It's not luck......

Let me preface before you read this.  Sometimes I go on a rant.  This may be one of those times.  I hope you don't mind and hopefully you even get something out of it and get to know more about me and my relationship with food and exercise.

I'm a pretty laid back person.  I know that most of you don't personally know me, but I hope that you can see a bit of my personality come through my Facebook page and this blog.  I'm pretty easy going, but super serious about the important things like work, my husband, my in-laws, my Mom and brother, my friends and keeping my kids alive, happy and well (that in itself is a very serious job when you are the mom of 2 little boys by the way). In most everything else I just try and have fun, hang out and chill, and make really bad ass food and work out like a champ ;)   But a few days ago someone said something to me that got me thinking, and even a little fired up.  She said that "I was very lucky to have such a fit body after having two kids."  Now, trust me, I do not think that in any way, shape or form that this person meant any ill will in that statement.  In fact, I think it was her way of complimenting me maybe.  So I just smiled and nodded and jumped in my uber-cool mini-van to head home.  Throughout the day, her words kept ringing in my ears and really got me thinking....and questioning.  Was I just lucky?  I mean, I've never really had a serious weight issue.  I certainly was thicker in college, and managed to maintain that thickness for the next 9 years or so, because I didn't work out as much as I should have, and I pretty much ate and drank whatever I wanted throughout my 20's.  Even then, at my highest weight I only reached 139 pounds on my 5 foot 3 inch frame, except when I was pregnant.  Even then, I gained an average amount of weight with both boys and lost it all quickly.  I started to really question my mission.  Am I really just lucky to have stumbled upon this healthy lifestyle and a 20 lb. weight loss??  I mean, to some people that is nothing.  Some people lose 100 pounds or more!!  I started to question if I could really inspire people to live a fit and healthier life since I never had the "ultimate struggle" with my weight and never dealt with those demons.  Would people listen to what I had to say??  Right at that moment, I looked at my forearms that were quite bruised from the previous days up/down planks. I felt my aching pulled hamstring muscle that has not had a chance to heal in over a month because I don't want to take a break from teaching my fitness classes.  At that point I quickly snapped back to reality...........Are you kidding me?  This is not a result of luck!  In no way will I chalk up my hard work, willpower, dedication, POOLS OF SWEAT and nausea from doing way to many burpees to LUCK.  

                       10 YEARS AGO                           TODAY AT 38 & 2 KIDS LATER

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And here is what I also concluded:

Luck has nothing to do with me waking up every morning and fueling my body properly with the right foods so that I can give 100% to my workouts.  I have it down to a science.  I know exactly what amount of carbs and proteins I need depending on what workout I'll be doing that day.  But luck didn't do it....trial and error did it.  Trying different combinations of foods to come up with just the right balance so that I can work to my utmost potential.  Do you know what DIDN'T ever help me?  Fad diets.....they're stupid.  Don't do 'em.

Luck has nothing to do with me being able to lift my 42 pound, sleeping son into his top bunk when he falls asleep on the couch.  My strong shoulders and back allow me to do this without injuring myself.  I did not get my strong shoulders and back by luck, I got them from lifting heavy, working hard, being consistent and sweating so much that it's actually embarrassing at times.

Luck has nothing to do with me being able to hang tough with my two young children and run around the back yard with them playing soccer and frisbee and whatever else it is they think of.  My healthy heart and ability to keep up with them comes from busting my tail at kick boxing class, running outside and on the treadmill, spinning classes and doing ridiculous amounts of cardio circuits and HIIT training............not luck!

Luck has nothing to do with my high energy level and just all around feeling of wellness.  I chalk that up to true clean eating the past 7 months, eliminating processed foods and diet soda from my diet, eliminating most alcohol, while maintaining a clean eating lifestyle.......veggies, fruits, nuts, lean proteins, good fats and the like.  By the way, I eat meat, although not nearly as much as I used to.  I enjoy chicken, turkey and fish....a lot.  But I don't judge my vegan and paleo friends.  At the end of the day, everyone needs to do what is right for them.  These are just my choices and what make me feel the healthiest and happiest.

Luck had nothing to do with me ACING my exam and practical which certified me to become a group fitness instructor.  Luck has nothing to do with bringing my A-game to EVERY group fitness class I teach.  That comes from my dedication to my class participants.  I want to give them the best workout experience every time because I owe it to them.  They put their trust in me.....I must deliver.  But it has nothing to do with luck, and everything to do with how I prepare for every one of my classes with care and thoughtfulness.  I truly care about each and every one of the people that makes the effort to walk into my classroom.  I will only give them my best.  But it's not luck that keeps them coming back....it's my dedication to them that keeps them coming back and the results they are getting from my classes.

