It is the first day of Spring, and I cannot imagine a more beautiful day. Today, I am reminded of new beginnings, fresh starts, and emerging from the ground after a much-needed season of internal growth. When I think about my habits and my day-to-day life, I want to focus on longevity — taking the time for rest, but also nourishing my body through movement and nutrition to feel strong all year long. That is truly why I joined the CEC challenge. I feel like I have had some successes in this challenge, but also some areas of failure.
Why CEC? I like accountability. I like task lists. I enjoy writing blogs. I enjoyed meeting our members at SEPC earlier this month, and I like making connections in an industry I am new to. Putting myself out there takes me out of my comfort zone. I am an introverted person, and I do not see that as weakness. I do see that there are areas of improvement I can work on — I will very rarely be the loudest person in the room, but I will always contribute. That is how I feel about CEC. I do not post the most in Slack, I do not share my steps for the day with the group, and I rarely share my daily meals. I do, however, prefer one-on-one conversations, deep connections, and learning more about every person in our group and in our industry. Is it selfish to gather inspiration and not participate on the level that others are? I am struggling with that concept currently.
All I know is that I am trying. I may not do my best every day — but that is real life. One thing CEC is teaching me to do is to view everyday as a challenge to achieve my goals. If one day, you fall short or have a meal you feel was a “cheat”, I can fix it immediately. I have been caught in the cycle previously of falling off the horse and not getting back on it. This challenge has intrinsically held me accountable. That is why I chose to participate.
My next bloodwork appointment is the week before Viva Fresh. I can tell within myself that I will see some improvement in my inflammation numbers, and hopefully my cholesterol numbers. My primary doctor did take me off my birth control, as she learned that birth control can ignite Hereditary Hemochromatosis like a match — which then in turn affects my inflammatory marker, cholesterol, and overall heart and organ health. I am curious to see how everything has worked together.
CEC is more than just a challenge to me — it is a lifestyle, and it is about continuously educating myself to treat myself better than I did before. This has been an ongoing journey and challenge that I will not let end with the conclusion of our challenge.
Lindsey
