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"I'm just turning 30 and my life is over," I thought. I was crushed. I let myself wallow for a week or so, and then I picked myself up and decided that I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life being miserable, fat, and unhealthy.
I started my 1,200-calorie diet plan, and I started to lose weight—but I wasn't eating healthier, I was just eating less. I didn't feel much healthier, either. Sure, it was nice to lose some extra pounds, but my joints still hurt, I always felt tired, and my skin still looked dull. I knew I had to make some more drastic changes.
While visiting my in-laws (my sister-in-law is a registered dietitian and my brother-in-law goes to medical school), I heard about a documentary called Forks Over Knives, which focuses on a whole-food, plant-based diet. I watched it and was an immediate convert. I started vetting food labels and researching clean eating online, and I completely changed how my family and I ate. That meant more whole foods and no artificial junk, including my beloved Mountain Dew. The results were amazing: 9 years later, I'm down nearly 100 pounds, I have more energy, and my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are perfect.
It wasn't easy convincing my husband and son and the foreign exchange student staying with us to change their meat-eating ways. Urging them (and myself) to get rid of the instant ramen noodles and Cheetos was definitely a struggle, but over time, they've noticed changes in their health and energy levels, too. Fruit-infused water has taken the place of our beloved sodas, and on taco night, I substitute a bean filling for meat and fresh salsa for the jarred stuff. And while I follow a plant-based diet, I still serve meat as a side dish for my family a few days a week. While they may not love their Meatless Mondays (and Wednesdays and Fridays), they support me. They'd rather see me healthier—and feel healthier, themselves—than eat (and feel) like garbage all the time.
But diet isn't everything; I had to exercise, too. When I first started out, I could barely walk a few blocks around my neighborhood without getting exhausted. Now, I run four or five times a week (2 or 3 miles each time, depending on my schedule). I've also joined a walking club and I strength-train with my son and do Pilates.
Despite making a better life for my family and myself, I still felt like I had to do more. I went back to school to pursue my newfound passion for health and wellness and earned a bachelor's degree in health science, with a focus on wellness and nutrition. Soon after graduating, I got the opportunity of a lifetime and became a community wellness coordinator at Mahaska Health Partnership, the local hospital in my town. Now I get to make health and wellness a priority in my community, as well as in my personal life.
I'm just days from turning 40, and I'm not sad—I'm ready. I wasted the first 30 years of my life being obese, depressed, and unhealthy, but now I'm excited about my future. I'm looking forward to spending the next 60 years being healthy and happy with my family and making a difference in my community.
