Blog

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Overcoming Anxiety and PPD

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I recently shared this week that I struggle with anxiety, and that I am using one of our It Works supplements, Confianza, to help me battle the physical symptoms. I wanted to elaborate a little bit about my struggles with anxiety and post partum depression just to give you a better idea of how I am fighting it with Christ, exercise, and supplements.

I didn't have PPD with my first son, not even a little bit. With Silas, things were so different from the very beginning. The first few times I nursed him in the hospital I noticed that I immediately felt sad. The second he latched I would feel this overwhelming darkness, almost like a cloud. I researched it and it was a normal side effect from nursing because your hormones go up and down in order for your milk to let down. I wasn't very worried but did not like it. I didn't think much about it, and just went on about my life.

Eventually, Silas got very fussy and I didn't know why at around 8 weeks. We went to the doctor and he had lost about 7 oz in a month. Basically, I wasn't making enough and he was dropping weight and starving. We were both a mess. I tried it all to bring up my supply and plump him up. I pumped after every feeding, I used an SNS in order to put weight on him without damaging our latch. I tried every supplement there was. I even got a prescription for Reglan, which was probably a very big mistake as my depression was already getting worse.

Basically, after 4 weeks of battling Silas' weight and my supply just getting worse and worse. I was down to pumping maybe 11 oz a day after 10 pumping sessions. Yea, it was terrible. I was a wreck, and my PPD was in full swing. I also had a 2.5 year old at the time, so I was sitting down to feed and pump, which was taking me between 45 minutes to an hour 8-10 times a day. Not easy, but I was trying so hard to keep breastfeeding because it was so important to me.

Finally, I decided to stop battling and put him on formula. Then I spiraled even farther down. I cried constantly. Like all of the time. Every time I gave Silas a bottle of formula I would cry. Every time. 8 times a day because nursing was so important to me and I couldn't do it. I felt like a failure even though I wasn't.  I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Which for me is weird. I wanted to be happy, but I couldn't choose it. I knew I should be happy but all I felt was this cloud of darkness. If you haven't ever had PPD this probably doesn't make much sense, but it was very real. I felt like I was constantly in a daze, and never really in the moment. Just lost. No one did anything wrong. I was going to church, I was praying, and I just couldn't climb out.

After another month, so Silas was around 4 months old, I told my husband I thought I needed help. That this was something out of my control. That I felt helpless and lost. I didn't feel like me, and I just wanted to be me again. I visited my doctor and I was prescribed a low dose of Zoloft.

Now, I didn't just feel better overnight. It all took time but basically what happened is one day a few weeks to a month later I realized I hadn't cried. That feeding Silas a bottle didn't bring me a huge sense of failure and resentment. I just felt normal. I felt joy again. I felt ready to focus on my health. I felt ready to join the real world outside of my home. I felt ready to talk about what I was feeling. I felt like me. No fog. No crying. I was able to finally be the mom I wanted to be to Judah and Silas. A happy one.

I was only on Zoloft a few months, and took myself off of it very easily. Of course with doctors orders. Why did I write this? Because PPD is normal, and we don't talk about it. We don't talk about it enough. It is a real thing that happens and is down right scary and for me it was debilitating. I was drowning in my own emotions. I am on the other side of it now, and soon after getting off of Zoloft I started exercising again. I found myself again. I lost the baby weight, and started using exercise a way to deal with the darker moments and day to day anxiety of being a mom. I was no longer depressed, but I definitely still struggled with mood swings, and extreme moments of anxiety.

Now, this brings me to Confianza. I still struggle with anxiety. I have always been an anxious person. Once I had two kids, the juggling act of it all gave me some anxiety but I have always just felt it was something I had to deal with. I did with exercise, prayer, and constant communication with my husband.

But there are still physical symptoms that hold me back. I get a tightness in my chest, mood swings, and just over all "blah-ness". About a month ago, I had a few really bad days. My emotions were all over the place. I was struggling to balance it all. Confianza was right in front of me the whole time, and I didn't see it. Finally, I decided to try it three weeks ago. I can honestly say it has helped. Dinner time was always hard for me, and I have been able to stay calm and collected at our toughest part of the day. I feel myself getting worked up but it doesn't get out of control. I stay calmer, more focused, and able to think my way through situations instead of being overwhelmed.

I am thankful that I have found a way to manage my anxiety symptoms without medications, even though I think there is a place for them having been through PPD. I also try to keep boundaries in my life, and keep a schedule. I am also learning to say no, which is very hard for me!

Anyway, if you have any questions about how I use Confianza to manage my anxiety please leave a comment or shoot me an email! I think exercise, prayer, and Confianza have made a world of difference so I wanted to share!

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Change is a Good Thing

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Some of you may have noticed that I am no longer posting on my wellness page or my wellness Instagram, maybe not, but either way I have decided to make some changes! I feel like I have been battling this change for the past few months! I know when I have taken on too much, and lately I have definitely felt that way! So, yes, change is coming but I am confident it is what is best for my family and for all of my followers.

When I began my wellness page, I had so much more time than I do now. I wanted a place to share my food, workouts, and It Works journey without annoying people who were really just following me to see pictures of my kids.  I was okay with that, and excited to have a platform to share some of my passions. I was equally as excited about having my wellness website, and being able to share more detailed content for my followers there.

I also started my wellness page and site before I really knew what I was doing with It Works. Meaning I wanted to share supplements with people that had worked for me, and I really didn’t think I would ever build teams. I just didn’t know! I didn’t know the potential of the company I had signed on with! I am so glad I was wrong, and because of that I have decided to scale back in order to bring me back to a less chaotic place, and provide good content for you! It Works has become a huge part of my life, and I am so excited for my future and my teams future with this company. I love my teams, I love my clients, and I especially love that I am able to help other men and women realize the potential they have to drastically change their lives with It Works.

