My Walk Towards Healthy

MGS Designz is all about showing off our clients not only because we love what we do to make them look and sound good but because we really admire everything they offer! We’ve been working with Lora Ulrich from The New You Lifestyle for quite some time now and we LOVE everything she does! Here’s one of her latest blog posts on healthy eating and living a healthier lifestyle!  I had extra fun with this blog because I got to share my personal experience with her products and how they are making a difference in my life!

An Ordinary Woman’s Journey to Living Healthier Just One Day at a Time!
Guest Blog by Monica Garcia Saenz

I’m an ordinary woman living an ordinary life, if that’s even possible to imagine because what is ordinary now a days? I wish I had some amazing story to tell with incredible weight loss results to WOW you into next week but I don’t. Truth is I’m a single mom, self-employed, I work a lot of hours and I don’t exercise like I should. I hit 40 and something crazy happened in my body. I felt tired all the time, was less motivated to work out and the weight was much harder to keep off. Or maybe life got so busy that I just couldn’t have my physical appearance on the top of my TO DO list every day, who knows?! Anyway, I love to cook and I love to eat and working out has never been my passion so… you guessed it, I’m overweight. Every year I’ve noticed my big clothes get tighter and tighter so I have to go up a size. I used to get angry at myself and start starving myself while working out every day and pushing my body until it gave in and I couldn’t even move. I’d crash, give up and go back to the same unhealthy cycle of eating comfort food and denying the fact that I was on a path that I didn’t really want to be on.

I remember being in my 20′s and 30′s and back then my weight and the way I looked was such an important part of who I was that I practically tried every diet and pushed myself beyond my limits to stay a certain size and weight in order to be OK with myself. I denied myself a lot of things because I HAD to fit into those jeans or I’d hate myself for weeks. My self-worth was based on the way I looked so I had a lot of self loathing going on. I didn’t love myself so I wasn’t ever satisfied with anything I accomplished no matter how great it was. I was in a toxic, unhealthy marriage and a lot of my life choices back then were not taking me anywhere good in life. I blamed everyone else, was angry a lot and wasn’t able to or willing to accept responsibility for my life choices. Come to think of it I wasn’t a very happy person back then at all. Today I look back at pictures of me and think Wow I was thin and beautiful! Why all the self-abuse? Sure, I put on a good front to the world and most people thought I was happy but inside was a different story. Ha! What I wouldn’t give to be the size I used to be back when I thought I was fat! But if being that size means going back to the negative thinking and self judgement than No Thanks – I’m much better off where I am today.

It’s been a long walk for me into a healthier lifestyle. First I had to open my eyes and change my mind about who I was and why I was where I was. I’ll be honest, I’ve spent years reading a lot of self-help books and having long conversation with people like my good friend Lora Ulrich who don’t just tell me what I want to hear but what I need to hear in that moment. Learning to accept responsibility for where you are in life is hard. Making the choice to turn things around and get healthy is even harder. I’ve been addicted to coffee and sugar for years. I’m Mexican so I love to cook elaborate and delicious Mexican meals with all the dressings you can imagine – the problem is I love eating all of it and don’t like thinking about portion control or anything like that! Lora and I have been friends for years and we’ve worked together even longer. I love the fact that she’s never pushed her products on me but rather educated me over the years on what would be a better, healthier choice for me. I have to give her KUDDOS for never giving up on me but rather waiting for me to be ready. We have lunch on a regular basis and I’d walk up with my Venti Fru Fru Sugar Packed caffeinated luxury drink and then I’d complain about Hot Flashes… she’d just hug me anyway and smile. I wasn’t ready to give it up for years and she understood, even though she didn’t like it!

This year something happened. I can’t explain if it was my mind, my body, my spirit or just all of me saying gently “Monica, it’s time for you to love yourself more!” Lora was super excited when I told her “Girl, I think I’m finally ready!”.It has been a slow process for me and she’s always been OK with that. I have tried the USANA meal replacement shakes years ago but since I’m allergic to Soy and didn’t really realize it, they upset my stomach. I tried the HealthPak vitamins but my body didn’t recognize all the good stuff so my stomach would get  upset. I tried the nutrition bars and liked them years ago but my son would eat them more than me because I’ve been addicted to chips, chocolate and ding dongs so my hand would reach for those first.

