Hi guys and welcome to SET Lifestyle! Thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about the blog and the voice behind it.
My name is Emily and in short, I am a mother of 2, a lover of whole food, a photographer, an Onnit Certified Unconventional Trainer and a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant through American Fitness Professionals and Associates. My husband and I have a weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey and we became motivated to share our story in hopes of helping others.
Where my journey began.
Growing up, I was always thin. I could essentially eat whatever I wanted without consequence. Many people (including myself) thought that it was a good thing, some called it “lucky” but in the long run, it proved to be the opposite. Since I never saw any consequence within my eating habits at a young age, naturally those same habits were carried with me as I grew. After going to college for a few years, I met my husband and we moved to California together. Blissfully in love, we got married, started a small business and though our lives were changing, our unhealthy eating habits did not. As a few years passed, our bodies began to show the consequences of this “Typical American Diet”, including fast foods, snacks, candy, sugary drinks.
Game Changer
You know those moments in life where everything changes? The day we found out that we were pregnant with our first daughter was that moment for us. This section is titled game changer, but it’s not exactly as it seems. Through my first pregnancy I put on over 50 pounds is just 9 months. I did this rather quickly and easily but doing things like eating ice cream for breakfast, eating minimal veggies, becoming very sedentary physically and the worst part is that I believed that this was what I was supposed to be doing. My close friends and family would tell me things like, “You’re pregnant! You’re supposed to gain weight.” and “Have a little more, you’re growing another person!” I’m not saying these wonderful people meant me any harm, we were just following common misconceptions about what women are and aren’t supposed to do during this beautiful time in our lives. Little did we all know, I was potentially putting myself and my unborn baby in harms way by consuming so much sugar, chemicals and processed junk. Thankfully, our beautiful daughter was born healthy to an overjoyed and unhealthy mom and dad. Life changed again at that moment, I realized that it was not just about me anymore and I wanted better life for myself so I could be better for my daughter.
The Tipping Point
Three short months into my daughter’s life, we found out I was pregnant again and this is where our story really changes. When that pregnancy test showed 2 pink lines, a tipping point occurred. I had known I needed to get rid of the 40 pounds that I had gained within the past year but now knowing that another tiny human would be growing wildly in my newly vacated womb, I was immediately motivated to change and that’s exactly what I did. Through the help of a personal trainer, my wonderful husband and pure determination, my second pregnancy was completely different. Over the next 7 months, I worked out, rediscovered my love for cooking, cooked healthier than I ever had before and only gained 5 pounds. Many people were concerned with the fact that I was working out as hard as I was and not gaining weight but my doctor monitored me closely. Our second beautiful little girl was born healthy as can be to an overjoyed, happy and, this time, healthy mom and dad.
The Journey Continues
Since then, we have continued on our journey and have created a healthy lifestyle for our family. My husband has lost just shy of 100 pounds to date and is a Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Coach through the National Association of Sports Medicine. He is also an Onnit Certified Unconventional Trainer and works everyday to help shape the lives of the people he works with.
I am back down to my pre-baby weight and have taken my love of food and nutrition to the next level. My passions lie in food- the planning, cooking, photographing, eating and sharing of it. I have continued my education by becoming Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant through American Fitness Professionals and Associates and also and Onnit Certified Unconventional Trainer. I strive to learn more and read everyday.
This blog is my little space in the interweb to share the things we do or have done in our lives that have helped us along the way. As a team, we have made lasting changes in the way we live and seem to be answering a lot of questions from friends and families who want to know more about what we have done to get here. After answering those questions many times over I decided to put it all in one place and offer ideas, recipes, training techniques, lifestyle adjustments and much more to help you as well.