The downside, all of that takes time and time I really want to give but in all honesty I have felt stretched thin! So I have decided to take down my wellness page and my wellness Instagram and keep everything streamlined and simple. I realize people may unfollow me because they don’t want to see It Works, or what I ate for dinner that night, and I am okay with that! This is the direction my life has taken, and I know this is where God wants me. When I was posting in two separate locations, I felt like I wasn’t sharing my whole life with my followers. I don’t work out every day, and I certainly don’t eat perfect and that is the impression you got on my wellness page. I am also a mother, a wife, a Christ follower, a friend, and all around goofball. I want to bring it all together, so that you see exactly who I am and what I am doing every day. Not just bits and pieces.

I also want to bring much more content to my website, so by cutting out a few things I am creating time for the website. I wasn’t fitting it all in, so when something is important we make time. To make time we must prioritize. I will continue to bring you great meal ideas and quick workouts. As well as, great information on this incredible company I am a part of, just all in one place. I am also working diligently to bring you some awesome information to the website! Meal plans, meal prep, devotionals, workouts, and tons of other great things! Stay tuned! I am working hard for you, I promise!

Thank you for those of you who have followed every social media profile I have. I am so grateful for your support, and grace as I navigate this new journey!

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Multi-Level Marketing - You think you know, but you have no idea!

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I am seeing a trend lately, and I wanted to put my two cents in!  I know that everyone and their dog are selling something these days, and you never know their intention. I know you see multiple companies promising things, and you aren’t sure whom to believe. I wanted to put your mind at ease, most of the health companies you see all are trying to do the same thing. We all love our products and the companies we represent.  We have seen it change people’s lives. It has changed our lives, and all we are doing is sharing something we love. We should not be talked down to or scolded for doing something we love. Especially when most people have never been a part of our companies in the first place.  I’m just sayin’.

I realize we have been grouped into all being “scams.” I get asked that all the time, or I get told it is a scam. I am like, really? If all of these companies are scams, why are we still around 14 years later? Why do you keep seeing us grow? Why do you keep seeing people come home to their children, or pay off debt? Where do you think all the transformation stories come from? Real people with real results. No scamming. No scheming. We are real people. So, I am here to tell you, you think you know but you really have no idea!

 Is that one of those pyramid things? What do you mean? Do I have people working underneath me? Yes, I have 10 wonderful ladies working WITH me. Not UNDER me.

We are on the same team. We all want the same thing. I work with them closely every single day. I want them to succeed. Probably more than their bosses do at their 9-5 jobs. Here is what you don’t know about MLM companies and It Works specifically. I am rooting for them every single day. I am praying for them every single day. I am working with them every single day to ensure and encourage their success. I can’t go anywhere without my team, and I wouldn’t want to. When they succeed, I succeed. How many of you have bosses who will be your cheerleader every day, even if it is at midnight? How many of you have bosses that will brainstorm with you every day about how you can reach more people, and change more lives? I am on call 24/7, and I do it with a smile because that means they are succeeding and they are changing not only their lives, but the lives of others.

So you think you know, but you really have no idea. We are a family. We have one purpose. To share a company and products we love. It Works supplements have changed me as a mom and wife. I am a better person now that I have the energy to accomplish everything I need to in a day. I am a more fun mom because of It Works. I am more confident in my own skin because of It Works. I have met so many wonderful people, and my cup is full because of It Works. So when you see my post twice a day, or I message you, or any other wellness company reaches out. Please don’t roll your eyes, or delete the message. We are just sharing what we love, and we are trying to improve our lives and the lives of our teams and customers. Do we make money? Sure we do. Don’t we deserve the chance to better our lives financially? How lucky are we that we get to share a company we love, and bring our families more financial freedom? Darn lucky. That is for sure. Just because we go about it differently, doesn’t make it wrong. We get to work in our own time. Our own hours. No one to tell us when and where we have to be. Yea, you could say I feel pretty lucky!

I feel lucky to be a part of It Works. I feel lucky that after months of rolling my eyes, and deleting messages I gave Mandy a chance to share what she loved. I have found my passion, and so I will keep posting, sharing, and messaging. I won’t stop, and my prayer is that this shows you that maybe you should stop and click those links we share. Or stop and actually take the time to chat or talk on the phone. You don’t know unless you listen. We are not con artists. We are not annoying sales people. We are people with drive and passion, and all we want to do is share it. I haven’t lost a single friend because of what I do. I haven’t lost any family over what I do, and if you stop following me or block me because of what I post that is just fine! I feel it is your loss anyway, and it won’t stop me or my team or any other wellness company from pressing on! We keep going for the people we know we have helped, and for the people we will help in the future.

I hope this gives you some insight into multi-level marketing companies. I can’t speak for all of them but I know that regardless if we are selling shakes, patches, supplements, or wraps, we all want the same thing. We all want to help first and foremost. Secondly, we all want a chance to help while achieving financial freedom. You go to work every day and sell something. A service or a product. That is what we are doing! We are selling wonderful products that help people. My prayer is this finds someone on the fence. Someone that cannot stop thinking, “What if?”. What if I am right? What if I can help you achieve your wellness goals? What if I can help you make that $500 a month to pay for a car or bills? I am here to say I can. I hope you put the stereotype aside,  and stop wondering.

