Fresh Starts and What's Your Wellness

I've always loved fresh starts. I love New Year's. I love the beginning of a new school year and the excitement of a new job or a new home. I even love the hype of a new diet, even though for most of my life the diet thing has been short-lived. There is just something that makes my soul sing when a fresh start is involved.

Our family has a big "fresh start" coming very soon. We are moving from my beloved Fortville to somewhere I also adore... just in different ways. We're moving to where I grew up - Carmel, Indiana. The decision has been something our family discerned for months, and the time is right for us. Now for those of you who know me as Fortville Mama or Fortville Jen, don't lose heart. I'll always have a soft spot for #fabFortville, and you'll see it pop up on the Delightstruck Blog from time to time.

Here We Come Carmel

I'm excited for all this move is going to bring us. Closer to family on both sides. Less travel to see two new sweet nephews grow up. Closer to the hooligans only living Grandma, a beloved Aunt and Uncle and my rocking BFF. Room to work on slaying our debt still, yes we're Dave Ramsey-ing up over here currently, which I may write about eventually. Closer to a church we love and our faith community. Closer to other homeschool families and homeschool activities. An amazing library and a pretty sweet coffee shop within walking distance - like less than a block, peeps! Total #delightstruck points of interest for this mama. A vibrant walkable downtown with miles and miles of scenic trails that were converted from a railway that once connected Chicago to Indianapolis. If all that wasn't exciting enough, I'm pretty pumped to start blogging again regularly and dive into a new wellness journey with a new partner - Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation (CCPR), as I work figure out what my personal wellness actually is...

Speaking of Fresh Starts - What's Your Wellness?

Being brutally honest - I've struggled with food, my weight, and self-image my whole life (and PCOS since teenage years). I've given up a time or two and said I'll just be me, you know the fat me. Well, that's not the greatest image of oneself, now is it? No matter my size, should I really refer to myself as fat me? How about just Jen? Now I'm not going to say I've had a sudden aha moment that changes all of that, because I haven't. It's been more of a gradual transformation in my thought process over the last five years, stopping negative self-talk... seeing myself differently, knowing I'm worthy of all God has in store for me no matter my size, deciding self-care is important, loving the skin I'm in and chasing my own personal wellness, whatever that ends up being.

Summing it all up - I'm on a path to discovering what wellness means to me, because it's different for each person, treating my body well, being more aware of what I'm eating and feeding my body just like I would my mind and soul. Oh and exercising a little more, oh who am I kidding, exercising at all.

Milestones

So really the seeds for the wellness transformation started a few years ago when I happened work with a plus size woman who was phenomenal. She made me see I could have style and be any size and that one should be comfortable in their own skin - all by just being unapologetically herself. She inspired me to see the world and myself differently, to try new things and put a priority on self-care. This was even before body positive was a hashtag peeps - she was ahead of her time! Over the last few years I've slowly filled my closet with more things that make my heart sing and thrown out things that scream frumpy, and I've paid more attention to my own self-care. So a shout-out to Debra for being a beginning catalyst for change, crossing my path at the right time and saying things that made me ponder my own perceptions.

"Stop hating yourself for everything you aren't. Start loving yourself for everything you are!" 

- Sean's Short Sunday Sermon 

Fast forward to now. At the end of 2017 I had a much needed hysterectomy. I'd been putting it off for years, because well, I'm in my thirties and you know what if maybe just maybe there might be another little one someday. I had been pushing away the fact I often felt awful, and it was affecting my quality of life. I'm two months out from surgery now and oh. em. gee! I feel freaking amazing! Like a new woman. What the heck was I thinking living like that for so long?

The hysterectomy has been the fresh start I needed to finally deal with my food issues. With PCOS, which I'll still deal with even without the uterus - go figure - carbs and sugar are pretty much my enemy. Eating the right foods is super important for me, not only for maintaining a healthy weight, but for my mood and skin too. Did you know PCOS affects 1 out of 10 women? It's often tied to reproductive health and weight issues, but it is really a whole body issue centered around your endocrine system - the hormones that regulate metabolism, tissue function, reproduction, sleep and mood, among other things

Hot Mess

As I embark on my #whatsyourwellness adventure, bear with me as I find MY wellness. It's a goal and one of my 39 adventures for my 39th year! Sometimes I'm a hot mess, peeps. I'm a foodie at heart. I love sweet, savory and rich foods. However, I'm working to change my lifestyle to a low carb, low sugar one and find a balance that is sustainable for me. I'm working to find what exercise works for me. I'll let you in on a secret - I hate to sweat. I despise it! But @glitterandlazers recently said (referring to workouts), "own your sweat, you've earned it." Hmmm... Good point. So looks like I'm going to have to change my thought process about that too. Darn it.

So how will this fresh start begin? It's already begun! Since 1/22/18 I've been working at eating less carbs and drinking more water and get this, not hating it. Up next, I'll be talking to a wellness coach at CCPR's Monon Center and figuring out where I want to start? I'm thinking adult swim for fitness, walking, biking and maybe some yoga, but we'll see.

Cheers to being in awe of my own life, loving yourself and seeking out the delightful in everyday! Even if it involves a little sweat. Carmel and CCPR, here we come.

Want to tag along for my journey? @Delightstruck_Jen on Insta and @DelightstruckJen on FB.

- Jen

#sp