I mentioned a while back that I was going to start taking my health more seriously, and I meant it. I would say about five months ago, I finally decided to make an effort to 1) stop the fat talk 2) eat more whole, clean foods 3) keep exercising, but add in more things I enjoy for fun.

Stopping the “fat talk” was really difficult as it’s something that has become so mainstream; however, knowing that it is detrimental to me and everyone else around me motivates me to zip it. It's very easy to slip into when you aren’t feeling 100% with yourself, but it's important to remember just how crippling it is. When I started paying attention to it, I couldn’t believe how often I did it. I wanted to slap myself. But, I can now say, I rarely do it. Don’t get me wrong, I have some REALLY bad days where I am not feeling so hot, but bashing my body is totally unnecessary. My body allows me do a lot of amazing things, and I am doing my best to eliminate all the negative banter.

To really understand the types of food I needed to become stronger and get more energy, I actually sought the help of a nutritionist, Ana Goldseker, of Mindful Nutrition. While you would think it would be as simple as picking up a book on healthy foods, it wasn’t to me. I wanted to understand why I felt sluggish at certain times of the day and why I got lightheaded so often. Turns out, I am hypoglycemic and basically eating all the wrong foods at the wrong time of day.

My family actually used to tease me as a little girl because I would complain that I was getting “shaky” when I was hungry on a long road trip. But, it’s because my blood sugar drastically drops when I don’t eat for a few hours, and it makes me 1) shaky 2) cranky 3) super lightheaded and weak. With the help of Ana, I now have a better understanding of what to eat and when. It has made a remarkable difference.

In addition to rearranging my eating habits, I started relying on my favorite food bloggers even more. I have always read health food blogs (and was totally made fun of for it too); I actually started with Cristin from Eat Like Me, and then branched out to Kath Eats, Carrots n’ Cake, Eat Live Run, Healthy Tipping Point and Oh She Glows (who introduced me to the Green Monster that I drink every single morning). There are numerous others as well, but these are the ones I read on a daily basis. While I don't have my own food blog because I don’t eat as nearly as attractive foods as they do, I am extremely interested in it. It's a HUGE time commitment taking photos of each and every bite, and I don't know if it would be beneficial for me at this point. I am interested in having a healthy living blog, though.

My profession is in the health care industry, and I was so happy when my boss said they would front the fee for my ticket to the upcoming fitbloggin’ conference, hosted in Baltimore (woohoo!) So often these are held in other (read more glamorous) locations, but for once, one is being held in my town. These bloggers and blogs give me a great source of encouragement. It totally makes my day when I discover new fitness bloggers in the Baltimore area, like Ashley of Daily Goods, because it’s great to “meet” someone else desiring the same healthy path.

In regards to exercise, I used to be a dancer, and I didn’t really have to work out to stay in shape. It was honestly the best exercise I could do for myself. Once I graduated, though, that all changed and I felt myself losing muscle and strength. While I like working out at the gym, nothing gave me the rush I got from dance. I even began working out with a trainer this year that really pushed me in the weight training department. I have cut back on my appointments now, but I have a whole book of workouts to keep me going. (We do have wedding to pay for, after all).

I decided after some time, though, that I wanted to start incorporating a greater variety of exercises in my routine. The most notable of those was hot yoga. It’s incredible. It reminds me so much of dance, and I will challenge anyone that says it’s not one of the most intense workouts they have done. I have noticed the sweat factor does change within 5-7 degrees, but as long as you challenge yourself with each and every pose, you walk out feeling like gold. It is – by far – the most amazing workout in terms of mental and physical strength, and I thank those at Charm City Yoga for adding something so great to my life.

All in all, I think I have made some great first steps in the health and wellness department. And, no, it’s not just for the wedding. These are principles that I plan to carry on forever as I would never want to put a deadline on my health. It’s a lifestyle; and as long as you are realistic with yourself, it is incredibly rewarding.