Healthier Living

 
Hello friends. The Badgley family is on a journey to a healthier lifestyle spiritually and physically. This week I will begin a new series of posts as my family works towards a healthier lifestyle. I considered opening a new blog to house my weight loss, healthy living, and recipe posts. However, to streamline my time and efforts, I am just going to add these posts here on The Homeschool Marm blog.

This Spring, our family has faced some health challenges, which have served as harsh kick in the pants to get our lives in order. In February, my husband began experiencing some issues with his gall bladder. In early March, he had a full-blown gall bladder attack. This occurred after a weekend of eating homemade pizza and chicken Alfredo (which were two popular things that I cooked on a regular basis). In order to deal with the pain and symptoms of the gall bladder episodes, we immediately changed our eating habits. We cut out anything fried (which we ate very little of anyway), cheesy pizza, creamy pastas, butter, most cheeses, spicy foods, and we increased our veggie intake. My husband also began a probiotic regimen to help restore some of his digestive health. In late March, I had a severe asthma attack, which was the worst episode I had ever experienced. It scared my family and it also frightened me greatly. I was saddened to see the look in my girls eyes as they fretted over my ability to breathe. I went to the doctor and was prescribed a daily inhaler in addition to my rescue inhaler. At the time, the doctor said my asthma was so severe, that I might be on daily medication the rest of my life. By the end of March, I reached a really low point in my health. I looked horrid, barely had the energy to get through the day, my hair was falling out, and I was extremely fatigued. My asthma was a struggle but I also had insomnia which compounded my decline in health. My entire family was discouraged over our health struggles and we began praying that we could make improvements before it was too late.

My good friend Carol, who has a nutrition business, came over one day and brought me a Vitamin B supplement. I began taking this supplement daily, and within a week, I vastly improved. I also began taking a daily Calcium supplement. My sleep cycle became regulated and I was able to get back to a normal routine of going to bed early and waking early (which is my preferred daily schedule). My energy levels have soared through the roof. I have now been on the Vitamin B supplement for one month, and I feel like a completely new person. I actually feel as though my body is trying to renew itself after spinning out-of-control for several years. I believe the supplements (plus prayer, sleep, and healthy foods) have given me additional strength which has allowed me to start a workout program at a local gym in our town.

My entire family is very supportive and they have all joined the gym to workout on a weekly basis. We have always done everything as a team, and I am so thankful they are right beside me, pushing me along each day. I do not want to quit, give up, or get discouraged and I have to absolutely be committed to a healthy lifestyle long term. I know the Lord will give me strength to do this and it is a matter of me being disciplined enough to conquer my mountain of flesh to glorify God in my body. My husband wants to lose 50 pounds and he is well on his way. I, on the other hand, need to lose a unbelievable amount of weight. I am not going to share that amount yet. I want to make some progress and then I will share on my blog where I started at and where I am striving to reach. My husband has lost 15 pounds since we changed our diet in April. I am so proud and thankful that he has made such quick progress. He is now wearing size large clothes rather than extra-extra-large, and he has not been able to do this in well over 5 years or more. This past week of working out at the gym, and following a 1500 calorie daily food intake, he lost 5 pounds. I have lost roughly 17 pounds since we changed our diet in April. I am now working out twice daily (morning and evening) at the gym, following a 1630 calorie daily food intake, and have reduced my work hours sitting at my desk. As a result, I have lost 7 pounds over the past 7 days. More importantly, my blood pressure went from 190/90 to an average range of 142-150/80-87. 

I feel overjoyed at our progress so far. I do have regrets that we did not do this years ago, but I am focusing on moving forward for the future. I personally have a long term goal of extreme weight loss/increased fitness and it is probably going to take me a year or longer to get there. Our family is focusing on small steps daily and we are celebrating the improvements that we make each week as we pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Here is what is working for us so far:
~We are striving for 8 hours of sleep daily
~We are tracking our daily calorie intake and exercise using the My Fitness Pal app
~We are doing daily cardio exercise
~We are taking nutritional supplements each day
~We are strictly monitoring serving and portion sizes
~We eat three healthy meals with two snacks (1500-1600 calories daily total)
~I have reduced my work hours where I sit at my desk each day

We have eliminated (or greatly reduced) these type of foods:
~Anything fried
~Butter
~Cream
~Ooey gooey cheese
~Heavy carbs
~White sugar
~White flour
~High fructose corn syrup
~Unhealthy fats and oils
~Sodas
~Reduced caffeine

We have increased these type of foods:
~Raw veggies
~Whole grains
~Fruit
~Lean proteins (chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, white fish)
~Legumes
~Nut butters (Almond)
~Almond milk
~Healthy fats (Avocado, Olive Oil)

So what about you? Are you a healthy person living a fit lifestyle? I would love for you to share your tips with me as we travel this journey to increased wellness. Are you out of shape, overweight, and is this compounding health issues you may be experiencing? Come join this journey with me and we will encourage one another to strive for better health.

Many blessings,