 

Full Body Home Workout

I know many of you work out at home, and I did too for the first year of Silas’ life! I am a gym person though, and love the little break it gives me during the day. The gym is my time, and I am thankful that I am able to afford to go and take that much needed break! I first want to say that I am not a trainer. I have worked out for the past 5 years consistently, and I am working with a trainer online. I was an athlete most of my life, so I know a thing or two by now about lifting and what works for me. Am I a professional? No, and I don’t pretend to be but I know how to get in a good workout at home!

My best friend had a baby a couple of months ago, and wanted something easy to do while her little man was asleep. She hadn’t worked out in some time, and wanted to tone and tighten everything! She is nursing, so we kept this to just strength moves. Doing high intensity workouts while nursing can be difficult and effect your milk supply if you are not eating and drinking enough to compensate for the calories burned. I experienced this with Silas, and I kick myself to this day for not waiting to get back to working out, so learn from my mistakes and listen to your body. Don’t push too soon!

This workout can be done with cardio moves as well, and I will add those in as an option! You can also use your baby as added weight and resistance either in your arms or in a baby carrier. Please be safe, we don’t want anyone dropping their little ones!

Full Body Home Workout

Use your baby, or whatever weight you feel challenged by. My friend used candles until she felt strong enough to move up to weights!

Circuit 1

Do each exercise for 45 seconds with no rest in between the 3 exercises. Complete twice before moving on to second circuit.

·         Squats with a Shoulder Press

(great way to incorporate baby)

o   Hold weights towards the ceiling with arms at a 90 degree angle with feet hip width apart

o   Squat down until hamstrings are parallel with the floor. Like you are going to sit in a chair

o   As you go down into the squat press weights towards the ceiling

o   Come back up bringing arms down to a starting position

o   Repeat

·         Lunges with Side Raises

(wearing baby while holding some small weights would be an added challenge)

o   Hold weights at sides with palms facing the body

o   Step out into a lunge position, careful not to put the knee over the ankle

o   As you lower down into the lunge, bring your arms up parallel with your shoulders

o   Step back out of the lunge to starting position, bringing arms to your sides

o   Do one leg for 45 seconds, switching legs your second time through

·         Push-Ups * Modify as needed

·         1 Minute of Cardio – 30 seconds each

1.       Jumping Jacks

2.       Bicycle Crunches

Circuit 2

·         Straight Leg Dead Lift into a Hammer Curl

o   Stand with feet a little closer than hip width with weights in hands in front of the body facing the stomach and hip area

o   Keep your legs straight but not locked at the knee

o   Keep back flat as you slowly reach the weights towards your ankles

o   Keep the weights close to the legs on the way down and on the way up

o   As you come back up, at the top do a hammer curl to work the bicep

·         Sumo Squat with Skull Crushers

o   Feet should be placed wider than hip width with Toes pointed out

o   Weights over your head with biceps close to your ears and arms fully extended

o   As you lower down into a squat, lower the weights towards the back of the head

o   As you come out of the squat, bring your arms back up to your starting position

o   Keep elbows close together to really isolate the tricep

·         Chest Press while Holding a Bridge

o   Lay down flat on your back with knees bent and feet by your butt

o   Keeping your shoulders on the floor, raise your butt towards the ceiling.

o   Hold that position the whole time

o   Press weights towards the ceiling, squeezing at the top to work the chest

·         1 Minute of Cardio – 30 seconds each

1.       High Knees

2.       Plank

Circuit 3

·         Supermans

o   Lay on stomach with arms stretched out in front of you

o   Slowly raise arms and legs towards the ceiling contracting the back and glutes

o   Hold for a beat

o   Lower back down and Repeat

·         Bent Over Rows

o   Bend at waist with weights in hand and thumbs pointed towards the ceiling

o   Elbows should be facing the back of the room

o   Bring weights towards your stomach, keeping elbows close to your sides and pushing towards the back of the room

·         Renegade Rows

o   Hold weights in your hands

o   Get into a plank position.

o   While holding the plank position with one arm, do a row with your other arm as described above.

o   Switch back and forth

·         1 Minute of Cardio -  30 seconds each

1.       Static Squat with Alternating Punches

2.       Flutter Kicks

Let me know if you guys give this a shot! I hope you like it! It follows the sequence that I have always loved from Jillian Michaels. Enjoy!
 

Weight Loss - Where do I start?

Taking the first step on a new journey can be difficult and scary. Each time I have had to lose weight, the end goal seemed too far away. When I first changed my eating habits and exercise routine in college I was so overwhelmed at first. I felt I had too much weight to lose, and I was scared I would just give up like I had so many times before, but I just did the next right thing. I chose the right meal for breakfast, and chose to exercise that day. I tried to not look ahead. To not get overwhelmed by the long journey I had ahead of me. I just did the next right thing. That is something my dad always says to me. “Whitter, just do the next right thing.” I know that sounds too simple, but it really is true! But to help you guys out, I sat down and really thought about how I got started, and some things I missed along the way. I didn’t always include God in my health, so that is a new addition, and I hope these help you!

1. Ask God for Help. Give it to Him.

This may sound silly to you, but I assure you it isn’t. We pray for everything else, why not this? Why are we so hesitant to ask God to help us lose weight, to eat right, or to exercise? He gave us life. He gave us this body to serve Him fully. Ask for his guidance. Ask for his support. Ask him to give you the determination to not give up on this journey. Ask, and he will answer. That you can be sure of. Without a shadow of a doubt. God hears us, and he knows our hearts desire. He wants to hear from you, and he wants to know your struggles. Ask and you will most certainly hear from him!

