My Health & Fitness Journey
My story starts out in a very similar way to many of my fellow wellness bloggers out there. I grew up happy, healthy and very active. In particular, I wanted to be a professional dancer. I started dancing at 4 years old, continued to dance every day after school and went on to attend a performing arts high school in Toronto as a dance major. In my prime I was dancing 20 hours a week.
While I was physically very active, my diet basically consisted of sugar, sugar and more sugar. This earned me the nickname “The Fly” by my mom. My favourite meal was a plain bagel with cream cheese and my drink of choice was apple juice. I could happily live off of this meal for the rest of my life.
Because I was so active, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted…and I did. Even when I sadly accepted that I would never be Jody Sawyer from Centre Stage and quit dance altogether, and even when my daily activity plummeted from 20 hours a week to virtually non-existent, I still ate whatever I wanted. Oreos, Crunchie Bars, blue slushies and pepperoni pizza remained staples in my diet all through university and into my early working years.
On the surface, I always felt that I looked great and this lifestyle worked for me – I thought I was blessed with a fast metabolism. (Looking back on photos from my university days, I was probably 15 pounds heavier but I rarely weighed myself and always felt comfortable in my clothes). The biggest issues I had started from the inside. While I always had a sensitive stomach and was no stranger to gastro viruses, I began to develop intense stomach pains, cramping, indigestion and IBS. I would wake up in the middle of the night with such excruciating stomach pains that I would have to go to the emergency room – this happened three times in one year! I had every test done in the book; blood work, stool samples, stomach scope, you name it. But I agreed with my doctors when they all came to the same conclusion – “you just have a very sensitive stomach.”
In addition to my constant stomach problems, I was no stranger to the flu, strep throat and colds that would last weeks on end. I practically lived off of antibiotics and Amoxicillin when I was a toddler and had at least two very bad cases of strep throat per year. My immune system was so weak that if something was out there, I would catch it. I’m not exaggerating; I have had Mono, Norwalk Virus and Swine Flu. However, all of this being said, not once did I ever consider changing my diet.
It wasn’t until I started working a 9-5 desk job that I decided to make a change. I will be the first to admit that this was aesthetically-motivated. The weeks would go by at work and I slowly started to put weight on. This lead me to some innocent online research about eating healthy and working out. One day, my web browsing brought me to an online BMR calculator (Basal Metabolic Rate, AKA how many calories you burn at rest). In order to figure out this calculation, I needed to fill out a few questions, one being “how active is your lifestyle?” When I went to click the “Sedentary” option, it dawned on me: I sit all day, every day. I sit in my car on my commute to and from work. Then I sit at my office desk. Then I sit back in my car en route home. And then I sit on my couch when I get home. I literally do not move at all. The mere thought of this made me feel so disconnected to the once hopeful professional dancer and this is where my journey to find my health began.
I say journey because I am constantly learning, trying new things, and mentally, I am not where I want to be just yet. I am proud to say my working out has remained very consistent for the past 3 years. I workout 6 days a week and I believe my motivation to do so comes from still having a desk job. Every moment spent sitting on my butt inspires me to get to the gym. I have also majorly cleaned up my diet which consists mainly of lean proteins, whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, limited alcohol and little to no dairy. The biggest challenges I still face are being consistent with my diet. I will go through phases where I’m either extremely clean or extremely indulgent. My ultimate goal is to achieve a balance between the two. The most important thing for me is to feel good on the inside and I know the rest will just fall into place.
I have seen many positive changes both physically and mentally. The biggest change so far has been my lack of chronic stomach problems and the strengthening of my immune system. I will catch a minor cold every now and then and of course experience some major stomach pain when I over indulge in cheesecake, but overall I have never felt better and there is nothing more motivating than that!
My Instagram account and now this blog has allowed me to share this new-found passion for wellness with you and I hope after visiting here you will feel inspired to make healthy choices and take more steps to become your healthiest self.