I often post about the amazing, life-changing transformations that my clients make. Today, I thought I’d let one of these wellness success stores speak for herself.
Here’s Nicole to share her story, so far…
I first met with Adrien at the beginning of March 2019. I was at a breaking point.
I was constantly over-stressed, eating poorly, not sleeping, and generally not making myself or my health a priority. I was terribly unhappy with how I looked and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it around. I felt like I’d tried everything, like, all of my “go-to” strategies (spin more and eat less), and nothing was working.
I’m 45, a working mom of an active 7-year-old boy, and I care for parents who live far away.
I couldn’t figure out how to start.
After first meeting with Adrien, I wanted to believe that I could make all the changes that she spoke about, although I was very skeptical.
It didn’t seem realistic to go to bed earlier since I felt like I never completed my work and needed to answer all of those evening emails before I went to sleep, usually around 11pm. She said eventually I would be in bed by 9/9:30pm-No way!
Then, it seemed insane to wake up an hour and a half earlier each morning for what she called “my time” and to “win my day” at 5am.
Then, she said my number one exercise strategy was to walk more steps per day, eventually getting to 10,000. To put this into context, the first day we met, our appointment was at 4pm…and I had only walked 2,500 steps by then.
But I was willing to try. After all, I was feeling desperate to feel better and this approach seemed less restrictive and more paced since she laid it out in a six-month to year-long program.
The little things add up
Adrien taught me habit change takes time, so approach it in small steps. I started getting out of bed 15 minutes earlier each week, and soon was waking up at 5am. I called it “my time,” even lighting a scented candle, and took my time getting into this routine.
Over the course of three months, I have developed a set of about five “go-to” activities I completed well before my husband and son were awake and out of bed. It got to a point where I could not imagine not having this time to myself every day. It became my own self-care.
I started walking to work instead of driving. I mapped out meetings each day and cushioned my day to leave ample time to walk to most meetings while carrying a change of clothes (in a cute backpack, of course!).
In order to get enough water each day, Adrien suggested I drink three glasses before I left the house so I’d have a “head start” on the strategy each day.
I started by drinking one glass of water before anything else in the morning.
Slowly . . . I was forming several “small” habits. In three months, this resulted in me feeling like I controlled my day, AND I LOST 20 POUNDS!
By then, I was tired by 9pm and would just go to bed. I felt confident doing that because I knew I would be fresh in the morning and would have some quiet time of my own to get that one email out, or draft that memo.
The one glass of water became three glasses before I left for work.
My morning time with my son was better because I was not trying to check my emails during this time; I had already completed those high-priority emails long before he awakened.
I also hate vegetables, but I found I was looking for ways to make them and eat them for breakfast. I’ve found those that I can stand and am so proud of myself.
Looking at the progress
I had many moments when I thought that breathing 20 times between events, as Adrien suggested for stress tolerance, was not going to help me lose weight. I felt like everything I was doing really wasn’t “doing anything.”
But then when I would tell someone about my new routine, and I was amazed at all the “little things” I added that I could confidently say were habits I’ll practice for the rest of my life:
- Wake up at 5am, completing five of the same things every day
- Have a meal plan for each week and adjust each day
- Drink three glasses of water before I leave the house
- Home / travels / workout planned and completed
- Make breakfast that includes vegetables
- Make lunch with vegetables
- Walk my son to school and then walk to work
- Walk between meetings as much as I can
- When I travel, I plan a long morning walk in advance
- Review menus of restaurants and have a plan before I go
- Go to sleep by 9:30pm (still working on this)
I feel like I still have a long way to go on this journey of wellness, but I feel like all of these changes I’ve made are changes for life.
I don’t feel like I’m on a diet and I don’t feel like I’m restricting myself in a way that I’m unhappy.
I wanted something that I could LIVE, not just DO for a period of time and I finally feel like I’ve found that.
I am always so touched by Nicole’s story, because like so many other women, it’s the realization that we all have so much power within ourselves. While many women come to me with the goal to lose weight, they quickly understand that (and I can’t say this enough!) what makes a difference is the small, sustainable habits that give us strength and make us feel good. Habits that we can create, practice, and build, day in and day out. So, even when you don’t think you can do it or it seems impossible at the start, I urge you to just start small!!
If you’re interested to learn more about these exact habits, and how and why they work, I encourage you to check out my Master Menopause NOW! program. In this 5-module, self-paced online course, short video lessons cover how stress, our schedules, and sleep complement how we move our bodies and the way we fuel ourselves. It helps you on your journey to developing habits that you can practice for the rest of your life, so you, too, can thrive — at any age.