2. Support from Spouse or Friends

Accountability is essential. Ask friends, family, or spouse to support you on this journey. My family knows how I eat, and has always been so great about making sure I can eat wherever we go. My husband eats what I cook. I don’t make him anything special. We are on this journey together. If your friends know you are trying to get healthier, and drop some bad habits I am sure they will step in and support you. If they don’t, well you probably don’t need them anyway!

3. Diet is Key

Clean out your pantry. Clean out every cabinet, and drawer. Set yourself up for success. Diet is key. You cannot out train a bad diet.  You can be in the gym every day and never see change because your diet is not where it needs to be. I have tried to exercise and not change my diet, and I got nowhere. The body needs to be fueled and nourished properly in order to perform properly. Pick up some cookbooks, paleo if possible, and start reading. Arm yourself with knowledge about what a great diet can do for you! I have so many cookbooks to draw inspiration from, meal planning is fun because I love looking through all of these beautiful books!

4. Exercise

Don’t set a crazy goal of working out an hour a day every day. It won’t happen. Set tangible goals. Set goals that challenge you but don’t overwhelm you. I am not saying to not challenge yourself, I just think we shouldn’t set ourselves up for failure. If you have never had a consistent workout schedule, 7 days a week is going to be very hard. I tell my clients to start off with 3 times a week. 30-45 minutes if possible. Weight training for 30 minutes, and cardio for 15 minutes. You don’t need a gym. Walmart weights, and You Tube will be sufficient. Make time to be active. Maybe it is throwing the kids in the stroller and doing squats at every stop sign, or going for a jog after work with your friends. Whatever it is, just set an attainable goal and go for it!

5. Proper Supplementation

We are all busy. None of us eat exactly how we should. None of us take in as many fruits and vegetables as we should. We don’t sleep as much as we should. Me included. I don’t sleep enough, and even with my best efforts, I don’t eat as well as I should. Supplements have significantly changed my health. I never knew how much better I could feel until I incorporated them. I am still astounded at my energy level, and how quickly my body recovers now. I am in the best shape of my life, and I lived a very balanced life. Eating and working out is not my entire life, nor should it be but I have achieved amazing results because I incorporated supplements into my routine. I am taking care of my health with Greens, I am building muscle and recovering faster with New You, and I am leaning out and boosting my metabolism with Ultimate Thermofit. If you want to know more about the supplements you can visit the It Works tab on my blog, or click Products and you will be directed to all of our It Works products!

I hope this helps you get started on your weight loss journey! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Good luck!

My Wellness Journey-Part 3

Thank you all for following my wellness journey so far! I know part 2 was a little hard to read, and believe me it was equally as hard to write. I am happy I went through it though. It definitely prepared me for the direction my life has recently taken. Working with people who need guidance with their weight and wellness is a sensitive subject, and at times hard to navigate. I think these experiences have helped me relate to people, and I am thankful for that.

Once I got married, my obsession with food and exercise definitely subsided slightly. I was focusing more on marriage, and my job. I actually quit my job shortly after we got married because I wanted to be a volleyball coach. I got certified and started a few months later at a great middle school in Fort Worth. When I started teaching, I had no idea what I was in for. I had no concept of the hours, and work it would take to teach a health class and coach sports. It was exhausting, and I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I also had little to no guidance. Being alternatively certified left me a little out of the loop, and the other health/gym teachers were not very forthcoming with helpful information. I was struggling to get my bearings, and that carried over to other aspects of my life. I was stressed a lot which took its toll on my relationships. Especially with my husband, Hayden.

When I started teaching, I was up for practices early and up late for games. I enjoyed it, but it left little time for much else. I was not exercising regularly at all, and my diet was all over the place. My breakfast most days was the biggest low calorie monster energy drink I could find, and a powerbar. Again, no idea about nutrition. I went for the least amount of calories possible. I ate a lot of fast food, hamburger helper, sandwiches, and lunch room food. Soon, after I started my new teaching job, I got pregnant with my first son, Judah. You can probably guess what happened next! Exhaustion. New job. New house. New baby. Oh, and a body that was changing drastically.

The hardest part of being pregnant for me was gaining weight. I was getting bigger, and I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it. Now, to people who have never struggled with their body image or weight, growing while pregnant probably didn't bother them but it bothered me. I had a constant struggle in my head with accepting my changing body. I also didn't help matters much because I didn't exercise at all, worked, coached, and at so much fast food. I am talking tons. Sonic, Panda Express, and Chick-fil-a were my main food groups! Not a fit pregnancy at all!

I am lucky though. I was active as a gym teacher and coach and walked a lot so I gained the normal amount of weight and had no issues with my pregnancy, and delivered a beautiful baby boy very easily.  Now the real meat of the story. Post baby body. What the heck! Flabby stretchy tummy, and huge boobs, and a sore body. What a combination! Why didn't anyone tell me! The truth is, nothing can prepare you for it. I nursed Judah without complications, and within 12 weeks I was about 10 pounds away from what I weighed before, but man was my body different! All the weight sat right in the middle at my belly button. Right where my stinking pants need to button! I guess we have good ol Eve to thank for that last bit of weight that likes to hang out right where we need it to not be! 

 I got lucky because I was a gym teacher, so HELLO stretchy pants all day every day! I mean I seriously wore the same stretchy black pants every single day! I started back to work, and between Judah, my husband, coaching, and teaching I had little to no time to take care of myself. I put myself on the back burner and just gritted my teeth and tried to make it through each day. I hated leaving my son. Absolutely hated it. I ached when he was away from me. I was nursing so that was probably some of it! haha! I knew when I held Judah the first time, that my life was forever changed. He was my new purpose. Career, money, and this perfect body didn't matter. I was so obseesed with that little baby. I was miserable every single day at work. I know now that it completely effected my performance, and I really wish I could apologize for that to my principals. My heart just wasn't it anymore. A tiny, little perfect boy had my heart now.

