It's Not Just About MY Blueprint...

Hey out there!

So, tonight's post was going to focus on food...what I eat, what I try to avoid, etc.  I promise to cover that in my next post (probably tomorrow night).  In the meantime, some other shiny thing has caught my attention and captivated it completely.  My heart is full.

When I began this journey, it was truly all about me (all that woo, folks).  I was teetering on the edge of giving up, giving in and gaining the 30 pounds I had lost back.  Sitting there with an injury with nothing but time on my hands, I knew I had to do something.  I needed this blog in order to work through issues, be accountable and interact with people out there in the world.  So I could pass my experiences on to them as well as learn from theirs.

There has been a shift - and its not a bad shift, but its no longer just about me.  I feel responsible to put posts out here as I have several friends I am "helping" with their healthy lifestyle changes and I want to answer their questions and keep sharing my tribal knowledge.  This isn't a bad thing at all.  I'm flat blown away by the comments, emails and messages on Facebook that I get from friends and friends of friends who all have questions or just want to pick my brain.  I'm so beginning to realize this isn't just about me.  And I'm humbled and amazed by that thought.

The healthy lifestyle has affected my family as well.  A few weeks ago my 7 year old little girl was making herself a ham and cheese sandwich.  I watched in quiet amazement as she pulled out the raw spinach and piled it on her sandwich.  Today at the grocery store, she begged me to buy squash to cook for her sometime this week.  (which I did of course).  These things would NEVER have happened before I began to get healthy.  She was a nuggets/fries kind of girl.  Who could blame her?  My menu when I was pregnant with her consisted of chicken biscuits, chicken sandwiches and more chicken sandwiches (all fried of course) and fries were my best friend.  I'm blown away by her beginning to prefer healthy foods.  Her blueprint will be forever changed because of this.  I doubt with these habits she will ever battle her weight like I did through most of my childhood and adult life.

My husband of almost 11 years is 6 feet tall and weighed 185 when I started this.  He's now in the low 170s and he isn't even getting regular exercise.  In a year he dropped 12 pounds just by eating more like me.  He is supportive and will at least try everything I cook and doesn't insist on bringing crappy food into the house.  He still doesn't love peas or brussel sprouts but he tolerates them.  Last week I went to dinner with some friends and he made eggs and sausage for him and Elizabeth for dinner.  And he mixed raw spinach in with the eggs (without my instruction).  WOW.  His blueprint is improved as well.

So its like a domino effect.  You may think its only you who needs fixing.  But even if the people around you don't necessarily have a weight problem, it doesn't mean they are healthy.  And super sizing that meal really isn't good for anyone of any weight.  {Bleh.  The thought of it nauseates me.}  I know plenty of skinny people who are not healthy.  Or naturally thin people who could not keep up with me and my activity.  If you make decisions to change your own life, you will be helping your spouse, children and friends to do the same.  And you may help people you don't even know that well. :)

And like the pay it forward concept it will continue to spiral in a good way.  That is why I get so much out of this blogging.  To pay it forward as I have been blessed with friends, information and circumstances that have allowed me to come this far.  It would be terribly selfish for me to want to keep it all to myself.  And that's just not my style.

I can't tell you how excited I get when someone sends me a message that says "ok, I'm ready to get healthy."  Some want to float ideas by me, some want to know how to get started.  I'm getting good at my spiel now.  At this point, the volume is such that I can handle it with a few message, phone conversations, etc.  At some point, I would love to be a healthy lifestyle coach for real.  I've always thought I could be a life coach.  But for now (and as long as I can't afford to be self-insured - lol) I get very excited about helping others and am happy to do it.

So a little all over the place, but you get the point.  Its no longer just about me.  That's pretty awesome.  Does it mean I don't need to be accountable?  Heck no! I need to be more than ever if I'm going to finish these last 40 pounds off.

And I will.

And you'll be here to cheer me on.

And when you're ready, I'll be here to cheer you on as well.

Holla!

Clara