The Things That Have Made My Journey Great.

            You are probably wondering what are some of the things that are making my journey great? The things that have made my journey great are these things:

1.      Having a Coach that believes in you and that is your support system.

2.      Being a part of a group that helps supports you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

3.      My Religious Beliefs help me stay stronger.

4.      Having a Mom that supports me.

5.      Looking for a better future.

These are some of the things that have made my journey great. I am on a journey that is helping me become better for myself. I am not doing this for anyone else, except for those that I want to be in my future. Someday I want to be a wife/mother, but I can’t do those things if I am not healthy and if I can’t even take care of myself. I don’t want to feel embarrassed anymore about what I where or feel that I can’t go shopping in certain stores because I will know that they won’t have my size. I am looking to be free from this body that has held me back from the things that I have always wanted to do in my life. 

The Start of My Journey.

            The start of my journey began looking for the right exercise program that was going to help me start becoming more active and changing my lifestyle. I started doing research over the internet and came up with a lot of results. There was so much stuff from weight watchers to nutri-system. It was really overwhelming because I didn’t want a program that wasn’t going to be successful. Another factor that I was really concerned about was money. It seemed like to be healthy it had to cost money. Eating healthy costed a lot of money, going to the gym costed money, all of these things to help a person be healthy all had a price to pay. I started becoming really depressed because I didn’t know what I was going to do. I know that I needed to start something and it needed to be something that was going to help me. One day I was looking Facebook and saw one of my friends posts that she had posted about the exercise program that she was doing. I started looking more at her posts and started reading her transformation story. She had been losing weight and getting healthier through the weight loss program the 21 day fix by Beach Body. This really made me interested in this program and what it had to offer.  At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the program because of how much it cost, but I had to realize that in order for myself to change I had to be willing to pay a price. I had to ask myself what price pay for my health.

            I chose to be healthy. In March I started the 21 day fix program with Autumn Calabrese and my life changed. My life changed for the better because of this program. I had to find out for myself that I could do hard things. This program has taught me that I am capable of being able to do things for myself. The one great benefit of this program is that you aren't alone. you are given the opportunity to be a part of a team of others who have the same goals that you do to change their lifestyle. Also you have a coach that is your biggest support. I don't know what I would do without my coach Shayla. She has been my advocate, mentor, motivation, and greatest support. I seriously don't know what I would have done without her help. She is part of the reason why that I am doing this program. I wouldn't have known about the program without her. This program has helped me become healthier for myself. I have been feeling better physically, but emotionally  The 21 day Fix program is a positive life changing program. I can honestly say it helps you in your journey. Autumn Calabrese is very inspirational trainer, she pushes you to do the hard things. Even though she isn't physically in person training you, you still can feel the push that she gives. Without these key factors in this program I know that I wouldn't be sticking with this program. This leads into what makes the journey great.

https://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/all-fitness-programs/21-day-fix-simple-fitness-eating.do?code=SEMB_21D_GOOGLE&utm_campa

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The new journey that I am on!

I haven't updated my blog for a while, but I felt that it’s time for me to tell about the journey that I am taking right now in my life. I just want to give a little background about the reason I started this journey. All of my life I have struggled with my weight and with my self-esteem. For a long time in high school I didn't do a lot to change things, until I finally got sick and tired of how I felt. I went to counseling because of my self-esteem and depression. I was suffering and I needed help. It was getting to the point to where I didn't want to even live in this life anymore. My counselor and I started talking about why I struggled with my weight. It was due to dealing with food with every emotion that I had ever felt. I was diagnosed as being a compulsive eater. I dealt with food, instead of handling it in a different way.  I went the doctor and started doing what I needed to do to lose weight. I graduated and when off to my first year of college and continued losing weight. This was a life changing milestone in my life because it helped me in being able to qualify for missionary service. In order for me to serve a mission for my church I had to be in a top physical condition. Because I had lost 75 pounds I was able to serve my mission. Throughout my mission I tried to maintain my weight, but due to stress and the lack of time of physical exercise and being fed all the time by members I gained weight. Gaining back the weight that I had lost was devastating to me. I became so depressed and just gave up on myself. When I came home off my mission I started meeting with my doctor again to see what I could do again to start losing weight. It was time for a change.

He and I started a plan. This was the start of the journey that I am on. My journey began in December 2015. Dr. Shamo and I decided made the plan that I would start being accountable for my health by checking in with him once a month to see how my progress was in losing weight and how I was doing in changing my lifestyle. This lifestyle was going to be for me, but also for the results of my future. Doctor Shamo just laid it all out there and told me if things didn’t change then I wouldn’t be here to have a future. It scared me to hear these things. No one wants to be told that they aren’t going to be around. I knew that this was a step that I needed to make for myself. I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, but I knew that it was going to be worth it. Physical activity has never been my greatest strength. In school P.E. was something that I dreaded every single day and I did all that I could to get out of it. Making it a more active part of my lifestyle was going to be a challenge for me. To tell the truth it was just plain hell. I didn’t want to have to change myself, but I knew that I needed to. So how does one start changing their lifestyle? Let me tell you how I started to change mine.

Below are some pictures of me throughout the years of me and my struggle with my weight.

Age 5

Age 9

Age 13

Age 16

Age 18

College

My Mission

Now  Age 22

Updating what is going on in my life.