Once I stopped nursing Judah, I was able to free up some time to think about exercise. His baby sitter was able to take him earlier in the morning, so I started getting to school 1 hour early and I worked out in the gym. Every single morning. While teachers made their copies around me, I was running, jumping, and lifting all over that gym. I only worked out 45 minutes but I made it count! I bought Jillian MIchaels 30 Day Shred, and followed it every day. I even picked up a great workout partner along the way. The social worker at my school, Michelle, started meeting me in the mornings and she really pushed me! She got me into lifting weights more because she knew more about that side of exercise. I worked hard. Really hard. My diet sucked completely, but I put in the work. I stayed sweaty all day just so I could get my workout in. I made a choice. I chose to lose the weight. I chose to sleep less so I could get my workout in. I chose to do it early so it wouldn't take away from my family at night. I didn't have a gym membership or fancy equipment. I lost it all at home or in an old gym with dumbbells. You don't need a gym, you just need to decide and go for it! Those last 10 pounds were very hard to lose, and I know now it was because I was still starving my body and not fueling it properly. Monsters, powerbars, and lean cuisines was about all I ate!

The first 9 months with Judah were a blur of work, milk, and sleep deprivation. I left little to no time for the Lord. Little to no time for Hayden. My life was about Judah and my job. We struggled during this time. Marriages have seasons, sometimes its summer and spring and sometimes you are in the dead of winter. Our winter was our fist year with Judah. We weren't pursuing the Lord in any area of our lives, we didn't go to church, and we just didn't have time to really spend together. Thankfully, around April of that year we got invited to a new church, Christ Chapel, and this was my defining moment in the spiritual aspect of my wellness journey. I was at a good place with my weight and body image, but I was struggling spiritually. That first Sunday at Chrsit Chapel, I felt it. I felt God for the first time in a long time. I felt Him saying I am here and it is time to come back to me. I have never left you, and it is time to come back.

I did not renew my contract for my teaching job after my second year. My heart was with Judah, and Hayden and I felt it was what was best for all of us. I wanted to raise Jduah, and be home to deal with the chores, dinner, and just be a wife and a mom. Not anything else. Our dynamic completely changed when I stopped working outside of the home. I was with my baby boy, and I was able to be the wife and mom I truly wanted to be. I wanted to go to church and go on dates because I wasn't exhausted all the time anymore. The weekends meant time with Hayden and God, no longer filled with chores and to do lists a million miles long because I was home and able to handle those things thorughtout the week. Being home with my family, is the best decision I could have made for not only my family, but my spirtitual life. I was finally letting God in, and my relationship with my husband started to become so much better. We had time to connect, date, and talk. I no longer treated him like someone else who needed me and I didn't have time for it. I treated him like he was the man I chose 10 years ago. The man I loved desperately from the moment we met.

Following Christ is the only way to achieve full wellness. You cannot let him into bits and pieces. He wants it all. You can't hide from Him. He wanted my health and I held it back, and I developed an eating disorder. He wanted my marriage, and I held it back which led to a time of struggle for us to connect over work and Judah. He wanted me to love my body that he blessed me with and I held it back, which led to me struggling to love myself through pregnancies, and post baby. The best part about God is he never leaves. He is always there patiently waiting for me to see that I can't do it on my own. If I want true wellness, He is the only way. I am so thankful for Christ. My hear aches as I write this just feeling the love I know He has for me. If you don't know that love, I pray you ask someone about Christ. I would love to share Him with you as well. He continues to save me from myself, and I hope I can show others out there that Christ is all you need. If you start there, the rest will come. I am confident in that.

1 Timothy 4:8-10

"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is savior to all people and particularly of all believers. "

I read this a few weeks ago, and I thought BAM this is it. Physical training is important, but if you are not training with God, what is the point. Christ has to be first, or you won't be successful at your physical or mental goals.

Thank you for reading my story. Believe it or not there is a part 4! But don't worry, after that you will be caught up! Part 4 will be my journey to paleo/gluten free cooking, a fit pregnancy with Silas, and the struggles I had post baby. Are you learning that wellness is a journey? So many failures and successes. They don't define me though, Christ does! Stay tuned for Part 4!

My Wellness Journey-Part 2

This part of my journey is going to be much harder to write. Some parts of it are pretty dark, and only my closest friends and family know the full details of my struggles. The sad part is, I started in such a great place but Satan has a way of taking something good and making it bad. I wasn't where I needed to be with the Lord, so I allowed that into my life. God brought me back, and for that I am so thankful!

When I graduated from college and moved back home I moved into my own apartment. It had a gym so that was perfect! It wasn't much but it was perfect for my needs. I was mostly a cardio junky back then, so if I had a treadmill I was happy. At this stage in my journey, my mindset was stable and I would say healthy. My knowledge of nutrition was pretty small, but I was doing the best I knew how to do. I didn't know that sugar-free, fat-free, and low-calorie were super processed, and most of the time not even real food by the time they were on the shelf. Again, very little knowledge about nutrition. I was just trying to keep my fat content and calories low. My diet mostly consisted of lean cuisines, yogurt, oatmeal, sandwiches, cereal, and salads. For snacks I ate peanut butter with Ezekiel crackers or rice cakes. I would say I was eating around 1200 calories a day. Was I hungry? Um, yea. Definitely. But I thought that was the right way. Exercise and very little food equals weight loss. That is how I saw it. Does it work? Yes. But not long term, and we will get into that later.

