RedGage

 I believe that in order to be happy in life you have to be happy with who you are as a person. It could range from a successful career, being a great mom, completing your PhD, going on missions, etc. (You get the point!)  For myself, to be content, scratch that, to be excited and enthusiastic about my existence I have to be in good health.

                I did not always know this. I grew up in a family where candy was always in the cabinet, going to Jack in the Box or any fast food places more than once a week was normal, exercise wasn't promoted, and I am positive I never received the correct servings of fruits and vegetables a day. My upbringing truly affected my choices in life. In high school when I was old enough to make my own decisions, I believed that it was acceptable to order off the dollar menu practically every other day (if not more).  And exercise, forget that, once I was no longer on the cheer or track team the concept of working out would have never crossed my mind.

                Obviously, these choices, this lifestyle that I had placed myself in affected my weight, and therefore my self esteem. By the end of my Junior year of high school I had gone from 120lbs to 147lbs. As a short 5'4" girl that put my BMI (Body Mass Index) at 25.2 which is out of the normal scale and in to the overweight category. I, of course, wrote it off and told myself that I was perfectly normal. Finally, I had a doctor tell me that I was showing signs of diabetes. This was a HUGE wake up call. Diabetes is a disease that on average takes eight years off of your lifespan. I don't know about you, but I sure as heck was not ready to give up almost a whole decade.

                I had up to that point taken my life for granted, I never treated my body like the temple it is. That is when I decided to change. Like most people I went through ups and downs. Points where I would give up and just throw in the towel. However, now I am at a healthy 118lbs. I can lift weights, run like crazy, and be happy with who I am. In this blog I am going to share with you all the lessons I have learned and the things that I am still learning. Fitness and nutrition is my passion, and because of that I have acquired quite a bit of knowledge, so join me on my journey to a happy and healthy life!