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NEW ADVENTURE


New Blog.

New Adventure.

I started the journey of becoming a health and wellness coach over a year ago. My reasons were simple. My husband was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, and I wanted to find a way to help him ease the burdens of not only his disease, but also the side effects of the medications he will now have to take for the rest of his life.

And let me assure you, the side effects of these medications are worse than the disease itself.

PH is no picnic, but the side effects ravage his body on a daily basis.

The good news from all of the bad news we've faced in the last couple of years is that his body weight directly correlates with the amount of medication he has to take. So the more weight he can lose, the less medication he has to take and the less severe the side effects are.

And that leads me back to health coaching. I wanted to find a way to help him effectively lose weight, but also help myself get in better shape and have more energy to deal with the daily stresses of life. Health coaching crossed my path, and it felt like a great choice for me.

I started with a few classes from Arizona State University on health and wellness. I took a nutrition course from the American Fitness Professionals Association. Then I enrolled in the Pack Education Health and Wellness Coaching Certification program and completed my training. Now I'm considering taking another step and enrolling in the National Academy of Sports Medicine Nutrition Coach Certification program. 

(AND AS OF THIS UPDATE I AM NOW A NATIONAL BOARD-CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACH).

My goal is to learn as much about nutrition and healthy eating as I can, and to put that information to good use helping others reach their health and wellness goals, as well.

One of the most important things I've learned in the last year of study is that a lot of what I have been told, have read about, or have seen in various forms of media (TV, magazines, blogs, Pinterest, etc.) is incorrect. 

Weight loss is about one thing - cold, hard math. The number of calories you put into you body versus the number of calories you burn off. 

That's it. It's not about pills, potions, number of reps, specific food combinations, etc. It's about the harsh reality of calories consumed compared to calories burned.

You can create any number of combinations to tip the balance of calories in vs. calories out - what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how quickly you eat, how slowly you eat, what exercises you're doing, when you exercise, exercise intensity, number of reps, etc. - but ultimately, it still comes down to the cold, hard math of calories in vs. calories out.

But that's also the GOOD news. You can create any combination of calories in (foods or drinks you consume) and calories out (exercises you do and movement throughout your day) to find the perfect balance that helps you lose the weight you want and maintain a healthy weight once you've reached it.

My hope is that this blog will be able explore the topic of health and wellness in a way that makes sense, and keeps the information relatable and real.

Until next time....

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