Get Up, Get Moving, Get Healthy! Intro to the DIY Mom Blog's Healthy Living Series

This is my very first post in my new Friday Fitness, Healthy Living series, where, every Friday, I’ll talk about some of the unique challenges women (especially us “mature” women) face.

I decided to do this series because I’m living proof that you can break bad habits to become a healthier, fitter you. I’ll share my story in the hopes that other women just like me will benefit from my cautionary tale.

A little background on me…

In the past, I was health-conscious and fit. Truth be told, I had a very physically demanding job that helped immensely. But then, in 2012, I quit my job to stay home and go from writing part-time to writing full-time. I was no longer the active person I once was and that definitely took its toll on my body and, ultimately, on my health. My eating habits were atrocious and that made things even worse.

The result? A more than fifty pound weight gain and an unexpected medical diagnosis of severe high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pre-diabetes. I’d been experiencing chest pain and palpitations for a few months and, not surprisingly, when I dragged myself off to the cardiologist (yes, literally dragged myself since I had zero energy) I found that my poor habits had caused a minor heart valve blockage. YIKES! What had I done to myself?

Since I was determined not to add to the rapidly growing number of 50 something women who suddenly die of a massive coronary, I was determined to fix myself. I’d made this mess of my own body and I knew it was up to me to undo it. The heart blockage was there, and as long as it didn’t cause any real problems, it would stay put. But I didn’t intend to make it any worse.

My journey to wellness was slow at first, but that was to be expected. After all, my health problems didn’t happen overnight. Improving my health would take time. It was a process that took some fine-tuning to find what was right for me, my body and my lifestyle. And this is the key here – while I will be sharing my story of regaining control of my health, you’ll need to find what works best for you.

In the coming installments of this Healthy Living series I’ll be talking about my progress and addressing things like diet, exercise, practicing mindfulness and other key elements to gaining control of your health and well-being, so please join me on my journey!

*Please be sure to check back every Friday for Healthy Living updates!