I kept this pace for 3 months or so, and I was at a happy place with my nutrition and workout regimen. I wasn't too skinny, and on the surface everything was fine. I thought I was fine. My whole life I have suffered with chronic stomach aches, slow digestion, heartburn, and headaches. I never knew my diet could be causing these symptoms but now I realize that is exactly what was happening. I now know I have problems digesting gluten and sugar. Well, my diet then was pretty much all grains and processed foods back then. So I looked good, and felt good for the most part, but still suffered with digestive issues. I was fit, and at a good size. I was content with my body, and felt very good about how far I had come since that walking class in college. Fitness and "healthy" eating were a way of life, and I was proud of that change.

Then the  moment I had been waiting for for five and a half years happened. Hayden proposed. I was marrying my best friend. FINALLY. Seriously, five and a half years I waited on this man, but he was well worth the wait! Now, here is where the story should get very happy but unfortunately for me, my health both mentally and physically was about to take a huge hit. I did what most women do when they start thinking about their weddings and honeymoons. I obsessed about the dress and the week spent in a bathing suit. I should have just kept doing what I was doing, but Satan took something good, like getting married, and turned it into something very bad. I took everything I was doing and magnified it.

I was not longer "skinny" enough. Mind you I was a size 6 and fit. A very good healthy size. I tried on a dress, and fell in love but still wanted to be smaller. Better. Because being small some how means you will be happier. I am about to show you how very untrue that is. Your size should have no value. How you feel has value. Knowing you are loved no matter your size by Christ is what matters.

People tend to think "skinny" people are happier. I was not happy. I was obsessed. Obsessed with being perfect. Obsessed with myself. Obsessed with an unattainable image I had set in my head. I would say I had little to no interaction with Christ at this point besides Sunday service. Which I now know is the sole reason why my life took such a dark turn. I didn't know Christ should be a part of my health. I didn't know He could help me see my worth in Him and not in my body. I didn't know. Christ is so much bigger than we ever give Him credit for. He could have saved me from the darkest time in my health journey, but I didn't let Him in.

I started eating around 1000 calories a day or less, and exercising every single day. I had to get at least 45 minutes of high intensity cardio in every single day, and if I went to bed hungry, even better because that means I am probably losing weight. What started as a healthy habit became something so dark. I now obsessed on every calorie. Every morsel. Every. Single. Bite. I was afraid of food. I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I was afraid to eat out. I had to be in control, and going out to eat gave me an out of control feeling.

This is the part that is hard to share. Around this time, I started becoming so fearful of gaining weight that I started making myself throw up. It was not all the time. It wasn't daily, but it did happen. I was so afraid. So afraid of not being perfect. This is where Satan really took a hold of me. I let him in. I let him take me to a place of complete and total hatred for food and my body. I was not honoring the temple God blessed me with. I was starving it and over working it. To me the eating disorder staring with under eating, and then grew into bulimia. I think we so often blow right past low calorie diets as no big deal. I was starving my body. Dropping calories for short periods of times is something fitness competitors do. Emphasis on short periods of time. They always go back to eating a normal calorie diet, and if you read most women don't have their period, are always cold, extremely fatigued, and have digestive issues while cutting weight. Again, no maintainable.

By the week of my wedding, I was very stressed and fatigued. Which is normal I know. But when you have starved your body, and over worked it bad things start to happen. On the night of my rehearsal dinner, I went to the resteraunt and physically couldn't eat. I tried to take a bite, and I would get sharp stabbing pains in my stomach. I chalked it up to stress. Hayden drove me home, and we had to stop at a grocery store to get medicine because I became so nauseous I was sure I was going to throw up in my car. By the time we got to my sister's neighborhood to drop her off, I had to race out of the car and I threw up in her front yard. In my beautiful dress, on my hands and knees throwing up in front of my fiancé the night before our wedding. Can you imagine? Oh, its about to get way worse.

This continued through the night. I didn't sleep, and was able to keep down some toast the next morning. I was so sick all morning, my sweet bridesmaids bought me anti-nausea meds, ginger snaps, and sprite. I still couldn't eat. I actually passed out in front of the bank, while trying to get money to pay a vendor for my wedding. Guys, this is what happens when you don't nourish your body. This is what happens when you over exercise and under nourish. Your body shuts down. I knew I needed to eat, but I couldn't because of the nausea. My mother-in-law, even brought me prescription anti-nausea meds. Those didn't work. It was so hard for me to even get ready for my wedding. Thank goodness for an amazing make up artist and hair dresser. They covered up the redness and fatigue very well. I didn't get to eat my meal at the wedding either because I couldn't eat without stabbing pain. You might be thinking I was just stressed. You are right I was stressed, but a normal reaction to stress is being anxious and just not wating to eat. I wanted to eat, I just couldn't. My body wouldn't let me. Fast forward to the limo ride to the hotel. More nausea and having to ask a limo driver to stop at CVS because you aren't sure if you are going to throw up or have other bathroom issues. Mortifying. Thankfully, Hayden and I have been together for a long time and he was used to my stomach issues.

So, the same song and dance continued through my honeymoon. Sick, tired, and my body not working properly. In case you were wondering, being nauseous and constipated or having any type of digestive issues is never good. It is your body telling you something. It is saying, something is up. You aren't taking care of me. Health starts in your gut!

