On my journey of health it has been not an easy one but one where I wanted to face the long-term consequences of long-term unhealthy habits and begin a journey to change those habits one by one to see long-term results for my life moving forward.

I recognize that not any one thing is going to be a magic pill or THE fix… It’s systematic change at multiple levels in my life.

It started all the way back in my forties when I began to have perimenopause symptoms and I dove into some research and found a few supplements that could give relief. Along the way I made some major changes in 2020 which included walking daily a couple of miles and intermittent fasting.

At that point I began to see some weight loss that resulted in about 20 lb. I saw my ability to maintain that loss for almost 3 years until I hit another transition with my perimenopause and menopause issues and gained 10 lb in less than 30 days. So discouraging!

I spent the next year bemoaning that and finally made an appointment with a functional practitioner who helped me address multiple layers of my health including food choices, movement, supplements, movement and weight training and also some prescriptions for HRT and managing my thyroid medication.

Over a 6-month period of time I saw a loss of 20 lb. but more importantly a change in my sleeping habits, a change in how I feel, and most startling and exciting was the change in my blood work. I went from having full blown Hashimoto’s to remission of Hashimoto’s. I went from being pre-diabetic to getting my blood sugars into normal ranges. I saw multiple markers in my blood work even out and begin to be normal.

At this point I am maintaining the weight loss within a 2-4 pound fluctuation. The psoriasis in one of the main things at this point that frustrates me…I know that this journey involves recognizing that there will be other things I learn and modify along the way to achieve a healthier lifestyle. So I need to continually ask the question “What pieces of the puzzle are missing?”

I recognize that the journey is a lifetime journey. One that I will continue on for my overall good health and quality of life. I am not looking at pursuing to be young forever. Not practical – and not beneficial to living with joy in each new season. I want to learn how to age with grace and health and embrace each new year of growing older with joy. I love every birthday that comes – I do not bemoan my age. I would never want to go back to any prior age. I am learning to see that acceptance of my limitations is actually my strength and gives me grace for myself along the way.

So I keep moving and I keep learning and I am learning to love the moments along the way. I have learned and continue to learn how to love who I am and who God made me to be.