I haven't been very diligent in keeping up my blog, but I feel now is the time to change it. I have been home off my mission almost five months now. Lately, I have been thinking how much simpler life would be if we had a guide telling us what to do all the time. Since I have been home, I have had to find a job, figure out the rest of my life, and keep on going each day. How does one keep going on each day? To answer that question is simple, it is the basic primary answers, 1. Read your scriptures, 2. Go to Church, 3. Say your prayers. Such basic answers that seem so simple, can be hard to do sometimes. I admit to say that I am a slacker on these things, I know that I can do better, it just goes to show that I am human and have my faults. My faults can be changed into becoming strengths by changing my ways and doing better. It is through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can become perfect through. I now know that, I was a witness to see how the atonement can change lives. I know that it changed mine. If we put our lives into the hands of the Savior, he can change us to become the people that he knows that we can be.

Life certainly hasn't  been easy, but I know that it has a lot in store for me for the future, I don't know what it will be, but it will turn out to be what it should be. I have dreams like anyone else, such as to be able to have a good job, be a wife and mother, and to live the fairy tale dream. My fairy tale hasn't happened yet, but I am assured that it will come when the time is right. Sometimes I feel that it will never happen, because why would someone like me get to experience these things? Heavenly Father has so many children here on this earth that deserve to have their fairy tale dream to come true.

Is so Blessed!

It has been over two months since I have posted my last post. To catch up on everything that has happened the past two months, I will start telling you now. Throughout the month of September, I seemed to be doing pretty well with being away from home. In reality though, it became one of the hardest things for me to ever experience. My heart was aching to be at home in Delta with my family and those great people that I love. I have always been such a momma’s girl that it was so hard for me to not tear up and call my mom every single day. Finally, I had to just say to myself, “Kasha, you have to buck it up, stay strong, and keep moving forward.” College has been such an eye opener for me. I never realized how much my parents did for me, until I came up to school. Meanwhile, the reality of having to grow up set in fast. I have had to learn how to budget money, cook more things on my own, but most of all learning to live with different people. Girls are the hardest for me to get along with. I have had my moments that I would rather live in the street any day, than having to be with my roommates. They aren’t bad girls, but let’s say that our personalities are way different. It sometimes can feel like a battle between the hormones of each different girl. My classes have been really great. I love my professors; they have made such a big difference in the way I learn. I mean at times I hate to do homework, but of course it has to be done. I love my job! The people that I work with are fantastic! I have the greatest co-workers that have made such a big difference in my life. They make my job enjoyable! I can say that I always look forward in going to work. It’s better than sitting at home on my butt doing nothing. Towards the last few weeks of September, I was having a really hard time feeling that I was wanted anywhere. I have always been a social person, but it seemed as soon as I got up here, I went into a hiding place. I have never had a harder time than trying to get out of my comfort zone and meet people. My ward is a very great ward, but I felt that I had to be on my guard at all times. I was afraid to let people know who I was. I had the fear that I was going to be judged because I was going to be able to be myself. That has all changed since then. I started talking to my mom about how I was feeling; she told me that I needed to go see my bishop. Mothers are always right about what we should be doing. Of course I listened to her and set up a time to go see Bishop Hawkins. Meanwhile, before I went to go see him, I was having an emotional breakdown. It seemed nothing that I first wanted was important anymore. I wanted to quit school, go home and be there, and just hide myself away from people. I had just barely received a calling to be a part of the Compassionate Service Committee in the Relief Society. I accepted the calling, even though I felt that I had nothing to offer this position. I kept having “Pity” Parties. I kept feeling sorry for myself, rather than focusing on how blessed I am. Talking to the bishop helped open my eyes to how blessed I am. Especially how blessed my family was for me to be up here getting an education. This last weekend was General Conference, it was amazing! President Monson made the announcement that young women are now able to serve missions at the age of 19. It really hit me that in a few short months that I will be turning 19. I have always had a desire to serve a mission, but since I have been at school and have made plans. I am very uncertain to know what choice to make. Though a mission isn’t a necessary thing for me to do, I have always wanted to serve one. I know a mission is an opportunity of a lifetime, but also getting an education is too. I know that right now that I am supposed to be getting an education, but there are going to be things that are going to try to take over my goals. I have time to decide on a mission, but for now I am going to focus on my blessings of now and live for today.

Destination Part One:

I can't believe that tomorrow is the big day of moving to Orem! It seems like it was months ago that I was just in high school and getting ready to graduate. As the time has gone by, The days have seemed shorter. I remember thinking when I was little how I couldn't wait to grow up, now that time is here. It reminds me of how fast flies by! The other day when I was at the store, I saw some kids that I used to babysit. It was hard believe how fast they have grown up. Seeing them so big made realize that in just a few years that I could be married and a mom. My nerves have been really on the edge that past week, but I think once I get up there to school things will be okay. I am so excited to start my new journey to find my destination. It is a comfort to know that I will have my best friends up there. I don't know where I would be without them!

All that I am I owe to my Mother

Today when I went baby sitting I was taught the true meaning of what it is like to be a mom. The reality of what mothers truly do for us cannot be described.My mother has been the anchor in my life. Having to leave for college has truly been a really hard challenge to go through. I don't know what I would ever do without her. She has taught me so much and has helped me become the person that I am becoming. I gained a greater understanding of why childre. have a special bond with their mothers.During the nine mkntths of pregnancy we develop a special bond that can never be broken. I have had the greatest opportunity to be.able to have very special women come into my life.These women are my mothers, they have helped me so much.Thank goodness for mothers!