Fortunately for me, having Hayden living with me really took the focus off of me. I was very happy to finally be married to the man I had loved for so long, and I was very caught up in it. I still worked out but not as frequently. I had to eat because he was hungry for real food. I never threw up again after my wedding. I slowly became less obsessed with food, working out, and myself. I slowly came back to a more balanced place. Hayden's presence helped me come out of the darkness, and the obsession with my image and body. He loved it exactly how it was. He has continued to love my body at every phase. He has constantly showed me that my worth is not in my appearance. With the help of Hayden, church, and family members I was really able to step out of the darkness and into the light. My struggle with bulimia is now in the light. It is no longer in the darkness, so it has no power. I know Satan wanted me to leave it there, and I struggled with sharing it with you all. Christ showed me over and over again that I don't have to hide my struggle with an eating disorder. That sharing it would free me of it.

I still struggle with disorder eating. I have to fight the urge to skip meals or go to bed hungry. I still sometimes think that way, but that isn't what Christ wants for me. He wants me to nourish and care for the temple He blessed me with. Christ calls us to train our bodies not only physically, but spiritually. I have finally come to a place where I ask Christ to help me stay balanced physically because I am walking with him more closely. I ask Him to show me balance daily.  

My prayer is that sharing this with you will help you really evaluate your relationship with food, exercise, and Christ. Do you see that they all go together? Do you see that Christ can help you reach your wellness goals? That He plays a role in your spiritual and physical wellness journey. Let Him in. Let Christ guide you. Ask Him for help to honor the temple he gave you. Ask Him to save you from yourself. Ask Him for the motivation to workout out, and to eat healthy. This may seem silly, but God knows the desires of our heart. He knows when we desperately want something and are struggling to achieve it on our own. He will answer you! Just ask!

 

 

 

My Wellness Journey-Part 1

Sit back with a nice cool drink and your feet up because this is a long one! Maybe a nice glass of Greens or an It Works! Energy? Sorry, had to throw that out there!

I want all of you to really understand my journey. I want you to know all I have faced, conquered, and failed at. I want you to know me, and my heart. My journey did not start where it is today. I wasn't always fit. I didn't always eat "healthy". I didn't always walk around with my head up. I struggled, failed, and got back up more times than I can count. This is a journey, and here is mine!

I have been involved in sports one way or another since I was 5 years old. I started out playing basketball, and then when I got to middle school, I fell in love with volleyball. I mean shorty shorts, and cute socks, what's not to love? In high school, I got pretty serious and started playing in travel leagues during off season. I pretty much lived in spandex, sweaty socks, and a stinky gym but I loved it. Every single second of it. Ok maybe not every single second, the times I had to run because I couldn't keep my mouth shut weren't very fun, but I was obsessed with the game and I thrived in a competitive environment.

When you are in a team sport, you have constant support through your team. Someone to push you harder and hold you accountable. You have your best friends with you 24/7, which is amazing, but the sad part is one day it is over. One day, you graduate and you go from being a hot shot volleyball player that everyone praised daily, to a lonely freshman with no friends and no praise. I know that is a little dramatic but that is how I felt!

Anyway, my point is, my worth was tied up in the sport and how successful I was at it. I didn't get a scholarship because it fell through last minute. I had no where to go to school, and it was February. I picked Angelo State because it was the only college I had been to. I ended up walking on to the volleyball team for like a hot minute, but it didn't work out. So there I was, end of my freshman year completely lost. If I am not playing volleyball and a successful athlete, who am I? What do I do now? I had spent the last 8 years of my life surrounded by my closest friends, playing a sport I loved, and being forced to workout. Sports are so wonderful, and I am so thankful my parents supported my passion, but I think what happens is we lose sight of everything else around us. I traveled constantly, practiced multiple times a week, and did not have time for much else. Where your time and money is most spent, that is where your heart is. My heart wasn't with Jesus. My heart was this sport. I missed the part about BALANCE.

My wellness journey had come to a complete halt. Without a volleyball team to push me, how was I even going to go to the gym? I hadn't worked out alone in almost a decade! I will tell you what happened. I was lost. Completely and totally lost. Physically, mentally, and most important spiritually. Also, I will point out my diet up to this point consisted of Sonic milk shakes, Chick-fil-a, Dr. Pepper, and my personal favorite, a 4 express tender basket with mashed potatoes, French fries, and a large sweet tea from Chicken Express. Oh and don't forget the gravy. I had to have something to dip my fries in! I had no idea how to eat, but because I worked out hours a day, it didn't matter. Or so I thought. I can't even begin to think about how much better of an athlete I would have been if I had actually fueled my body correctly! 

Now, you are probably getting a good idea of what happened over the next 2.5 years. I not only gained tons of weight, lost a total sense of identity, but I also completely withdrew from God. There was no one to make me go to church, so I didn't go. I didn't want to face another room full of strangers. I went occasionally, and visited our Baptist Student Ministry a few times, but never consistently went to church anywhere for four years. It was a dark time spiritually. One I am sure I will expand on at a later date.

My sophomore year I started working at Buffalo Wild Wings 4 days a week. Which meant I was eating hot wings and cheese fries covered in ranch like it was my job. Then there I was shocked by the end of that year by my weight gain. Hot wings won't make me gain weight, right? Let's be honest it probably wasn't the hot wings, it was the complete and total lack of knowledge or support. I had no one around me to work out with, and no one telling me ranch doesn't make your love handles smaller. This continued through my junior and senior year of college. I wasn't going to church, I was gaining weight, and my boyfriend was my life along with some wonderful roommates. This may sound like college was terrible, it wasn't. I had a great time! But I always struggled internally. I was never confident in myself. I was just so insecure, and so far from God.

Okay, here is where this kind of sad story takes a turn. While, registering for my last semester of classes, I realized I had no physical education credit. So what did I do? Walking. Yes, you read that right. Walking. I could have done swimming, running, probably something way more fun but I chose walking. This was a defining moment in my life. You have moment in your life where things started shifting. This was it for me. A walking class in my last semester of college. Go figure.

