If someone had told me in 2011 that I would some day run a “challenge” to get people moving and introduce healthy levels of “exercise” into their life I would have laughed so hard. Back then I was topping the scales over 600lbs and struggled to go from my bed to the bathroom to the couch.
I was sick, full of toxins, taking in sane amounts of morphine for pain caused from bleeding in all of my joints and small vein systems because of the heavy blood thinners I was taking to avoid more Deep Vein Thrombosis, Embolisms, heart attacks and mini strokes. My body was mass producing blood clots as a result of chronic stress and toxic inflammation from years of over taxing my body.
When an endocrinologist told me I was dying, I decided I couldn’t accept that. He told me to stop “trying” to lose weight and said that exercising was not an option for me. Said I was going to gain back anything I lost if I continued to try these “diets” and that I should just accept this was the end of the road.
If you know me at all, that wasn’t an option.
I decided that no matter how much pain it caused me I was going to change my lifestyle completely. No more prescription drugs (wherever possible… I am a believer in things like antibiotics etc when you need quick action), no more pain killers that numbed my senses as much as the pain and I was going to completely remove the toxins in my life and eat clean. We had, for years been going with no dyes and very few preservatives for my little man because my son has autism. These toxins exacerbate melt downs in autistic children and so it was not a big stretch to go completely clean. I started with a Juice Cleanse. I juiced everything I ate for two weeks. While I was doing that, I hopped online and ordered a piece of exercise equipment that I could use sitting down. The Ab Doer Twist. I worked out for 30 mins twice a day for months.
It was painful. I cried. I made ridiculously small goals. 100 steps without tears. Putting my own socks on. Going down the steps to my van in front of the house without tears. These sound small but for me they were like mountains.
I eventually worked up to doing “stairs” up and down the first four steps going upstairs from my living room over and over. Then I got a stair climber. And slowly I worked my way up to a recumbent bike and now a treadmill! I own an elliptical but seriously think the balance and butt muscles required to stay alive on it are not in my skill set yet lol!!!
I went from 100% sedentary to being able to vacuum, do stairs, sweep, wash dishes standing, make a meal etc. This did not happen over night.
The weight was dropping off me and the less I weighed the less I hurt when I moved and the more I could move.
I have now lost hundreds of pounds and I am healthier than I have been since my early 20s. I take awesome natural supplements that keep my blood from being “sticky” so it doesn’t clot easily and that enables me to live a life off of blood thinners and heparin injections.
I have to be religious about watching my stress levels and shut down anything that causes me stress, in its tracks. But my quality of life is immense. I live healthy, I eat healthy, I MOVE.
I set alarms to get up and walk around the house or do something productive that keeps me on my feet for a few minutes at a time and I move every day. I’m not running marathons but I am living my best life and this journey to a healthier me gets more exciting every day.
I now work with LOTS of bariatric and morbidly obese clients. I would say that over 50% of the people that I work with or on my waitlist have in excess of 100 lbs to lose. Many folks I work with have serious issues with heart health, diabetes or kidney issues.
So the goal here is to show you that there is value in ALL MOVEMENT. Some of you are going to be way beyond capable of doing the treadmill and/or jogging while others are going to struggle to convince themselves they can accomplish a routine from the chair.
The first time I took Zumba I did 90% of it from a chair. Point is – I was willing to move and I watched my body signals. There is a difference between – I’m out of breath and this aches a little and these chest pains need a shot of nitro to go away. I have my heart working at over 85% now despite the heart attacks I have had. I can do a couple km on my recumbent bike before I want to “die” lol. And if my sugars go bazerk because of that extra Iced Cap I treated myself with – I can walk and not pass out. I never give up.
I want you all to feel the added benefits of focus, strength, happiness, etc from movement. I want you to see YOU can do this. Lots of simple functional exercises are out there that mimic simple daily activities that will actually strengthen your core and help you do everyday tasks in a safer way.
It doesn't have to cost you a single dime.
Baby steps. Small hinges, swing big doors.
We got this!
I’ve got you!
We can do this together!
Who’s with me?
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