I Believe in Health

I read in a book titled Wellness that: “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence. It is a process rather than a goal and implies a way of life.” (David J. Anspaugh, 2008) I completely agree with this statement, and truly believe that we are in full control of our own wellness, both physically and mentally. I believe that having a healthy lifestyle improves the quality and length of life. I can say that I believe this because I have seen, firsthand, the effects of unhealthy and healthy living.

Before I got married, I was very unhealthy. I didn’t focus on drinking much water, eating healthy food and had no concept of portion control. When I found out I was pregnant, I really started paying attention to what I was putting in my body. I started including salads with almost every meal, eating fruit, cutting out sugar and high fat foods, and drinking more water. It was much easier to eat better when there was someone else depending on my health. The more healthy food I ate the better I felt. I started going for walks and getting in shape, as much as I could while being pregnant. I had a very healthy pregnancy and felt great the entire time.

After my son was born, I tried to continue this healthy behavior, but we ended up moving in with my husband’s parents. They were much unhealthier than I was used to. They ate excessive amounts of meat, virtually no vegetables and put 10 tablespoons of butter in everything. Since we lived with them, my husband and I pretty much went along with what they made for meals. I started to feel more and more “weighed down.”

After Christmas, the worst time of year for losing control of eating habits, I decided to take control of my own life and be healthy. At a family dinner I proposed to start a “Biggest Loser” competition in the family. We each put $25 in the pot, and whoever lost the largest percentage of weight got all the money. I started paying attention to everything I ate and how much of it. I invested in a gym membership and started exercising six days a week. I went from being able to run only ten feet without stopping to running two miles without stopping. I lost 30 pounds by June, and won the competition by a landslide. The closest percentage to mine was 10% less. The money wasn’t the important thing I won, even if it was nice, I started having more and more energy, daily tasks seemed to breeze by and that’s what was and is important to me.

Having a healthy lifestyle not only benefits the body; it aids in mental health as well. Before I changed my life, I thought of going back to college as something I could never do. It was completely overwhelming to think of myself taking classes, doing homework, writing English papers all while working and taking care of my family. I had negative thoughts about almost everything, it felt as though my life was just a mess and there was nothing I could do to fix it. As my body and my energy level started to change, so did my attitude about everything. I started feeling like everything was going to be ok. This was a surprising result of changing my physical wellness. It showed me that there is a big connection between physical and mental wellness.

I try to keep up with my lifestyle and live the way I believe we should, healthily. We all slip up sometimes, but that’s what makes us human. Wellness is a constant process, a way of life. It never ends even when you hit that weight loss goal. It’s choices, small choices, every single day that lead to a better life.