I haven’t had much time to myself in—oh, I don’t know, let’s say the past 13 years. Not that I’m complaining.

During this time I:

• started a practice
• ran a practice
• gave birth twice
• began working as a natural health writer
• sold a practice
• ran play groups
• homeschooled for a year
• breastfed for 6 years
• started 2 blogs (I love to start things…)
• worked in early childhood
• and too many other things to mention here.

But what I DIDN’T do—until a year ago—was exercise, at least not how I define exercise now.

I used to be somewhat active; you know, walking a few miles a day, going for bike rides around town, playing frisbee in the park, and taking the occasional hike. But I was never really what you’d call an EXERCISER.

Now, I don’t like to think that I have to get to some kind of breaking point or other major crisis to kick myself into gear, but that’s just what it took to get things moving over here.

No matter how many times I told myself, “I can’t take care of my kids if I don’t take care of myself,” blah, blah, blah, I still couldn’t seem to find the time to make a change.

Not to mention that I really didn’t know where to begin. Seriously, with all the knowledge I’d stockpiled over the years, I still couldn’t wrap my head around what I needed to do.

This month marks the 1 year anniversary of my discovering the “secrets” that have had the most profound effect on me and my well-being.

In the past year, I’ve:

• lost approximately 25 lbs of fat (I’m not big into scales)
• gained some muscle (I have no idea how much, because no one’s measured it, but I can tell you that I look more muscular)
• had a drastic improvement in my overall health: I have much more energy, and my “chronic” health issues have all but completely cleared up, including my horrible acid reflux and bizarro Lyme-related symptoms
• ran my first 5K obstacle course
• made some amazing new friends
• found a wellspring of confidence inside me I never knew existed
• showed my daughters that there’s nothing they can’t do, at any age
• felt truer to myself than I have in ages.

I’m not trying to sound like an infomercial, here, but it’s just too darn hard not to share good news when you have it. And I’m well aware that people have to be ready to change before it’ll happen.

That said, I want to share this:

If I can do it—working crazy hours, raising two little kids, dealing with a very real Doritos addiction, with little energy to spare and a history of serious aversion to hard physical labor—anyone can!

I don’t have the luxury of spending 20 hours at the gym each week (I used to think that was a real obstacle to getting in shape), nor do I have much discretionary money to spend on gym memberships or expensive food.

Still, it is do-able. There are creative ways to save on real, good food (less packaging=lower grocery bills), and a little budgeting can go a long way to making those Box payments (foregoing new winter boots, again, and reallocating doctor co-pays toward monthly dues are a start).

If you have even a little smidge of an inclination to make the move to change your life and health for the better, start right now by reading up on the Paleo diet. (My fav new cookbook is Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great). It might not be for you, but it’s a place to start.

And visit a CrossFit box, even if just for an intro class (not just one—try it for a month to get a true idea of what it’s like).

Are you ready? Rah! Rah! You can do it!

And if now isn’t the time, it’ll be there for you when you’re ready. Put that in your hat for a rainy day. (Is that even an expression?)