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HOW I LOST 30 LBS GOING THROUGH MY DEBT FREE JOURNEY

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“I guess they say, "Necessity is the mother of invention" because you have two stark choices when you find yourself in a really desperate situation. You can either fold and cave-in to it or you can become really passionate about getting out of it.” – Viola Davis

 

Back in February, I was randomly reading a few blogs that caught my attention, all about how ordinary folks paid off extraordinary amounts of debt. Some of the blogs I started following were Life and My Finances, MIllenial Money Man, Making Sense of Cents to name a few. Then I quickly realized, if they could do it and figure it out, why in the heck can’t I? 

 

Up until that point, I didn’t care, I always thought I’d always be in debt, always have a student loan, always have a car loan; in other words, I was a ‘normal’ broke American, living in the richest country in the world. It really sounded depressing, so I got mad, really mad. I never even thought that being debt free was a possibility or even attainable up until that point; and then I started digging deeper, way deeper.

 

After finally taking inventory of my life and my finances, and getting started on my journey to take my life back; reality set in again; and this time, circumstances forced me to focus on my health as well.

 

Health wise I was in bad shape, I was diagnosed as diabetic with a 6.99 AIC, I weighed in at 204 lbs, and naturally had high blood pressure and stress as a result 🙁  I had to stop, really stop; take stock of my health, and decided to make changes… a lot of changes.

WHAT I DID TO SHED THE WEIGHT

 

I TRACKED MY NUMBERS

 

Similar to how I tracked my finances, I got dialed into tracking my vitals.

 

I measured my weight, blood pressure, and waistline almost daily.

 

I also tracked what I was eating.

 

It didn’t take long to figure out; just like how I was squandering money, was the same way I was mindlessly treating my body. I was giving in to stress, not exercising, shoveling food into my system, most of them unhealthy 🙁  It was just a good wakeup call and it came at a great time.

 

As soon as I got my numbers back from my doctor and seeing all the borderline and high health numbers, I re-prioritized my health and diet, then educated myself on how to get my numbers down.

 

I started eating mostly natural non-processed food, went to the gym twice a week and walked around our neighborhood for an hour at a time four times a week. Then sure enough, little by little, I started feeling better, the pounds started coming off, and my clothes started getting bigger on me.

 

But all this paled in comparison to the way I felt…. I felt awesome J victorious even. I finally felt that I had control over my health, which seemingly got the better of me my entire life. Now, similar to how I approached money and spending on my debt free journey, is how I also approached diet, exercise, and my total health; by making disciplined baby steps in the right direction.

 

I WATCHED MY DIET

 

Similar to how I approached my financial situation at first, by writing down my financial picture and goals; I took inventory of what I was eating and how I was going to change it.  I tell you the truth, the first couple of weeks of quitting chips, bread, wheat, and grains altogether, was sooooo hard, those were the major food groups for me all my life.  I think I had a weeks’ worth of withdrawal where my body just shook at times and got sick to the point of almost having colds; but after sticking to it, after  two weeks of eating healthy, just taking in salads, fruits, clean water and basically eliminating processed and food like stuff, I literally came out as a new person.

 

I used to have allergies when I woke up which caused me to sneeze a lot, that went away, I used to have sinus congestion, it was gone; I often had headaches and felt heavy even after naps, it went away too. I just altogether felt like a new person, and I don’t even want to go back.

 

According to Dr. Jade Teta author of “The Metabolic Effect” , the safest foods to consume and be mindful about are the four S’s – Soups, Shakes, Salads, and Scramble (egg), so that’s what I’ve been doing, making sure I eat naturally as possible, in any of these forms.

 

Fast forward 8 months and 2 weeks, I now weigh 174 and can’t be any more energetic 🙂

 

 

I GOT EDUCATED

 

Like continuing education, I started listening to health podcasts; particularly to The Model Health Show (shout out to Shaw Stevenson) and draxe.com (shout out to Dr. Josh Axe).

 

It’s here where I learned how different kinds of food and food ‘like’ substances help OR hinder our health. And, unlike the health care system where Doctors try to prescribe meds to cure symptoms of health issues, consuming healthy food corrects not just the symptoms but the underlying cause of the symptoms.

 

It was really mind-blowing how food (the bad kind) was the cause of much of the health sicknesses out there and how the right food was also the solution to all of them. Our body is the only tool we need to fight off disease, so feeding it natural foods rich in natural vitamins and minerals is the main fuel to drive the healthy results we will want and need.

 

HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

 

This is where my Moira comes in. She supports me in everything, naturally being my better half; but through this journey, she also started adopting healthy habits, gradually quitting starchy foods, walking and going to the gym with me, and most of all, tracking results with me. And just like my results, she also did well, and to date lost 10 lbs.

 

Having your accountability partner is vital. They not only keep you in check or pick you up when down, but they also share in your journey, good or bad; sticking with you and seeing you through. Be it a spouse, friend, or sibling; find a buddy who will hold you accountable but most of all, share the journey with you.

 

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” Eccl 4:12

 

KEEP AT IT

 

Be consistent, be flexible, be accountable. Work, keep at it. It’s not easy, there are times you’ll question yourself if it’s worth it, but trust me, it’s worth it. Your future, your family’s future is worth it; I know mine is.

 

There won’t ever be a time that you’ll regret making the change for the better, especially for your health. It’s the only thing that will hold us together; we need our bodies for work, play, fun and life; so taking care of it is of utmost importance.

 

Plus when we get financially independent, we’re gonna need our health to travel and do the things we always wanted to do, so keep at it. There’s so much to explore, learn, and discover in life.

 

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

 

“Health is wealth” and it truly is.  Especially in this world of skyrocketing health costs, the reality is that there won’t be any bright future without good health.

 

We will either flourish as we age when we’re in good health or it will cause financial heartaches if we’re in poor health; and will literally cost us our wealth and our life or the quality of it.

 

By being mindful NOW and taking the needed steps to correct bad habits, can spell the difference between enjoying your life in the now and the future, or be faced with the reality of poor physical and financial health for that matter. 

 

The good news is, we get to choose, the power is IN US, the power is US.

 

 

Do you have other tips on how to keep and stay healthy? Did you have a similar journey that inspires people? Please do share by leaving us feedback below or emailing at thedebtfreejourney@gmail.com

 

Thanks for stopping by and until next post.

 

Peace and Blessings to you All.

 

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