2019 A Year in Review

Well, it is the middle of January and I am finally getting to this year in review post for you. I feel like my life has been super chaotic lately. But I have a lot of things to share with you about last year and what I am most looking forward to in the New Year. 

Since this is a Fitness, Health and Lifestyle blog I am going to go over a little bit of everything for you guys. The good, the bad and the ugly of last year. By any normal person’s standards, last year was a very stressful year. But I have persevered and look forward to 2020. 

So let’s get this started. 

Personal Stuff Year in Review

Ok, so I am about to share with you something that very few people know about. I have debated sharing something so personal with the entire world, but I have decided that by sharing, I might be able to help others who have been through the same situation. 

In fact, the chances are, you know someone who has been through the same heartbreak that I have. This affects nearly 1 in 5. 

I am talking about MISCARRAIGES.

Nearly 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage. And more than likely the doctor isn’t sure why. And that is exactly what happened to me. Twice.

Technically the first one happened in December of 2018, but it was close enough to the beginning of 2019 and it definitely had an impact on my life longer than just December. 

The second time happened this summer, while here in Germany. So not only was my whole world changed with a move across the country, new home, new job, new friends with no family around. I lost another part of me. 

Thank God for my husband

This took a toll on me both mentally and physically and is something I am still heartbroken from. It even has affected my health and fitness. Currently, I am the heaviest I have been since I was pregnant. I believe I even left the hospital lighter than I am right now. 

I am not looking for pity or “I am sorry”. I just want other women out there to know that you are not alone. And if you fall off your health and fitness goals you are not alone in that either. It is not the end of the world as long as you pick yourself back up and get back on track. 

Life happens. It isn’t always fair, but we have to move on and support those around us. And know that no two people’s grieving period is the same. Some suffer longer than others and that is OK. 

Again, thanks to my husband for all of his support. I have talked to him and to a therapist and my family. And I am finally at a point where I am ready to focus on me again. I am not trying to have another kid at this time. I am just focusing on me. Being happy and healthy. 

If you have gone through this or know someone who has and wants to talk please message me any questions! I know it isn’t always easy to talk about. Even with those you are closest to. 

Family Stuff Year in Review

So now that the hard stuff is out of the way so let’s talk about some more fun stuff! As many of you know my husband is in the military and we moved to Germany in April of this year. While it has been very stressful, it has also been an amazing experience and I am looking forward to more exploring this year. 

We didn’t travel very far this year and stayed in Germany, but we saw some amazing places. We got to see a castle, and the mountains, the Berlin Wall, and so many different festivals. The food and drinks are an amazing thing to experience and probably didn’t help in my weight gain! J

And the wine! Don’t even get me started on the wine! 

But I digress, my son has grown and learned so much being here. I feel like being exposed to other cultures will definitely help him grow as well as all the fun experiences he has been able to do. He will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall and I am excited to see him continue to grow. 

My husband joined Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and finished his Bachelor’s degree and this year is starting his Master’s. We will have both adults in our household working on their Master’s and little man sees us doing homework all the time. 

I love that Shamar gets to see it. To see how much hard work is put in to give him the life that he has. And he loves to read so we are growing his education at the same time. 

Health and Fitness Year in Review

As I previously talked about my miscarriages and how that affected me, it obviously affected my health and fitness. My weight gain is just one side effect. While I was still active and going to the gym, it wasn’t with the same consistency that I had been going. 

I turned to comfort food and not the healthiest of choices. But it isn’t the end of the world. I will overcome it. And I have already done so much better since the new year.

The other major health issue that plagued me this year was an increase in my migraines. When we first moved to Germany I had them almost every other day. It was horrible. Since then they kind of evened out and I was down to one or two a month. And since taking birth control again, I had one every month like clockwork right before I was supposed to start my period. 

I have also started a new workout schedule that seems to be working best with my family. Including Shamar’s daycare schedule. I will be working out bright and early at 530 am Monday through Friday for the foreseeable future. 

No longer able to go to a CrossFit box, but since I am a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, I make my own workouts. Plus some other ones I see on Crossfit.com and other accounts I follow on social media. I have access to most equipment and my equipment at home if need be. 

And I launched our new Fitness programs now for sale on the blog. They come complete with access to a free app, video demos, in app messaging, and great workouts.

Goals for 2020

I have a few goals for 2020 but mostly I just want to be happy and healthy. 

Goal #1: Stay consistent. And that’s in diet and fitness and school. It's in everything that I want to achieve. Cheat meals, bad days and vacations happen, it is all about bouncing back. 

Goal #2: Get my ACSM PT certification. I already am a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, but I want to expand my knowledge. Part of that is even my Master’s in Nutrition. I am consistently trying to learn and expand my knowledge. 

Goal #3: Travel more. I am in Europe and I want to explore and travel because I don’t know how long I will be here. With the military things change all the time. I want to experience things while I still can.

Goal #4: Save more. Finances are going to play a big role in my year. My husband and I have already made some important steps to achieving our financial goals. When we go back to the states we want to purchase a home for the first time. That means cleaning up credit and paying stuff off. 

For now, I am keeping my goals simple and working on what I can when I can. Day by day and month by month. 

I hope you all had a great 2019 and will have an amazing 2020!!