Choose Your Difficulties
There’s a LOT of difference between these two photos... but not what you think.
The photo on the left is about 5 years ago. I was under 30 and my LDL’s (low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol that increases risk of heart disease and stroke) are elevated on the left. I snored, had asthma, heightened anxiety, trouble sleeping and I was also drinking alcohol regularly. My wine was my 'me time.' I hid from cameras and hated every single photo taken of me, I didn’t even want to see it. I talked badly to myself in the mirror and would even yell at myself in my head because I thought I didn't have what it would take to change my life.
Little did I know, I did. We all do.
On the right, I'm closer to 35. My breathing is 1000 times better and I rarely ever have trouble with it, and my blood work is all in normal range. I don’t snore anymore and I sleep well. I have also broken the incredibly debilitating chains of the 'on-and-off', good and bad foods, my alcohol habit, and the negative self talk.
All of these changes from making an effort at two small goals.
Intentional Movement - Movement for me has evolved over time from workouts with toddlers and water bottles as weight, to deadlifts and dedicated gym time. The goal was always just to MOVE and create a schedule for myself that’s feasible. Doing what I can each day.
Food Education - I did this through food tracking, specifically macro counting, but any effort or openness in educating yourself on what’s making up the bulk of your fuel is helpful. It is everything. Not depriving your body of nutrition so it shrinks down, but fueling your body to run more efficiently.
One of my level two clients shared something with me that I applied to myself, and you can apply it to yourself too:
When I look at the photo on the left, I see that having almost no food education, feeling exhausted and running on fumes, getting back concerning blood work at my doctors appointment, with two kids tearing apart the exam room and being in my 20’s was really freaking hard.
But when I look at the photo on the right, I see that showing up every day for myself, learning about nutrition and carving out time for macro counting, intentional movement, self care, time management and going to the gym…that’s also extremely hard.
But you wanna hear the beautiful thing? We get to choose. Do we stay in the mindset like I was in the photo on the left? Or do we take the small steps and intentionally choose the difficulties that I've chosen in the photo on the right?
Choose your difficulties: I choose me now. I choose me. And I hope you choose yourself too. ❤️👏🏻
