did I know that sugar causes inflammation and my condition is caused by inflammation! I have also learned that caffeine, wheat and diary are also not great for Adenomyosis sufferers. Yes I have had to make some big changes and cut back drastically on all those foods.

3 years down the line my health conditions is not cured, even with all the changes I have made, but alongside exercise and medical intervention it is manageable. Every once in a while it rears its ugly head and kicks my butt, but those episodes have thankfully not been a regular occurrence. 

I have learned that eating well and exercising is not a "cure all", that it cannot fix all my health issues or any other issues or stresses I may have in my life, but it does help, and it makes me feel as if I am doing everything I possibly can to help myself and that makes me feel very powerful and not so helpless when dealing with a chronic health condition.

My body is stronger and fitter than it has been in years, I look and feel better than I have in years. This journey did not start as a journey to shed weight, it started as a journey to look after myself better.

it has turned into so much more. Yes I have lost weight, I've also lost sugar as a boyfriend, wheat as a close girlfriend, caffeine as a daily acquaintance, but I have gained so much more.       

I have gained a mentally stronger, more determined, but also stubborn mind.

I have again a kick ass, can do, don’t mess with me attitude.

I can open my wardrobe, pull out anything and know it can not only fit but look decent.

I have become more body confident and more daring in what I wear. 
I have found out that working out at home can be just as good as working out in the gym.
I have found out as much as I loved running, it is not the only way to become fit and healthy.
I can lift heavy shopping, move furniture, I also break more stuff around the house due to my new found strength, opps. 

I feel more confident performing on the stage.

My solo play has grown as my physical prowess and confidence has grown, it has made me a much better performer. The play is very physical and there is one part in particular,  which used to finish me and I would always end up huffing and puffing like an over-burdened donkey, now I am pleased to say I sail through that part with ease.

I have gained a love for weight-lifting (including kettlebells) I weight train, 4 times a week, two upper body sessions and two lower body session I now include Pilates and more recently Yoga into my regular workouts. I am sh*t at Yoga but I still try!

Weight Liftings has made me feel safer, I feel strong enough to take care of myself in a way I have never felt before! I may be smaller than I was but I am definitely not weaker.

Exercise is now a daily part of my life, no excuses I get it done, even if that means getting up at "Ridiculous o'clock." working out late at night, or even in-between jobs. I find a way to make it work, I find a way to fit exercise into my life. I feel better for it, life is hectic being fit makes a big difference as to how I handle all the running around I have to do.

Even my job as a facilitator has improved, my sessions with young people teaching drama or poetry have always been active but now they are very physical as I have the energy to run and exert myself and keep up with the youngsters I teach. 

I qualified as a Group Exercise Instructor.
I qualified as a Personal Trainer.

I have created a health/fitness Facebook group.

I also have a Whatassp group which I use to motivate people daily.

This has become not only about me but how I can use my experiences to motivate others.

I will shortly be kicking off a local running group. 

2017 I will start running monthly fitness/liveDJ events…..
I like the new stubborn and determined person I have become.
This new attitude is rubbing off in other areas of my life, I want to change everything now, not just my health lol.

Making these changes has not been easy, but slowly, slowly has been the recipe, I have learnt there is no need to rush I have taken my time and introduced new changes over years, not days or months. Now it is just the way that I live.

I started these health changes to heal my body and have ended up with a better body and a whole new way of life. 

I have found as success has come, my resolve has become stronger.

Daily strategies have been a massive part of my journey.

Since March I have kept a daily calendar stuck to a kitchen cupboard, which I write my exercise on, there is something very satisfying about seeing those days add up.

I have had to learnt to accept that my condition will not go away, no matter what I do, it is not an easy thing to accept but I have had to, it's a part of me I cannot get rid of, I cannot out-run, out-eat, out-strength train, out-Yoga, out-Pilates adenomyosis. I cannot cure it with essential oils or moringa, aloe vera, Raspberry leaf tea etc yes I have tried them all and more!

I have had many failures on the way, there have times I have literally eaten myself into a sugar coma, eaten out way too many times, eaten way to much, said “Fu*k it” and eaten bread like it there was going to be a bread famine! There have been times I have not wanted to exercise and have had to bully myself to do so.

The hardest change was cutting back drastically on sugar, I do not miss pasta, my bread fetish is practically non-existent but sugar, sugar will always be my first love, but even my craving for that has died down. Time is a wonderful thing and the more you use your will power, the stronger it will become. That does not mean you will not have moments, days, weeks, months  even, when you may go off track, just find your way back.

Tips

*Make exercise a non-negotiable, even if you do not feel like it, do it.

*Don’t be a food nun, have a little bit of what you fancy, it will keep you sane and motivated.

*Think about your health, rather than what you look like, your body will change as a by-product of
  your actions.

*Stop sabotaging yourself, get the hell of your own way, if you want to be healthier you are going to
  have to fight for it, sweat for it, cry for it, no one is going to serve it to you on a plate, this is
  something you are going to have to work for. Health is not a given.

*Try not to eliminate whole food groups, unless for health reasons.

*Healthy living does not have a time limit, think about changing your lifestyle forever.


*Keep trying, no matter how badly it all goes, keep trying.

*Put strategies in place, a food diary, exercise diary, get a personal trainer, put money in a jar every
   time you work out.

*Learn, educate yourself on health, fitness and food, and exercise routines, read, read, read, read,
   learn, learn.

•Get support and help if need be, a person trainer, a dietitian, a counselor, a nutritionist. Some of us have real issues with our eating habits and bodies which we may beed professional help to deal with.

Trying to live a healthier life is never going to be easy but is it worth it?

Hello yes, I have no regrets, I am a better person for it.

You will struggle, cry, curse and want to give up, but keep going and you will surprise yourself.

Remember it's not about size, it's about health, it's about feeling good about yourself, and being physically fit and mentally healthy.

For years I wished for a fitter, healthier, more muscular body. I thought it was out of my reach, little did I know..........my body was just waiting for me to start looking after myself.

Feel free to join me on my Facebook health/fitness group where a whole bunch of us keep each other motivated and inspired. https://www.facebook.com/groups/717206488345582/

I wish I could have a before and after of my mind, as it is my mind which has changed the most. Since that is not possible I am going to finish off with a short video taken by my other half in appreciation of the body I have created, after all my hard work a little self-appreciated and self-indulgence is warranted.

Last thoughts, keep going, no matter what, no matter how difficult or turbulent your journey may be, because health is something that is always worth fighting for.