I was sitting at my desk thinking about how to start this blog as ladybug landed on my shoulder. I felt the little tickle as she took a few steps. My hand went to touch the area I felt the tickle, then I saw her just as I swept her off my shoulder. I got up off my chair and searched for her to make sure she was safe and picked her back up. She sat peacefully on my hand for several minutes before she flew over to the window that lets in the morning sun and that is where she stays as she keeps me company while I write today’s blog. I’ve decided to name her Autumn. Much like Autumn you are here with me, observing my life. You may be curious about what I am doing and I welcome you to share this space with me and take little steps that bring you peace. What has made the biggest difference in the weight transformation I have experienced over the last 9 months has been the maintenance of my personal, mental, physical, and spiritual health. These are the 4 pillars that support the solid foundation I have built, and in this blog I will reveal the things that will help you build your own foundation.
So, without further ado…This is my overall day-to-day well-being regime. It’s about the choices I make that keep my life balanced and the routines, boundaries, friendships, and self-care rituals that make me feel like me. This blog is just as much for me to write it out as it is for you.
Pillar One: Maintaining My Personal Health
My personal health is my foundation and it’s how I build a safe and supportive environment where I can thrive. This year I began to improve my relationship with myself and this is what it looked like as I took those first few steps. When I maintain my personal health, I’m really protecting my energy.
I’ve been working with my mentor Dorothy for several years now. I want to be just like her when I grow up and I tell her this all the time. She mentioned I had a tendency to sacrifice my own health and happiness in order to care for and support others. That revelation was a huge and accurate blind spot to me until she pointed it out. I was able to create boundaries to protect my space, my time, and my energy even though it felt a little selfish and uncomfortable at first but I was supported by a mentor I trusted as I took those uncomfortable steps in the beginning.
One of the first shifts I made after our discussion was a commitment to choose rest over chores when my body needs it, and not feeling guilty for putting myself first. I also decided to sleep without setting an alarm. She taught me that what I expose my mind and thoughts to during the first hour after waking is crucial for how the rest of my day will go, so I make sure not to touch my phone, turn on the tv or go on my computer during that first hour after waking up. Instead,
I ask Alexa to play affirmations or healing frequency music first thing in the morning.
Here are my 3 favorite playlists:
Positive affirmations Playlist
Another small thing I do, as a favor to myself, is to set out my vitamins out the night before. Sometimes I do other nice things for my future self too, like prep meals, set out my outfit for the next day, fill up my gas tank before it gets to half full. I find these little things to be kind of romantic in a way. It’s a nice experience to feel cared for even if it is me who is caring for myself.
Pillar Two: Maintaining My Mental Health
Early on I knew my mental health was holding onto so much of the weight I put on over the years. I learned that my gut health is directly related to my mental health. I learned about cortisol. I learned about the importance of self-talk. This is how I take care of my thoughts and emotions. It’s the music I choose to listen to, foods I consume, the words I speak to myself, and the people I allow into my circle. Mental health is noticing my stress, nurturing my mind with positivity, and celebrating small wins that keep me moving forward.
There were several nights I had experienced terrifying anxiety that kept me wide awake, shivering with fear that I was going to die in my sleep as I sat on the floor next to my bed, waiting for the sun to come up so I could feel safe enough to go to sleep. This began after my best friend since elementary school had unexpectedly passed away in 2023. I also experienced driving anxiety that kept me from going anywhere outside of my neighborhood. An entire year had gone by where I didn’t even get in a car. I’m sharing this because you may be feeling this way now and I can tell you that I managed to learn what didn’t work over the last few years before I learned what did work to help me heal and maintain my mental health.
Something I learned from my mentor Betul was to be mindful about the language I use. She is a wise and intuitive woman whom I’ve grown very close to over the last 5 years. She tells me often not to speak things into existence, let me give you an example. If I were to complain about something that I was worried about, like getting hit by a car, she would tell me to only speak about positive things that I wish to experience or things I am grateful for. Or not to say I lost weight, because if I lost something then my mind would want to find it. Instead say, “I released 50 pounds.” that way I let it go never to return again. The language I use isn’t all that I am mindful of, I also like to enjoy music with uplifting lyrics. Movies and tv shows that depict loving storylines or outcomes I wish to experience in this lifetime. I have even become a fan of audio books on self improvement.
As I began to implement these changes I also became selective about who I spend my time with. I no longer hang out with people from my past who drink heavily, do drugs, are in considerable debt, stuck in toxic relationships, or complain about their life all the time. I have learned that you are who you surround yourself with. I began making friends with people who lift me up, support me, people who are mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually healthy. Finding my new inner circle has helped me become so crystal clear on the choices I make every day to create a life glamorous beyond my wildest dreams.
Cortisol was something I had never heard of before a reel on my instagram feed caught my attention. I spent a few weeks in that rabbit hole researching before I started to address my cortisol levels. Dr. Lindsay Schmidt became my favorite expert to follow for advice, techniques and natural remedies. I began using a dry brush and lymph massage, implementing her somatic stretches in my nightly routine along with her cortisol cocktail that calls for tart cherry juice and cream of tartar, which I learned is a great source of potassium.
Gut health was something I had no idea about in the beginning. Our gut is directly related to our mental health! This step took some time to heal. I was very intentional about including something fermented in my diet every single day for months and eliminating sugar 100%. This was the one thing I was completely dedicated to without fail, while other things I was doing I would sometimes miss a day here and there. I stocked my fridge up with pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt. Sometimes I would add a splash of apple cider vinegar to my hot tea in the morning. Even though I don’t love the taste of sauerkraut or vinegar in my tea I kept telling myself that I was not doing this for how it tasted. I was doing this so I could enjoy driving my car again. So I could feel safe to fall asleep at night. So I could fly on planes and attend concerts without my heart racing out of my chest. So I could live life again.
