Ok, So I have a fun tidbit to share today! And can I just say that I’ve been wanting to share this with you all, but the way that my life has been lately, I’ve been doing pretty well to keep my head above water.
A couple of months back, I got an email asking if I’d be interested in giving the Restore program from Christian Care Ministry a shot. The Restore program is a faith-based health coaching program. I’m not a giant New Years resolution gal, but there is something about a new year that does make you want to get yourself together. This year started off pretty crazy for me with my trip to Bangladesh, so to have a coach help me along the way was a super appealing way to get motivated. I mean for real, sometimes we just need a hand to hold!
So I started the program almost a month back and it has been SO great! I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t sure about the whole thing entirely, but really, who doesn’t want to be more emotionally, spiritually, and physically healthy?! What have you got to lose!? For me…nothing… but a few extra pounds!
I had my first call with Stephani, my health coach, a few weeks ago and she was so relatable and honest even that very first conversation. I shared about how I’m in perhaps the busiest season of my life maybe ever. Between being wife and mom, there’s been a lot of hard stuff going on lately, and I’ve been hard at work planning Allume! What I loved most was when she said to me that if we can set goals that are doable for this busiest season, then when life slows down, it’ll be really easy to maintain.
She even helped me make my goals really simple. They’re so simple that I’m almost embarrassed to list them for you. Something about saying them out loud and making them actual goals though has made them very doable. So here they are:
1. Add a vegetable! – I knew that I wasn’t eating enough veggies mostly because I feel like I’m always in a hurry just to get sustenance at all. Stephani said that anytime I’m eating something, just add a vegetable. It’s been so easy to do, and easy to remember.
2. Take a walk! – Due to some nasty weather and everything going on with Melissa the last couple of weeks, I haven’t been great about this one, but I have been trying and as it’s been nice, I’ve gotten out for a walk or a bike ride with my kids. It’s small, but ya gotta start somewhere.
3. Reduce sugar intake! – Other than eating nothing but a giant ice cream cone on the day that Mel passed and a couple of Krispy Kreme hot donuts, I have been doing better on this one. I’m a total sweets gal, but I’m really thinking hard every time I get a craving.
Stephani also said something that I’m not sure why it hasn’t occurred to me before. I have a tendency to be an emotional eater. AWFUL…I know! She suggested that when I’m tempted to eat something just for an emotional reason, just submit it to the Lord just like I’d do in a fast. It’s just recognizing where I am, and that what I need isn’t something sweet to eat! I told her about the full-sized ice cream cone last week…which I did give extra thought and prayer to, but even she said that sometimes, we just need to cut ourselves some slack!
Anyhow, it’s been great to have the accountability, encouragement, and wisdom that she offers! She prays with me at the end of our weekly call, and honestly, I’ve really enjoyed it, and feel like it’s making a big difference for me so far! I have a couple more months to keep trying the program, and this coming week we’re going to talk about a health risk assessment that I took to find out more about where I fall with all of that. We’re adding strength training soon, and since I just signed up to join CrossFit today, I’m sure that’ll fit right in to the plan!
Don’t expect me to be taking any before and after pictures right now…or at least not the before ones! Let’s just say, as I told my girlfriends today, that right now, I feel like someone peeled open my leg skin and poured a carton of cottage cheese down in my thigh. And if that’s not motivation, then I don’t know what is!
I’ll keep ya’ll posted on my progress, but really, if you’ve been thinking you need something that helps you set attainable goals with encouragement and spiritual benefit as well as physical, this is your program! I’ll check back in about it in a few weeks and let you know how it’s still going!
To learn more about Restore or to sign up, you can click on the banner below to be directed to their website, or you can click HERE to go to their blog, or pop on over to their facebook page HERE!
*Disclosure: I have been given a 3-month trial of the Restore program in exchange for posting about it. All opinions though are completely my own and I would never recommend anything that I didn’t truly believe was worthwhile. I can wholeheartedly recommend this program though!
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