Let me start this out by saying, this is a habit I never thought I would have. I truly thought people who did this were crazy and I never thought I would be among them.

What is this craziness I’m speaking of? I’m talking about being a member of the early workout crew. Yes, this sleep lover is officially a 5:00 a.m. wake up call and head to the gym girl now and I don’t think I will be going back.

So how did I get to this point? Well that is the main part of this story.

I have always been an active person. I was an athlete in high school and in college I took fitness pretty seriously after falling prey to the freshman 15. I was even more dedicated the two years leading up to our wedding, so when I realized how out of it I became this year, I was so disappointed.

I had all the excuses- I’m too busy, I’m too tired, I’m helping others so I don’t have time to dedicated to working out as much anymore and I kept feeding myself these excuses while also feeding myself too much ice-cream!

So what finally snapped to make this change? This may be a surprise, but it wasn’t my looks. Now don’t get me wrong, I was frustrated that I didn’t look the same as my wedding photos, but it was my mental state. I had never realized just how important my health was to my overall well-being until this year.

This has been a crazy stressful and busy year and it will just get even more crazy, so I knew I couldn’t continue down this path. I couldn’t keep pouring into others and not take care of myself. After being really ill twice this school year already, I knew something had to change or I would be forced to change.

It may not sound super scientific, but I’m convinced my body got sick so much this year to just force me to rest and reevaluate the poor habits I had established. At the beginning of February after a week and a half of being ill, I finally took back some control with my health and I’m not turning back!

So what have I been doing? Waking up at 5:00, working out, and eating well!

How have I felt this past month doing this new routine. AMAZING! Seriously! Even though I’m waking up earlier, I feel way more energized. I have more energy for my students, for my clients, and most importantly, for my marriage. I don’t feel so lethargic, I don’t feel as crabby, and I have confidence again.

I’ll be posting a follow up to this next week with more specifics, but this post is to share that if you feel you are in a place where you are not feeling well and you know it is time for a change, I’m cheering you on! There are many ways to improve your health so you can feel energized for your life and we all have to find what works best for us, but I wholeheartedly encourage you to take the time to do so! You won’t ever regret taking better care of yourself so you can be the best all the things you have on your plate!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Do something to take care of yourself this weekend 🙂