MS - The Unpredictable

You know those moments in life that make you look around and shout for joy for all the amazing things you have? Do you ever have moments like that?

I wonder how my life would be without the underlining knowledge that someday I might not be able to do this. This thing that I love so much. Whether it's walking the dog, doing my makeup, teaching a class or holding my children. These everyday things that are so easy to overlook, are the very things that MS likes to steal away from you. And so it goes. 

Ever sense I first learned I had Multiple Sclerosis at the young age of 23, I had one fear: To wake in the morning and not be able to get out of bed.  Not be able to run to my child's bedside or life a baby from her crib. Not be able to wrap my daughter up in a blanket and pull her in next to me for some early morning snuggles. These are the moments I cherish. They are so simple, so sweet and so fleeting.

A Power Move: PiYo™ LIVE Instructor

As you know, last summer I had the opportunity to go visit my parents in Oregon. While I was there, and really this is the reason I went, I got certified to teach PiYo™ LIVE classes. 

At the time, I had no idea if I would ever get to use the certification. It was just something I really wanted to do. 

What is Clean Eating

As you know, or at least I've stated before, you may be new and not actually know… whatever! A few years ago I read Dr. Terry L. Wahls' book Minding My Mitochondria after I had dealt with tingling in my face and hands that just didn't seem to go away. That was the first time I had ever thought about the correlation between MS and what we eat. Now I have always loved to eat healthy, but Dr. Wahls book helped me understand more why I wanted to eat healthy.

At the time this line of thinking was revolutionary. But I am now starting to see more and more doctors embrace the notion that perhaps if we started with a healthy lifestyle, perhaps we won't need to prescribe so many pills?

Really, that's what eating clean is all about. It's a lifestyle. It's knowing exactly what you are fueling your body with. Trying to consume our food in it's most natural state. Am I the next Fully Raw Kristina? Well, maybe, but most likely not. She is awesome though, and I love her blog, instagram feed, and Facebook pages.

So what have you got to do to eat clean?

PiYo Live Certified!

Getting certified to teach PiYo Live was one of the most fun things I've done for myself.

Dealing With Depression Right Then and There. Right Now.

As you know, this is more of a fitness blog. Why? Well, if you've followed my other blog, City Girl Gone Ranch Mama, you know that I've struggled with depression. Postpartum depression mixed with the depression that comes from MS is, well, just a bad combo. So when I started really working out. I mean with purpose and in a challenge group, with a coach who was cheering me on, I thought, "Wow, why did I wait?" I actually told the Merman how much I wished I had just done this 3 years ago when the Bunny was a baby. That's how great it made me feel. That's how bad I felt.

How bad?

I want to share with you a secret. I had a plan. The doctor asked if I was feeling the blues. I said yes. She said well, is it bad? I said yes. She asked, do you have a plan.

What did she mean by asking if I had a plan? She meant a suicide plan. And with all the courage in the world to hold back my tears. I said, "Yes!"

That Rhythm in My Head: I Lost an Hour to an MRI

There was a bird in the room. A bird who seemed to be hooked up the a respirator system. Playing the drums. Tweet, wheeze, tweet, wheeze, tweet, wheeze, boom boom boom boom. (Repeat for the next hour of your life…)

They put headphones on me and played the radio. Like that could drowned out the sound of the machine. I waited for them to check on me so I could ask them to turn the music off. It was turned up so loud that I was getting a headache.

Seeing MS - EXPOSING THE INVISIBLE DISEASE

This is a wonderful YouTube account that I follow. I would love to share some of their work with you. They also have created an app to allow people living with MS to use filters that can help others see what they see, or feel what they feel. Enjoy!

What's For Dinner?

Giving Yourself a Chance

One of the things I've always believed in has been fitness. But wait, I'm not a jock! I wasn't on any teams in high school.

Well, I did play on a church basketball and volleyball team when I was 12 and 13. But I quit. I quit at 14 because I sucked. I was the worst on the team. I had no coordination. I couldn't remember the rules of the games and got mixed up on which way the ball was going. I just made a fool of myself.

Ha!

Getting Stronger - One Day At a Time

I was really scared to try Beachbody's P90X3 workouts. For one, it's a 90 day commitment! For two, I'm weak! I can't to pull-ups! And I've only ever been able to do "girl push-ups!" I can't do that!

But the 21 Day Fix hadn't come out yet, and my coach had a challenge group starting right away. So, I fought my fear and signed up. 

Now I'm in the thick of it. Just finished my 3rd day, in my 2nd week! 10 days in all! And I'm loving it. 

Jenny Craig's Rules

I just broke one of my rules! Never eat while standing up! 

When I was a kid, 18, I did Jenny Craig with my father. He asked me to do it with him as support. He needed to lose weight, I only needed to lose 10 lbs. I learned a lot that summer and it started my love for fitness and nutrition. (No really, I read diet books like most people read novels!) 

A New Me

I've done it! I've done something completely insane!

I've signed up to do a 90 day fitness challenge with Beachbody. But that's not all. I got way ahead of myself and also signed up to be a coach, too.

And you know what? 

I'm totally excited about it!