Now, all of that said..........kind of makes me sound like a fitness fanatic.  Yeah, I guess I am.....and I'm proud of it.  This is who I am.  This is what makes me happy.  This, however, is not always looked at by some people as a good thing.  Not everyone understands the change in my lifestyle......not everyone understands why I drink almost a gallon of water everyday, why I eat 5 meals throughout the day for the sole purpose of keeping my metabolism running strong, and why I workout at least 6 times/week.  Not everyone understands why I've chosen this lifestyle and I even have some friends and family members that don't even talk to me about it. I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me.  I'm proud of the changes I've made and I do enjoy sharing my passion with others.  I feel better now than I did 10 years ago, I breathe better, I rest better, my skin is looking amazing and my hair has never been healthier.  I have muscle tone that I never thought was possible.  I truly feel as if I've found the fountain of youth.  I have to laugh because I think that some people think if they talk to me about my "lifestyle" I'll go all FREAKY on them and make them change THEIR lifestyle through mental telepathy or something.  Ha!!!  And by the way......it's NOT a diet.......it truly is a lifestyle change.  Insert a little funny here.........

I'm okay with it, however, because I'm sure it can be overwhelming to some people that may not understand why I've chosen this path.  It's taken me YEARS to get to this point, and I'm just now comfortable enough to go public with my changes for anyone that WANTS to hear about it.  I DO NOT however, judge anyone for living a different lifestyle than my own.  All I ask is that they not judge me in return.  My health is so terribly important to me, especially now that I'm a Mother and now that I've seen so many people close to me fall ill.  I want, need, WILL do everything in my power to live a fit and healthy lifestyle not only for myself but for the people that I love with all my heart.

 I've been working towards this lifestyle for a good 7 years, beginning when I started making my son's baby food.  I was feeding him the BEST foods possible, and yet I was not always feeding myself as well.  I just made little changes here and there with my diet and exercise and basically just re-molded myself from the inside out.  But it's really only been in the past YEAR that I started making serious changes.....changes that will change my life forever.  For many years I've worked out, but the more I read and researched and slowly started changing my diet, THAT is when my life changed dramatically.  I started feeling so good, so healthy and strong.  My workouts got insanely better simply due to the food I was eating and the crap I stopped eating.  When I began looking at food as yummy fuel, then I was running LONGER, lifting MORE and seeing some serious results.  It was CRAZY!  In my heart I felt I needed to reach people that were struggling with diet and exercise and help them if I could.  I did this all alone, 7 years of trial and error to find my "sweet spot."  I just knew I could help others by discussing what I had learned.  So I got my group fitness certification and decided to turn this "thing" that was working so well for me into a part time job, and then I started Fit and Healthy with Debbie Reichert shortly after that.  I signed up with Twitter and Pinterest to reach even more people.  Now I'm working towards my PT certification and couldn't be more excited.  This is my path and God's plan for me...period!  I WILL change the world one bicep curl at a time, and if I cannot, I plan on leaving a legacy with my children, and hope that they will continue in my path.

Now, all that said..........here is something else you will see and hear from me often.  I like hamburgers, cheesecake and wine.  I will, for the rest of my life eat and drink those things, along with any other "indulgence" that I want.  The difference between now and 7 years ago, is I've learned moderation.  I've learned that these are things I cannot have every day and still continue to feel healthy and strong.  Over indulging now makes me feel........ummmm....crappy.  My body rejects too much of anything processed, fried or just plain bad. So, if I do a small amount here and there or one cheat meal a week I'm usually pretty good to go and quite frankly I enjoy those indulgences soooo much more.  Side note.......I found a sweet recipe for home made strawberry shortcake let me tell ya!!  Dude, life's short.....eat the damn cake, just eat less of it and move more. 

So that's it.  That's what I'm about in a nutshell.  I can tell you wholeheartedly that LUCK didn't bring me here.  Hardwork, dedication, willpower, strength, courage, and a lot of sweat and bruises got me here.  I'm not going anywhere and I'm thankful to have you all following my blog and facebook because I truly believe there is strength in numbers.  I would like to reach out, motivate and inspire as many people as I possibly can.  Thanks for hanging with me.  Now let's all grab our water and make a toast to my 38th birthday!!!  

In Good Health,
Debbie