The Summer of Self-Care & Lifestyle Changes

It has been a while.  I needed to take some time off from writing and focus on other things including myself. My lifestyle habits needed a good kick in the gut.  Back in April, I hit a low and was extremely unhappy with myself. I had reached the highest weight I have ever been and can’t even say it was from all of the craziness of 2020 either. For years, I have not practiced much self-care and had some pretty bad habits with eating, mindset, and movement. It felt like I was trying but I really wasn’t. I was just playing the part and phoning it in. My lifestyle was not taking me down a good path both physically and mentally.

As a healthcare professional, I work hard to offer the best of myself and my expertise. Eventually, it took a toll and I spent less and less time caring about my own health and happiness. That was just one part. Although it is a blessing, being a stepmom is incredibly challenging and I allowed myself to be just a caregiver and forgot about myself. I intellectually knew what I had to do but I just didn’t have the energy to care enough to make lifestyle changes.

What Sparked My Lifestyle Changes

Besides the health risks of being overweight, I was delaying planning my wedding because I didn’t feel good about myself.  It is hard to admit that.  Last March, my bloodwork revealed high cholesterol, blood sugar, and high triglycerides. As a Wellness Coach,  I knew that those numbers could be reduced by making lifestyle changes.  I knew what to do but just struggled to make the necessary changes.  I had tried several different diet programs with very little success including seeing a nutritionist, naturopath, and other healthcare practitioners.

Therefore, it was so frustrating because I felt like I was doing enough movement and eating a whole food diet.  My so-called healthy lifestyle was not cutting it. But guess what I didn’t work on enough.. my MINDSET and changing my habits.  I have spent years trying different programs that only really lowered my metabolism and made it that much harder to lose weight. Also, let’s factor in that I am a 48-year-old female-headed towards menopause.

I was ashamed to call myself a Wellness Coach because I felt like a phony.  I did not have much energy to give in my massage therapy practice and started to resent the very job that I loved for so many years. In other words,  I think I reached a breaking point and the thought of getting married looking that way made me sick to my stomach. I needed to make changes and find a new way to not only lose the weight but change my habits and mindset so that I could be happy again.  Thriving in life instead of just surviving was my goal.

How I Started to Change My Habits

One day last March I reached out to my sister and shared that I was just beyond frustrated with weight loss plans and how nothing had worked for me. So tired of expressing that same feeling over and over again, I asked for help. She had been on a lifestyle program and lost over 50 pounds and kept it off for a year. She put me in touch with her amazing coach. Being an analytical and critical person, I looked at the program first and started to have my reservations. Once I talked to my coach, I still had concerns but it really was just fear. I jumped in with the support of both of them and began my journey. It was not easy. It was a struggle at first and honestly still is at times. That is part of the process of change.

Changing bad habits is not a walk in the park. If it’s not challenging, change usually doesn’t happen.  There was a point where I just told myself to do this now otherwise you will continue to be unhappy and make everyone else around you unhappy. This woke me up. With the help of my coach, I have been able to make significant lifestyle changes and can report that I am much happier and lighter too!

Why I Love This Lifestyle Program

Here is a brief outline of the reasons why this lifestyle program has worked so well for me.

Food – I eat 6 times per day every 2 to 3 hours of convenient, nutritionally interchangeable, scientifically designed food. A significant change for me is to eat within 30 minutes of getting up.  There are different phases. I am still in the weight loss phase so it is a little more restrictive. However, it is very easy to follow and actually makes it a lot less stressful because there are so many choices of what to eat. Takes the guesswork out! I will eventually reach the next phase which helps to transition you to the next level of a healthy lifestyle.

Mindset – I read personal developments books and write in this LifeBook journal regularly. A lot more work to do on my mindset but this is a great start. Progress, not perfection!

Hydration – I drink at least 80 – 90 oz of water daily.

Coaching – I have an amazing and supportive Coach who is always there when I need her. There is a really cool app called She How You Eat (SHYE) that has been extremely helpful in planning and tracking what I eat.  This one tool was a game-changer for me! Being accountable is essential in making sustainable lifestyle changes.

Physical Activity – My coach is a certified fitness trainer and bodybuilder who knows how to make lifestyle changes stick. She has a private Facebook page and offers live workouts.  Bonus! I work out at least 1 hour per day 5 days per week and engage in a lot more physical activity when time permits.

Community – I am part of a caring and supportive community of people who have been through the program as well as those who are going through this lifestyle transformation with me.

Habits of Health – The habits that make transformative lifestyle changes.

Consistency and Effort – Being consistent with this program and not cheating for 4 months has been instrumental in my journey. Although in the beginning, it was a lot of effort but nothing worthwhile is easy. It actually is second nature at this point!

More Self-Care Changes

Skincare

As I get closer to another decade, I notice that my skin is starting to show signs of aging. Part of my regular skincare routine is a cleanser, moisturizer, and eye cream. In addition, I added in a daily toner, vitamin C serum, and an exfoliating mask once per week. I also decided that I am going for facials more often as finances permit. The schedule that I would like to stick to is every other month.

Bodywork

As you know, I already go for massages every month and that won’t change anytime in the future. This is the time for me to unwind and get my sore muscles and joints worked on so I can continue to feel great in my job as well as benefit my mental health.  In addition, I committed to seeing my chiropractor every other week which is highly beneficial for my body especially to calm down my nervous system and keep my spine moving well.

Announcements

Free 5 Day Self-Care Course

The 5 Day Self-Care Crash course is available now! Learn how to create a realistic self-care routine to help lower stress and enjoy a healthy and positive lifestyle.  Click this link or the image below to sign up today!

September Self-Care Success Challenge

Ready to make sustainable lifestyle changes? This will be a self-care and lifestyle habit transformation challenge.

Starts:  September 18, 2021

Click here for more details!

• Focus on 5 Aspects of Whole Health: Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental & Spiritual™©
• Access to a Whole Health Educator™ & Certified Wellness Coach
• 3 Awesome Prizes!
• 5 Bonuses to Support Your Journey Including Recipes & Mindset Help
• Private Facebook Community For Extra Support

Focus on Good Things

I am happy to report that as of this post I have lost 32 pounds since the end of April! Stay tuned for more posts about my self-care journey. I do have the opportunity to become a coach for this lifestyle transformation program and I will at some point. For now, I am focused on my goals and reaching the next phase of my transformation.

The picture on the right was taken on vacation last week while I was in Hilton Head. I felt so much better in my body and mind!

Contact me if this sounds like something you would like to hear about! When I find something that works for me and thousands of other people I want to share it as much as I can!

In conclusion, know that you are very deserving to be the best version of yourself. Let me know if I can help in any way to meet your goals! Stay in touch and be on the lookout for more posts coming soon!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!