Wellness Wednesday: Five Things I've Learned in Five Years of Marriage

It's another beautiful Wellness Wednesday, and I'm happy to share something very personal today. 

On this date, five years ago my husband and I united in holy matrimony. Like most couples, our relationship has had its share of highs and lows, ups and downs, mountains and valleys. Despite it all, I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world, and couldn't imagine myself with anyone else. 

So as part of my weekly link-up, I thought I'd share 5 Things I've Learned in 5 Years of Marriage: 

It takes two. Marriage is no walk in the park, and if it was there would be more folks together. As I stated before, not every day has been "peaches & cream," but we've endured more happy days than bad ones. 

It takes work. And by that I don't mean 50/50 or 60/40. It's more like 100/100. Both of us doing whatever it takes.

Never Stop Dating. I'm far from a relationship expert, but thing I've noticed in my own marriage and many of the successful ones around me is dating. Let's face it, many things will change in a relationship, but quality time should not be one. 

We don't get to do it as often as we like. We don't always have a sitter. We don't always have the extra money, but we always find the time. And even after all this time (been together for 11 years) I still get butterflies when he asks me out. 

Embrace the Change. As humans most of us are afraid or don't welcome change. Change is not always a negative thing. It's almost inevitable. I know I'm not the same person I was when I first got married five years. That doesn't mean my husband loves me more or less. 

Long before we were married, Musiq Soulchild came out with a song entitled " Don't Change." One of my favorite verses is, "I'll love you when your hair turns gray, girl I'll still want you if you gain a little weight, the way I feel for you will always be the same just as long as your love don't change." I didn't get it back then, but trust me it's true. 

Communicate Openly: You might think that was a no-brainer for any relastionship, but that's not always the case. Especially in today's media driven society. Throw in two careers, two preschoolers, in-laws, bills the whole nine yards. It's easy to get caught up in life, without open and clear communication. 

I'm glad to say, I talk to my husband several times throughout the day. Even if it's just a quick call to see how each other's day is going. One of us is always reaching out. Almost every night we spend a few moments chatting about day, our goals for the future, and of course our little ones. 

The "D" Word. We made a decision before we got married and after saying those vows that this would not be an option for us. I'm not judging anyone else, but it's what works for us, and haven made that decision I think it truly makes us stronger as a couple. 

 

So today it's five years down and eternity to go

Fab Five Friday!

Off work today so I'm getting in some much needed r&r. Sitting here (in between housework of course) enjoying the crisp, fall-like air and admiring my home (we purchased our first home last October), I cannot help but share how truly blessed I am.


 Keeping in mind my theme for starting my blog, here's a little something I'm calling Fab Five Friday!

Today is also #flashbackfriday in socialverse, so I'm taking a flashback at the fabulous five topics that I feature on my blog. As you can see from my logo above, my health, career, fitness, parenting and relationships are things that are near and dear to my heart. Now for something fabulous about each of these topics.

Health: I love preventative health, and enjoy being about to promote various health topics for a living. 

Career: Although, my dreams have been pushed to the back burner lately, I'm still thankful to work within my field and I look forward to someday returning to the health/ fitness industry full-time. 

Fitness: Running, weight training, yoga, and the elliptical are my go-to means for maintaining and improving my physical fitness. 

Parenting: I'm a mother of two under 4, and boy oh boy do I love my children. 

Relationship: Friends, family, co-workers, husband, etc relationships are a driving force in our lives as human beings. Similar to the aforementioned topics, I'm always looking for way to improve my role/ involvement in my interactions with other. 

So what are five fabulous reasons or topics that prompted you to start your blog? Do you blog about any of the topics that have such profound meaning to me? I'm still very new to blog world, but always looking forward to linking up with people with similar interests.

Happy Friday folks!

LaToya

(Wellness Wednesday) Count your Blessings...

When I first had the idea to start this blog, it was about a year or so ago. I was coming off depression, and was looking for an outlet. I opted not to because I couldn't think of a cool name. I knew I wanted to blog to about my strong desire to have it all. By having it all, I mean the perfect marriage, career, children, and body. Blogging over the past few months, I have truly grown. I've learned that while my marriage, children, career, and body are not perfect, I'm happy with my perfect imperfectly life. That doesn't mean that there are not bad days, but for the most part I am in a happy place. My husband and I have a great relationship. My children are adorable, funny, smart, and for the most part well-behaved. I'm not in my dream role, but I'm happy to be working in my chosen field. My body isn't where it used to be or where I feel it should be, but it is progressing. I say all of this, because I have seen a lot of social media posts about women being in the same postion. Truth be told, I know there are a ton of people who would love to be in my shoes. So before we begin bashing ourselves or each other, sometimes all it takes is doing some deep reflecting on what you have to truly make you appreciate everything.

