Put Myself First

This week we have shared 3 amazing transformations in this blog and I believe you are asking yourself, is it time I put myself first?  I know that for me as a father of 5, if I want to be the best husband, father, and leader I muse put myself first so that I can be great for those that I lead. In order to do GOOD, we MUST have the courage to be different than the average and standard of our cultures. We are taught to go with the flow. We act alike, dress alike, and try to fit in and conform  But most times to become GREAT you must stand alone and that takes courage to be different.  When you are a person of integrity that is going to stand up for what you believe in you will be faced with the FIRE. There will certainly be some heat but you get to choose to be like a thermostat or a thermometer.  A Thermometer registers the temperature and Thermostat CONTROLS the temperature. When you become like a Thermostat you influence the environment and the people around you. You set the standard. I want to celebrate my old college friend Kate who decided to face some challenges as a mom and wife and make the decision to “Put myself first”

9 years ago, when my first born was about 1 ½ years old, I forced myself to take a long hard look in the mirror. I was just skimming through life, trying to be the best mom, but felt like I was failing. It wasn’t that I was a bad mom… I gave my daughter everything she could ever want and loved her unconditionally, I wasn’t happy myself. I felt ashamed of who I had become from having a baby, packing around all this extra weight, and in return showed myself no self-love. It was then and there that I made a pact with myself to put myself first. I knew that If I did that, I could become a better mom, wife, daughter and all around better person! I had heard about P90X from an infomercial and decided to give that a try – I was hooked! I was obsessed with how working out made me feel, and for the first time since I could remember, I started looking at myself with love. I loved who I had become. I loved that I had such an amazing and healthy daughter, the most supportive husband, and a strong and healthy body! Since that day over 9 years ago, I have decided to put myself first – I deserved it!

Fast forward to the day I heard about 80 Day Obsession in 2017. I had never actually done any workout with Autumn, but from what I saw, I knew this program was for me. At that time, I was feeling a bit stuck. I had been working religiously but was at a plateau. I was doing the moves, but the thing I lacked the most was a healthy diet. Although I had done multiple workouts, I never once decided to go forward with the nutrition. For me, it was a scary concept. I was an addict to sugar, and I knew if I went 100% in with the nutrition, I wouldn’t be able to have my sugar lifeline. Once January came, I decided to go all in with the workout and nutrition. I knew if I could kick the addiction, I would be in a better place. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do anything I set my mind to! Let me just tell you – that one scary change turned out to be the best thing I have ever done for myself (besides working out of course!). I felt like a weight was lifted! Throughout the entire 80 days of the program, I stuck to the nutrition 100%.

I had never felt so good in my entire life! It wasn’t just what you could see from the outside, but I was radiating from the inside as well! During my 80 day journey, I ended up losing 9.75” and 5 lbs! It wasn’t about the weight or inches for me, but the freedom that it gave me that made me a believer in the entire process! I can’t believe it took me over 9 years to finally go all in, but I’m glad I finally took the plunge! – It’s never too late! In fact, since finishing the first round of 80 day obsession, I decided to go all in once more, and am finishing up round 2 this week! Since plunging into the first round of 80 Day Obsession I have come to love fitness and nutrition more than I ever thought was possible! I have since turned my commitment into a lifestyle, making healthier choices for myself, as well as setting a good example for my children in hopes they will continue to make healthier choices and live a more fulfilling life. Although those two rounds are over for me, my story is not done. Who knows what the future holds – but at least I will be a healthier and better version of myself while figuring out my next move!