I started my walking class that January, and after class it just so happened that I didn't have another class until that night. Hours of free time and nothing to do. I would like to think this was because of my excellent class scheduling skills, but it wasn't. This was straight up God. He did it. He opened up my day every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. He gave me that time, so that I could make no excuses. He opened the door, and I just had to walk through it. The door to getting my body back to a healthy place had just been opened and I walked through it. See what I did there?

Next big step, going to the gym that I had been paying for for 3 years and never walked into. The biggest Gold's Gym in Texas had just been built in San Angelo. So this wasn't a rinky dink hole in the wall gym This was a beautiful, huge, and full of fit people gym. Want to know what I did? I found the Women's section in the back of the gym, that had its own private room. I couldn't bring myself to work out with everyone else. All those skinny perfect people. I was over weight, intimated, and flat out insecure, but I went. Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday I went to that little section in the back and I worked my butt off. I did what I knew. I ran for 30-45 minutes and I lifted weights for 30 minutes on a circuit.

I started changing my eating habits too. And by my eating habits I mean, I cut out the hot wings, French fries, and ranch and took up Lean Cuisines, fat-free and sugar-free anything, and started making smoothies every morning for breakfast. I made small changes. I chose fat-free Italian instead of ranch. I chose the fruit cup instead of French fries. I chose water instead of coke. Those small changes started to add up, and I blossomed. I shed about 10 pounds from January to March. Ten pounds may not sound like much but it was life changing for me. I blossomed. I felt confident for the first time in years. I have what you would call an addictive personality. When I start something, I don't do it halfway. I am ALL IN. I will not stop until I am where I want to be. So I didn't stop. By May I had lost 15 pounds and was in such a good place mentally. I was just so happy that I did it. That I accomplished something I set my mind too. I proved to myself that I was enough. That I was worth the effort, that me being confident in my own skin was worth the sacrifice of making time for the gym.

I graduated college a confident woman. I can honeslty sit here and say loosing that weight gave me confidence. Confidence to hold my head up when I entered a room. Confidence to start a new job and live alone for the first time in my entire life. Those small changes added up to something so much bigger. We can sit here all day long and debate how your weight shouldn't change how you feel about yourself, but the reality is, it does. Being proud of how you look, and content in that is important. Should you walk around staring at yourself in the mirror all day? Should you obsess about every roll and lose spot? No. Absolutely, not. That is idol worship. That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is this, being our best self means there are no closed doors. There is no limit to what we can do for our families, ourselves, and Christ. When you physically change your outside, and are proud of that change, you change on the inside. You blossom. You thrive. There are no limits to what you can accomplish.

15 pounds did that for me. 15 pounds made me see myself in a new light. My journey has had many ups and downs since then. A marriage and two babies changes things. They change you as a person physically and mentally. They change your goals. My husband and kids have changed everything, but for the better. I don't even recognize that insecure 21 year old girl anymore. It all started with a walking class. What is your "walking class?"

Take the step. Maybe that step is getting a gym membership, or throwing out all the junk food. Maybe it is getting rid of a toxic relationship. I can tell you if you haven't already, your first step needs to be running to Christ. Ask Him to show your worth. Ask Him to give you the motivation to take the first step towards a healthier you. He will be there, and He will answer.

 

Welcome to Whitney Slack Wellness + Lifestyle!

Welcome to Whitney Slack Wellness + Lifestyle! Thank you for visiting my website, and I hope you enjoy the experience! Whitney Slack Wellness + Lifestyle has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and I am so excited about the future. I have so much passion for health, fitness, food, and family. It has been an evolving journey to get where I am today, and I am sure my story will continue to change, but I feel that I am at a place where I can truly help others on their path to wellness.

Who is Whitney Slack? Well, I am 27 years old and I have been married for 5 years to my high school sweetheart, cute right? Yes, it is and he is pretty fantastic! I have a 3.5 year old little boy named Judah, and a 14 month old baby boy named Silas. I will probably call him a baby until he is 2! Why do they grow up so fast? They are wonderful, handsome, and crazy! Two boys keep me busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! They have taught me a very valuable lesson, and it’s that it is not all about me! Kids have a way of doing that! I am a believer in God, and my prayer is that you see Him in all I do!

What is Wellness? Wellness is defined as a state or condition of being in good mental and physical health. Being “well” or healthy is not just about a six pack, even though those are great, or so I hear! I think being confident in our appearance is such a wonderful thing. I think it helps push us to do things we wouldn’t normally do, but it is not all that matters. We have to love our bodies at every stage because the reality is one day our bodies will change beyond our control. We must first focus on the fact that we are beautifully and wonderfully made by God. God gave you this one life. This one body. This one temple. I believe God wants us to treat that temple with love and respect. To feed it the best we can. To train it the best we can. He wants us to nurture this temple He gave us. To me that is Wellness. Serving God, by nurturing my body and mind properly.

I hope to offer you a place where you can come and get excited about your wellness journey. My desire is to meet and reach as many people as I can! I think becoming our best self takes support. I know I do better at the gym when I have a workout partner, and my food choices are healthier when my husband is on board with my vision for our family. Accountability and encouragement are so important! I want to provide you with a community that will do just that, which is why I am a member of It Works! a health and wellness company. It Works! provides many tools to help anyone achieve physical wellness, and that is why I am so excited to be working with this wonderful company. That is not even the best part about It Works! The best part is they have given me a platform to reach more people, and for that I am so grateful! You will see an It Works! section on my website, and I will be sharing successes, progress, giveaways and of course their amazing products there!

I will also be sharing my life with you all, and I hope you will share yours with me!