My Story Part 1: How I Got to Where I Am Today
Making the transition to a healthier lifestyle has taken both time and patience. My health journey has been simultaneously the most challenging yet rewarding challenge I’ve taken on. The keyword here is journey. Walking this path has been an ongoing process. But where I am now and where I used to be are worlds apart.
I’d like to share a little more about my background, how I grew up, and what my diet and lifestyle entailed to give you a fuller picture of what is possible when you choose to make one little intentional change at a time. My hope is that it will inspire you and remind you that no matter where you are on your health journey, you are not alone, and change is possible no matter how far away it might seem at this time.
I can look back and remember that my mom did some things that, even now, I would do for my family. Some of these things were pickling vegetables in a jar, using lard to cook with, and always doing the best she could by cooking from home rather than going out to eat. It’s not that we never ate out, trust me! McDonald’s was our treat!! Friday was payday and that meant the chicken nugget Value Meal would be the highlight of the day. Back then we would drink from glass bottles and take them back to the store to get money for more. Lots of frying was involved, and when we didn’t have lard, we used vegetable, corn, and canola oils!
Now, born and raised in Wisconsin, you know that cheese is a huge deal, and of course, not only was McDonald’s worshipped, but pizza was too! And not just any kind of pizza, but a deep-dish pizza! We also had a Dairy Queen down the street, which was our summer treat. Being that I lived in Wisconsin it would only open up during the summer hours! Not only did we have summer break to look forward to, but we also knew our dessert spot would be opening at the same time. Who doesn’t love soft-serve ice cream that melts in your mouth? Some of our favorites were banana splits (we would freeze these and then enjoy them), chocolate-dipped ice cream cones, hot fudge sundaes, or the famous Blizzard that was so thick you could tip it over without a drop falling out! My cousin proved that theory wrong. Hers did, lol.
And another summer treat was the ice cream truck, of which we had our favorites too. Candy back then was super cheap. It was close to $0.02 for a single piece! It’s crazy to think about that now. We also had a store next to the Dairy Queen that conveniently had a huge candy store in it. What I’m getting at here is that growing up I had my fair share of sugar…and then some!
As time went on, I worked with kids as a daycare worker, playground leader, and after-school program, and candy played a huge role in my life as an entire food group. As I got older and went to college, I carried 3 jobs, and it became increasingly hard to cook and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, I did what many college kids do and learned to cook and live off of the easiest, most convenient food out there…. TOP RAMEN!!! Oh, my goodness, I honestly can’t even remember the last time I had that. Peanut butter and toast for breakfast, chips, candy for snacks, soda, and coffee to keep me “hydrated.” (If I only knew then what I know now!) Let’s not forget Top Ramen for dinner countless nights in a row… I look back at all of the health issues I had, confused as to the cause at the time, and can now see how inflammation had taken over my body from a diet of strictly processed foods.
Well, not surprisingly, that lifestyle and amazing cooking habits were transferred over into my marriage.
And that’s when the inflammation began causing some real health issues that I could no longer ignore because of the toll they took on my body. I was so desperate to feel better that I went from one diet to the next. Have you tried every diet out there, too? Not only was I miserable, but none of them led me to where I thought they would…stay tuned for Part 2 of my story next week!
