Being Healthy Is NOT As Hard As I Thought It Would Be!

From a Healthy Edge Graduate: "Just as you are doing right now, I’ve read a lot of “Health Success Stories”.  To be honest, when I read them before embarking on my own journey, I always felt inspired…but still thought I wouldn’t be willing to do what they had to do to gain success.  Most stories left me thinking, “That’s great, but I don’t have that kind of willpower around food,” or “I’m too lazy to really do that kind of activity,” or “I’m not a runner,” or “I like what I eat too much to give it up.”   To me, being healthy seemed not just HARD, but like something I could never work into my lifestyle.  We are led to believe it’s hard to get healthy by companies advertising “Easy Weight Loss” programs or “Just take this pill”—always looking for the “quick answer”.  I knew I didn’t want to count points, count calories, buy someone’s prepackaged “food”, or do anything I wasn’t willing to do for the rest of my life. 

I was lucky enough to have my employer sponsor my health journey with the Healthy Edge program at a point in my life where I had finally gotten honest with myself.  I was a ballerina when I was young and never had issues with my weight until college, when I got busy and inactive.  I had many excuses why I stopped moving and kept eating food that didn’t serve my body well.  By the time I had all three of my children, I was obese and “TOO BUSY” to work out.  I woke up every day feeling like a skinny girl in a fat suit.  I found myself making choices based on avoiding effort and exercise.  I found myself indulging in the kinds of foods that led me to see my blood sugars rising, my blood pressure rising, and my cholesterol rising.  I was 40 years old and saw nothing but downhill ahead for my health.  Just before beginning the Healthy Edge, I’d gone snowshoeing with my family and was grateful when my 8 year old wanted to turn around early because I was not sure I could make it any further.  This was not the life I wanted.  I wanted to break the cycle in my family and create a different experience for my children.

Here’s what I wish I would have believed years ago:  being healthy is NOT as hard as I thought it would be.  Being healthy is making one choice at a time—just like making unhealthy choices.  I do not eat food I do not want to eat.  We have explored many, many healthy foods and we decide what we like.   It does take some effort to plan and prepare the food we want to eat, but that effort pays off every day.  I no longer crave carbohydrates— something I never thought possible—and that was after week 1!  While I don’t always “want” to work out, I know I feel better each day I do.   The best part of this journey has been how I feel—FULL OF ENERGY!  I know I will never go back to old habits because I love my new habits and how I feel.  

Thank you to Amber and her team at the Healthy Edge!  Because you helped me believe it was in me to do this, my whole family now leads the healthy lifestyle we’ve wanted.  Five months after beginning our journey, my husband and I have released 110 lbs.  We took a 10 mile hike with our kids and kept up with them the whole time.  My husband no longer takes medication for his blood pressure or cholesterol since both are controlled through lifestyle.  I am no longer “borderline” on my blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels—I’m in the normal range.  I received the tools I needed to make changes for our whole family for a whole lifetime.   

If you are reading my story and are feeling the way I used to feel, “Great for her, but I could never do it,” please know that I was there too.  Begin your healthy journey from wherever you are today.  Take the next step and the one after and the one after that.  If I could do it—you can too.  You can love a healthy lifestyle more than what you have now and the tools at the Healthy Edge will teach you how."  ~Jennifer

The Healthy Edge is hosting a Total Body Makeover Challenge beginning January 11th.  Experience the Healthy Edge through the support of a coach, in a group or through a self-directed program.  To learn more please visit The Healthy Edge Total Body Makeover page or join us for a FREE informational webinar on January 5th (register now) or January 8th (register now), both at 6:00pm PST.  All registrants will be emailed a recording of this call.  

If you have any questions please contact support@getthehealthyedge.com