My journey to today
It’s been quite a journey to get where I am today, and I’m constantly evolving. I wanted to share my story so you know the struggles you face with your health are mine too.
Growing up, I was very active. I played sports year-round and was never really concerned about my body. But inevitably with age, that body started to change. I no longer liked what I saw in the mirror. I dressed in baggier clothes to hide my insecurities and overcompensated my with excessive makeup.
During college, I pretty much stopped all physical activity and continued to make unhealthy food choices. I tried one bad diet after another, you know…those stupid ones where you can only eat raw veggies for 7 days. *face palm*
Obviously, those didn’t work. It wasn’t until I found Zumba that I really started to enjoy exercise. Eventually, I became a licensed instructor and have been teaching those classes for over 10 years now. Sadly, even as a fitness instructor, I continued to make mistakes with my health. I tried waist trainers, wraps, excessive cardio, obsessive calorie counting, fasting, etc. We’re so bombarded by ads and testimonials for quick “fixes,” and fitness professionals aren’t immune to them. We feel the pressure to look a certain way as the “example.”
I was in the best shape of my life before having my first son, but this came at a cost. I was spending hours at the gym and my husband and I were constantly arguing about my obsession with working out. Obviously, that would have to change. After I had my son, I was devastated when I looked in the mirror. All that hard work, gone. And I know it would take a long time to get back to where I was. I made some adjustments to my fitness routine to accommodate being a new mom, but it ended up taking about 2 years to feel like myself again.
A few years later, I had my second son, and once again, it felt like my body was ruined. I got so frustrated that I wasn’t “bouncing back” as fast as other moms. I thought: How could I go back to teaching workout classes looking like this?
Only 5 months after having my second, the pandemic hit and all gyms closed down. I was nervous that all of my progress thus far would go out the window. But this is where YOU came into the story. Many of my friends and social media followers started joining me for live workouts on Instagram. We kept each other accountable during a tough season, and this community was born.
I started going deeper into my studies of health and fitness and learned so much about the human body. I started following more body positive influencers and I learned about “intuitive eating,” which is the perfect method for my nutrition.
So that brings me to today. I show up on social media and this blog with a lot with messages of encouragement, confidence and motivation, but they’re not just for you. They’re for me too. I am you, fighting the battle every day to love myself in this skin.
I’m choosing to be more authentic and open — about my wins, my losses, my struggles, as hard as that may be. Because there’s power in knowing you’re not alone. Can I get an amen?