I’ve had digestive problems for years and just never said anything to Lora because it’s not something you go around saying. Hey, by the way, I can’t move… doesn’t sound right at all and that’s not even getting into anything descriptive. It wasn’t until I attended one of her Nutrition Seminars and really listened to the details of what is in the products and how they work with your body and all the benefits I get from taking them on a regular basis. After the event, I fessed up and said “You know why I haven’t been able to get off coffee – it keeps me regular.” What’s in that fiber packet and will it help me? What about those digestive enzymes, will they do the job? I also said I think it’s the Soy in the shakes that upsets my stomach, do you have one that’s not Soy and can I taste the Cappuccino one since I LOVE coffee? We started talking about the vitamins and I said they upset my stomach but I want to take them so she suggested I take half the dosage until my body got used to it slowly grow into the full dosage. She told me the Chocolate shake is only Whey and no soy and the Cappuccino has soy, whey and rice mixed together so the amount of soy is less and would be better on my stomach. She also recommended the REV3 energy drink because it’s all healthy ingredients and has no crash like coffee does.

So that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve connected to a lot of really positive people on Facebook (I delete the negative ones) and I love all the positive quotes first thing in the morning. I share a post when I go walking and I get a bunch of YOU GO GIRL messages that keep me motivated to keep going. I take time to read positive books and nurture my mind with healthy thoughts. Lora and I talk on a regular basis and I ask a lot of questions and am slowly making changes towards healthy. I’m taking my USANA nutrimeal shakes several times a week for breakfast and I drop in a packet of the probiotic for healthy digestion. Sometimes if I’m on the run I’ll have one for lunch or dinner instead of skipping a meal because I’m too busy to eat.  I also take two of the digestive enzyme pills before every meal (almost every meal) and I keep a USANA snack bar in my purse for when I get super hungry. I take a packet of the USANA HealthPak Vitamins after breakfast and one after dinner and my stomach never gets upset anymore! I’ve stocked my refrigerator with healthy snacks and avoid the unhealthy ones. I buy things like Low Glycemic bread from Publix and natural peanut or almond butter instead of the packaged stuff. I buy the laughing cow cheese wedges and greek yogurt and make an effort to eat less rice and pasta. Total honesty here I do indulge in cheetos every now and then but I don’t eat the whole bag like I used to but rather just a handful and then I’m done! The other day I threw away an old bag that was sitting in the pantry for weeks because they got stale. That NEVER used to happen before because I’d eat the bag in a day or two at most! I still crave sugar and chocolate but not like I used to. I keep a chocolate nutrition bar handy and sometimes just a bite of that calms the craving. Sometimes, if I’m hormonal I break down and buy a snickers, eat half and give the other half away to my son Julian but I never feel guilty about it.

Bottom line is that I’m slowly walking towards Healthy these days. My thinking is positive and I feel better about myself. I love myself more and care about what goes into my body and mind. I have distanced myself from toxic, negative people who drain me and bring me down. I surround myself with healthy, successful people who help me reach my goals and inspire me to be a better person. I stopped the guilt, self judgement and self sabotage. I stopped gaining weight and my jeans are loose on me now and my digestive problems are gone! I have more energy and I don’t crash in the middle of the day because I stopped drinking coffee altogether and enjoy aREV3 energy drink every now and then instead. I drink lots of water throughout the day, I’m walking more than I used to. I also take breaks from my computer to stretch by body and give my eyes a break. I used to need daily naps but now I sometimes just lay down to meditate and rest my eyes and body for about ten minutes and feel more refreshed then if I would have slept for hours. I am reading the labels on food that I buy and I stopped starving my body but instead I make sure I am eating a meal or snack every three hours. I am aware of what I am putting into my body and what I’m feeding my family. We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and have stopped fast food altogether. It’s taken me a while but I feel good about it and I’m proud of the changes I am making.

I don’t have it all figured out. I’m not at the size or weight that statistics say I should be at and I haven’t reached any incredible amazing goal to celebrate or write home about. I don’t feel like I’m better or worse than anyone else but rather better than who I was yesterday, last month and last year because today I love myself more. I am making wiser choices. I am walking in a healthier direction and I feel better about myself and where I’m going. I am taking responsibility and owning my reality. I am asking questions and thinking for myself. I am not taking my health for granted and I’m doing something about those things that I’m not happy about in my life.

I am walking towards healthy and it feels good! Lora is a great person to talk to about your healthy journey and ask questions. If you’re interested in getting healthy, feel free to give her a call at 239-898-4078. You can see the details on any of the USANA products I mentioned byclicking here.

Monica Garcia Saenz  is published author, an experienced translator, a creative graphic designer, a talented web designer and a passionate marketing consultant. Monica has years of experience in the marketing field and brings her expertise into every job opportunity with MGS Designz & More. She can be reached at mgsdesignz@gmail.com or you can like her fanpage,visit her website or contact her at 239-282-2869.

Lora Ulrich, Lifestyle Coach
Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant
The New You Lifestyle 
239-898-4078
www.TheNewYouLifestyle.com
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