My Aha Moment!

As a newly proud Sweat Pink Ambassador (SPA) today I'm sharing my aha moment! Coincidently it's also #testimonytuesday in the social medial world, so the timing couldn't be anymore perfect.

All of my life I've always been petite. On a good day (that usually means with heels) I'm 5'1, and have always held a small frame. I maintained a decent level of physical fitness through at-home workouts, biking, and keeping active with family and friends. Not really having a care in the world about my weight because I was a size 0-2, I pretty much ate what I wanted when I wanted it. Fast forwarding to college, I survived without gaining the freshman 15. Once again I was fairly active; as a Exercise Science I lived in the gym so working out was never an issue. Yet, still I ate as I pleased.

(September 2004 120's)

When my now husband then boyfriend and I started dating in October 2004, the pounds slowly packed on because we did a lot of "wining & dining". I think during our first year together I put on 10-15 lbs, and had moved up to a size 3/4. Still petite by most people's standards, it was also the first time I became conscious of my weight/ size. I made a commitment to drop the weight before my senior graduation, and I did. My girlfriends still tease me about us roaming the aisles of Old Navy in search of the perfect after party outfit, and here I was getting a size 0 pants.

Fast forward to April 2010 when I became a mother & wife. I gained 40 pounds during my first pregnancy. I was a newlywed, mother, and manager of a corporate fitness center. I don't recall my exact weight, but it was somewhere in the low 170's. As a fitness manager, I also taught 3-5 group fitness classes a week, and was a personal trainer so I expected my pregnancy weight to just drop it self. Little did I know, that it would take some work, and I probably would need to change my eating habits.

About eighteen months later (December 2011) we welcomed baby number two into the family. My husband and I had some tough choices to make, and that meant me becoming a stay-at-home mom to two children underage two. During my second pregnancy I gained around 25-30 pounds, and I hate to sound like a broke record, but I still ate whatever I wanted when I wanted. In my mind, I was still that little petite -size 0 wearing, gym going gal I was back in college, and there was no point in me taking nutrition seriously. The pregnancy weight was going to drop itself. Especially since I was nursing, I'd be back to "old" self in a few months!!

(January 2012 about 4 weeks post baby #2)

I remember my six week postpartum check-up and the medical assistant congratulating me on my weight loss. When she called out my number I nearly pooped my pants. I still don't remember the exact number, but it was 180-something. That there was my aha moment! That's is all I remember the entire time I spent waiting to be seen my by doctor. In less than two years, I had put on about 60-65 pounds. 

Here's another aha moment pic of me in my 180's after having my second child in eighteen months. Can't begin to explain the varying emotions I experienced going from a single, petite, size 0 wearing, gym going, personal trainer turned fitness instructor turned gym manger to a married, obese, size 14 wearing, couch sitting, stay-at-home mom! To sum it up: DEPRESSED!

I'm not where I want to be or where I used to be, but I'm continuously striving for progress not perfection! 

Today I'm a happily married wife and mother of two (ages 4 & 2). I returned to the fitness industry and work part-time as a personal trainer. I've developed a newfound love for running & blogging, and of course am very honored to be part of the Sweat Pink Fit Approach community. 

Now off to swap out some laces!!! 

30 by 30

I started this list on New Year's Eve, and never got around to finishing it. Since we're almost halfway through the year, I figured I'd map out my goals. Those highlighted in red have already been accomplished.

1. Drop at least 20 lbs.
2. Become a half-fanatic 
3. Vacation/ mini-getaway with my husband
4. Ride a train (does metro count)
5. Support a local team (went to wizards game)
6. Join a credit union
7. Become a Beachbody Coach
8. Add another nationally recognized health/fitness certification
9. Take hot yoga class
10. Never miss a student loan payment
11. Keep my credit card balance at 10%
12. Ice skating
13. Go skiing
14. Pay off my car (thanks mom)
15. Treat myself to a massage (oh how i miss my regular appointments)
16. Find a church "home"
17. Rosetta stone or somehow learn Korean
18. Buy an SUV (wishful thinking)
19. Get back into my pre-pregnancy size 4/6
20. Host a family dinner/party just because (no holidays)
21. Own a home
22. Renew my vows 
23. Girl's trip 
24. Attend a health/ fitness conference 
25. More extended family time 
26. Try sushi 
27. Go to a gun range (need to go back)
28. Bake a cake from scratch 
29. Go to a Cowboys game
30. Transition from a fitness to a health/ wellness position