One of the things I focus on with my coaching clients is embracing the health and fitness journey as just that – a journey – and to recognize that you’re never “done”. As opposed to going on diet after diet, with a meal plan and an end date, we work toward total transformation of the mind, body, and lifestyle. That is not something that will ever have an end date while you are living on this earth.
My journey to and through the “cave” (the Paleo diet) has been a long and winding road and it is not over. I am constantly considering how I can up-level my mindset, personal and spiritual growth, and physical wellness. I don’t believe I will ever achieve 100% “perfect” wellness in all areas – that truly does not exist. But, I will always strive for that next level of optimal living.
Here’s my whole story… from where this journey began, to today (May 2019). I look forward to sharing more as the story continues to unfold.
BREAK-UPS MAKE BODYBUILDERS
It all started back in 2011 when a difficult break-up sent me on a journey of self discovery that led me to a new me – mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and yes, physically too!
At the age of 28 I found myself sick, sad, and stressed out. In addition to (or as a result of) a highly stressful sales job in the midst of the recession, coupled with a toxic relationship, I’d developed a slew of chronic health conditions that had me relying on pharmaceuticals my doctors would have me believe I would need to take for the rest of my life – along with telling me there was no need to change my diet or lifestyle.
Following the split, after months of overworking and late-night partying, coming home to an empty house, crashing, waking up the next morning and doing it all over again, I decided it was time for a change. I decided to rediscover who I was and what brought me joy in life. As many how-to-get-over-heartbreak books suggested, I tried “dating myself”. I put self-care practices into place – taking luxurious salt baths, reading for pleasure, watching funny movies with hopeful plots, taking dance and yoga classes, journaling, and spending time in prayer and reflection. And guess what? As I nurtured my mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness, my physical wellness followed suit.
(Note: as the title of this section implies, I did eventually enter the world of bodybuilding, but that is a whole other story for a whole other post. I’ll share that journey on another blog post… stay tuned. It’s a juicy one!)
BYE-BYE CHEESE, BREAD, AND EVERYTHING SACRED
First, I decided to try giving up dairy for Lent (more out of a spiritual sacrifice than any particular health or weight-loss goal) and through reading labels, quickly began to discern that dairy was in EVERYTHING! “Everything” of course meaning bread – I was deeply disturbed by this revelation, by the way, as I had come to depend on my nightly habit of sopping up herb-infused olive oil in freshly baked foccacia. My dismay subsided, however, with the cessation of symptoms I’d experienced for years – migraines, heartburn/acid indigestion, depression and anxiety, gas and bloating, frequent colds and sinus infections.
Seemingly effortlessly, extra weight dropped off, digestive distress reduced, headaches ceased, my skin cleared up, and my mood improved. The compliments began pouring in: “Are you dating someone? You’re glowing!”, “Have you been on a diet? You look great!”, “What have you been doing?”… and so on. Man! Did it feel good.
“CLEAN-EATING” AND LOSING THE BOOTY
Following Lent, I allowed dairy back in, but became more health-conscious. I substituted chips for crudités and dairy-based dips for hummus. And to be perfectly honest, I simply ate less because, let’s face it, I was now paying all the bills myself, so something had to give!
After losing 30+ lbs (about 1/4 of my entire body weight as a petite 4′ 11 3/4″ chica), I’d become skinny for the first time in my life. Now, keeping it real, I’d been a dancer in high school and college, so I was never considered overweight, but I had NEVER been “skinny”! And truth be told, at under 100 lbs, I was TOO skinny. I loved it for a while, but family and close friends started making comments, and although I didn’t feel it at the time, looking back I can see exactly why they were concerned. (I lost my BOOTY, ya’ll – not cool!!)
WHAT? NO HUMMUS??
Next, I discovered a little thing called Paleo, a way of eating affectionately referred to as “the caveman diet” – meat, eggs, veggies, nuts, seeds, and some fruit. No grains, dairy, or (gasp!) legumes. At that point, I was practically vegan. I ate large salads with no meat, dairy was out, and I LIVED on HUMMUS!! Despite my affinity for this heavenly goodness from the Mediterranean Gods, I decided to give Paleo a try (it was the perfect time as Lent rolled around yet again).
Enter protein, avocado and coconut EVERYTHING. By the end of the 40 days, I was a bonified cave girl for life. I had found my thang!
Around this same time, I’d also taken up a new hobby to help me get back in touch with my feminine sexuality – pole dance fitness classes! The athleticism of the art form, combined with the extra protein in my diet, quickly revealed muscle mass I’d ever noticed before. My body composition transformed – I’d gone from flab, to stick, to curvy in all the right places – and I loved it!
But the physique was really just icing on the (flourless) cake. The true win was in how I felt. It wasn’t until I got well that I took stock of how ill I’d been most of my life. I wish I could describe accurately in words the way it felt to live every day in optimal health – NO bloating and stomach discomfort, NO headaches, NO heartburn, NO energy slumps after eating, NO brain fog. I was vibrant, happy, fit, and full of life! I honestly did not know it was possible to live like that. I’d gotten so used to being unwell that I thought it was normal.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT
Pain, discomfort, depression, anxiety, illness, lack of energy is NOT NORMAL, it is NOT OKAY, and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT. Period.
Along my personal health and wellness journey, friends began to come to me with questions about healthy eating, paleo recipes, fitness tips and motivation, or just general advice about all sorts of life things.
“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”
After years of learning and experimenting with various healing diet protocols for myself, I decided that the occasional social media post and answered question was not enough. God put it on my heart to share my experience and the knowledge I’ve gained, for the benefit of others on a larger scale.
The Catholic Cavegirl (my original blog) was created as a place where I could share my journey in the hopes that others may benefit from what I’d learned along the way to living a holistically healthy life – spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.
Over the years, that blog made way for me to begin working with people (mostly women) who’d struggled their whole lives with body image issues, not loving themselves, yo-yo dieting, and just wanting to have a healthy body and to feel good about themselves.
Ultimately, those conversations and relationships led me to enroll in the Primal Health Coach Institute, where I was certified as a Primal Health Coach because I believe so deeply in the Primal/Paleo way of life as a way out of endless calorie counting and obsession with food. I now have the privilege of helping other women who have faced similar struggles to free themselves from the diet trap and live life as their best selves, in their best bodies!
It is my hope that if you’ve landed here with questions, you will get some answers within these pages to assist you on your own journey. At the very least, I want this to be a “safe place” to come when you find yourself in need of a little encouragement to stay the course.
And if you need that extra push, hug, encouragement, and support from a coach to help you along your own journey, I would be honored to work with you.
“Iron sharpens iron.”
Make yourself at home here on the blog. Comment, share your story, make friends, join the tribe and let’s build a community of like-minded wellness enthusiasts!
Together, let’s live our BEST lives as our BEST selves – mind, body, and spirit!
Feel free to reach out to me via the contact form. I am always happy to answer your questions.
~ Natalie