To fully understand me, you must first get to know me a little better. I am a Kentucky girl, who loves God, my family, farm life, writing, reading, and teaching. I am a Christian, college professor, author, storyteller, wife, mother, and grandmother. I have been a blogger for nearly fifteen years. Now that I think about it…I was a blogger before blogging was popular. My previous blogs were either author or writing related, or for students and their parents. Once again, blogging is calling my name. Only this time, I feel inspired to blog for very different reasons. I feel inspired to write this blog, if for no one else, for myself. My hopes are that my blog will serve as an inspiration for myself to continue clean eating, writing with passion, teaching from my heart, and living a simple farm life, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I must admit that I have aspirations of my blog inspiring others to live a healthier life as well.

My life has taken many different turns during the past fifteen years, especially the last three. I’ll share more about these changes later, and in future blogs. For now, I want to take you back sixty-eight pounds ago. Yes, this change in my life started three years ago when I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, which included the usual blood work, and a standard exam. To make a long story short my doctor shared the results of my blood work and ask the following questions, “What’s it going to be? Are you going to make some lifestyle changes, or are you going to continue living a suicidal life?”

It was true, my life was spiraling out of control, and deep down I knew it. Finally, after picking my chin up off the floor and somewhat gathering my thoughts she explained. My cholesterol was dangerously high, my blood pressure was out of control, I was nearly one hundred pounds over weight, I was in the early stages of diabetes, and more, overall, I was a mess. She explained that I was playing a dangerous game with my eating habits, stress level, and lack of exercise. Tears begin to trickle down my cheeks. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was in a whirl. Questions flooded in too fast to process. I felt sick…I was sick!

With compassion, she laid out her plan for me. She explained calories, fats, sugar intake, and much more. She adjusted the medicine that I was currently taking, prescribed new meds, as well as suggested herbs, and supplements that I should take. She gave me a simple diet to follow, and an exercise routine. She also talked to me about pacing myself to help decrease my stress level. She explained that none of this would help, if I didn’t want to make the changes and truly desire a healthier life for me.

I scheduled a follow-up appointment for the following month, and left with fear in my heart. I had tried to make changes before and failed. I had tried almost every diet known to man kind. I had read all the newest diet books that now cluttered my shelves and are taking up space on my kindle. I had tried various exercise equipment, only to find laundry hanging on each of them after a few weeks. I had a nearly new elliptical in my spare bedroom that was collecting dust. I had tried all types of diet gadgets and gizmos, diet pills, herbs, shakes, fasting, low carb, low-fat, prepared meal plans, social weight loss groups, low sugar, no sugar, juicing, and more…all with little, or no success. What was I going to do? One hundred pounds was a lot of weight. It took me weeks and weeks to just lose three, maybe four pounds. how would I ever lose one hundred pounds.

As I drove home, I began to think about my children, my husband, my grandchildren, my mother, my job, and finally about me. I begin to cry out to God for help. I admitted to Him that I couldn’t do this alone. I was weak. I was tired of secretly eating to decrease stress and cover up hurt and disappointment, dieting in the eye of the public, compulsive eating, trying diet fads, losing five pounds to gain back ten, and tired of feeling bad almost every day of my life. I was tired of being overweight, of my joints hurting, shopping in plus sizes, being ashamed of my appearance, and taking medications, all while smiling on the outside. After all, I was the strong one…right? Wrong! I had to be totally honest with myself, and with God to begin this new adventure of clean eating, living a less stressful, and simplistic lifestyle. I finally found peace with myself and was able to pray for strength, and most of all be willing to accept help, while remaining open and honest with myself, and with Him.

My mind was made up…I would begin the long journey to a better lifestyle. I would commit to eating healthy and clean, exercising daily, decreasing the stress in my life, following my dreams, building a closer relationship with God, while also enjoying my family, Christianity, and life to the fullest. The journey begins…one day at a time.