Most of you don’t know this, but like a lot of people, I’ve struggled with my weight literally all my life. The worst challenges came about 10 years ago when I gave up smoking. Without going into too many details, the stress of quitting and some unhealthy decisions caused a lot of unexpected changes in my body, the most challenging has been a very severe and rapid weight gain (60 pounds in less than 4 weeks!). For almost a decade, I’ve been trying and failing to get that weight off. Well I’ve just reached a major milestone. With the help and support of my husband and my cousin over the past 2 years I’ve been steadily reducing my mass and improving my health, and recently I was able to boast a 50 pound weight loss and a personal workout best of 645 calories burned in 1 60 minute circuit training session!
I believe that the biggest factor in being able to set, maintain, and eventually reaching my goals of a healthier self has been adding massage into my life on multiple levels. First of all, I receive massage on a regular basis, at least twice a month from a very skilled therapist, Mandi Parker. This is essential in maintaining healthy stress levels, and healthy soft tissue which allows me to continue to push my body to greater heights. Secondly, I left my corporate career behind and became a Licensed Massage Therapist. This was a dream for me since my late teens. Being able to walk away from the constant stress of the corporate world and being completely immersed in the healthy and supportive environment of the massage industry has taught me how to make self-care a priority in my life. Because I take care of myself, I’m always available to care for and support those I love. How awesome is that?!
I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2014 looks like!