Melissa Parish
December 2019
What did life look like before you focused consistently on nutrition and fitness?
On good days I felt like I was treading water with juggling a full-time job, my husband’s crazy work hours, three young children, and a household of the usual never-ending laundry, cleaning, and household chores. I wasn’t doing anything consistently for myself and what I was doing wasn’t helping me be healthier or happier. I had, and still have, so many things to be thankful for but I was exhausted and frustrated so often that I felt like I wasn’t finding time or energy to really appreciate my amazing husband, kids, friends, or life.On good days I felt like I was treading water with juggling a full-time job, my husband’s crazy work hours, three young children, and a household of the usual never-ending laundry, cleaning, and household chores. I wasn’t doing anything consistently for myself and what I was doing wasn’t helping me be healthier or happier. I had, and still have, so many things to be thankful for but I was exhausted and frustrated so often that I felt like I wasn’t finding time or energy to really appreciate my amazing husband, kids, friends, or life.
What made you decide to make a change?
I was sick of feeling unhealthy and not doing anything about it. I told myself that if I wanted to live the life I wanted, and be the person I wanted to be, that I simply had to make the decision to live that life and be that person each day. Nothing magical was going to happen to get me to make changes, it just needed to be a daily decision followed with consistent action. So I wrote down a list of goals, started meal planning, made a conscious effort to fill my mental space with positivity and encouragement, and decided that exercising each day was going to be a high priority. I started by walking every day and corralling my kids in the basement with me every evening. I would get on the elliptical for a minimum of 20 minutes while they did their own “exercises” of building obstacle courses and making a general mess. I worked my way up from there and by the time I heard my friends Jen and Leah talking about The Warehouse I was ready for a more challenging routine. I was really nervous coming to that first class but am so thankful I did it
How did focusing on health and fitness help you during a difficult time?
I never thought I’d be an early morning workout person but I’m hooked! Starting the day focusing on myself and my health positively impacts my attitude and motivation throughout the day. I feel more productive at work and at home because I’m a better version of myself. I’ve had some advancement opportunities at work that I believe came from my gained confidence and efficiency. I’ve been more involved in activities with my kids and made a point to spend more time with friends, both things that bring me joy and encouragement. Weight loss wise I’m down about 85 pounds which is really great. I’ve accomplished a lot of the goals I wrote down months ago and am excited to keep checking things off my list!