Another thing that made a big difference was going for a walk at the park down the street from my house, getting OUTSIDE matters. I was giving my eyes the opportunity to see how beautiful nature could be. I began taking pictures of things I discovered while on my walks, like flowers, feathers, birds, little bugs. It was like a fun scavenger hunt. Each day I would post those pictures on my facebook profile with the caption, “I went outside today.” That was how I kept myself accountable to taking a walk every day since I didn’t have a friend or dog to walk with. At first I couldn’t do many steps because my knees would hurt so I did what I could–3 laps was pushing it at first–but I managed to make it to 6 laps with consistency. Now I do a minimum of 10 laps. Woot!
I’ll admit, it took me a minute to get this one right. I only weigh myself in the morning, naked, after I go to the bathroom and before I have eaten anything. This is how I can measure my progress consistently. This is my little win every morning as I noticed that my weight can fluctuate throughout the day. There are days I have gained or not dropped any weight and that is totally ok, since I started my journey 9 months ago I have been able to recognize my patterns and an unexpected pound or two once a month showing up on the scale does not deflate my feeling of accomplishment.
Pillar Three: Maintaining My Physical Health
This is the way I nourish and move my body. It’s my morning snacks that fuel me, the sauna sessions that help me reset, and even bouncing on my rebounder at my standing desk. Physical health isn’t just about weight or appearance — it’s about feeling confident, easing old aches, and enjoying the body I live in every day.
What has worked for me has been to eat more fiber. I was experiencing a plateau after I dropped around 30 pounds, I was mostly eating protein then before I learned how important fiber is. Now, the first thing I will eat is a handful of nuts or dried fruit. A few weeks ago I even started eating watermelon on an empty stomach and that helped my travel tummy tremendously. IYKYK. Fiber is amazing at helping to sustain your appetite and most of the fiber I eat doesn’t need to be refrigerated so it travels well.
One day while scrolling though TikTok, as one does, I saw a video featuring a vibration plate and all the benefits of using one. Lowering cortisol levels, standing on one for 10 minutes being the equivalent of walking so much, improving balance, helps with lymph drainage and so much more. I ordered one and began using it every day for at least 10 minutes a day. All I would do was turn it on, stand on it and watch tv while it jiggled me for 10 minutes before I went to bed. I started using it in the morning too, and gradually began doing heel lifts while I stood on it, then squats. Now I do a little dance routine on it that includes heel lifts and squats for 3 sets of 10 minutes a day. I can see definition in my legs and thighs, I have a thigh gap for the first time I can remember in decades and my knees no longer give me grief when I dance, go on my walks, or hikes.
Just a little something I started doing at home is COUNTER PUSHUPS whenever I go to the bathroom. I can now see definition in my arms, my shoulders and for the first time in my entire life I can see my clavicle bone, something I always wished I had but figured it just wasn’t my body type.
Since I work from home I decided to convert my desk into a standing desk with an adjustable platform lift. I have a rebounder trampoline I named Charizard where a chair would go. I started out by just bouncing without lifting my feet off the trampoline. I am now able to go for short jogs between projects and zoom calls and it’s so much fun.
Something else that helped me repair my knees was joining a gym with a pool. I don’t use the pool to swim, instead I began taking aqua aerobics classes they host twice a week. I also go in alone and do some pool yoga, ballet and physical therapy moves I have learned over the years.
My gym also has a sauna. I learned that sitting in a sauna is so incredible for detoxing, managing stress hormones and managing pain. It took me 1 full year to sit in a sauna for more than 15 minutes at a time because I found it was hard to breathe in there. So I started building up my tolerance by sitting in there as long as I could at first, maybe 3 to 5 minutes.
And Finally Pillar Four: Maintaining My Spiritual Health
This is my connection to something greater — to myself, to the universe, to divine energy. It’s the prayers I whisper before bed, the rituals I practice with water and sage, and the way I reclaim my energy from the world each night. Spiritual health is what keeps me aligned, grounded, and reminded that I’m never walking this journey alone.
Years ago my mentor Jeff suggested I listen to a book series that changed my life.
These are books that I continue to listen to over and over again year after year. They have helped shape my spiritual practices and routines as well as help me to identify what needs my attention as far as spiritual healing.
Spirituality is something so personal and sacred to each person and I think this pillar lends strength to the entire foundation as its role is just as important as the others.
Every night I say my prayers before bed with purpose and gratitude.
I started the habit of talking to my water, describing my intentions and asking for its assistance to help me create that reality.
While I travel I protect my energy, recall my energy back to me, and release energy that does not belong to me.
When I go on my hikes I collect wild sage and other flowers, when it dries I burn the sage offerings to cleanse my energy and ask for assistance with the outcomes I am creating.
These are the rituals that bring me peace and alignment.
Some say the hardest part is asking for help, I say the hardest part is not knowing there is help and suffering with your struggles alone.
Much like my ladybug friend Autumn, I have found a safe place to observe, spread my wings and launch. It was a space I created for myself. I had some help along the way from wonderful mentors who had experienced some of the same things I was going through and now I am here to help other women like me who are ready for something better out of this life. A life so glamorous it’s beyond your wildest dreams.
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