The Surprise of Abundance

“Mom, wow, you have back muscles.”

We were busy transferring gravel by wheelbarrows from our driveway to a big pit in the backyard. I stopped my shovel in mid-motion, turned, and smiled at my 23-year old daughter Bridget. 

Her words were a delicate gift, a butterfly kiss, a gentle breeze to my soul. As I heard them, I wanted to stop working and just start crying. The good sort of cry. 

See, for decades, I wanted to be fit, but I wasn’t sure how to get there. Yes, I could easily lose 10 pounds, but that was always fast and fleeting. Those ten pounds always found their way back, ya know? 

I wanted–needed–something different. 

That same day, a couple of hours later, I sat down with my beautiful lunch and just stared at it for a minute. The bowl was full of greens, colorful vegetables, perfectly cooked chicken, slivered almonds, quinoa, and an almond-coconut satay dressing that was so delicious I may have praised all that is holy.

Credit for this photo on I Heart Umami site. (I forgot to take a picture of mine; I think I was too busy eating.)

I smiled, thinking, Who knew this sort of life existed?

Because for years, if you had asked me what healthy eating looked like, I probably would have scrunched up my face, thinking of bland chicken breasts and steamed broccoli. I picked my way through meals that were “good for me” while secretly wanting anything other than what was on my plate. Health felt like a mirage, where I endured a protocol for several weeks or a month in order to lose weight or fit into that one outfit.

Then, exactly like a mirage, it disappeared, leaving me feeling empty. Sad. Resigned. 

I never imagined the journey of health and wellness could feel abundant.

I never imagined food could taste this fabulous and leave me energized. I never imagined that I’d find a workout that I could do at home that actually sculpted my aging body! I certainly never imagined my daughter would notice my new muscles. 

But here’s the deal; the muscles themselves aren’t the point. They’re evidence.

Evidence that over time, small choices matter. Evidence that nourishment matters. Evidence that strength consistently grows, like a plant that you’re watering, while you’re busy living your life.

I think one of the biggest transformations I’ve experienced has not been in my body but in my thinking. Somewhere along the way, I stopped believing that caring for myself required sacrifice in the bleak sense of the word. Instead, I discovered something richer: taking care of myself actually opens the door to more.

More what? 

Well, more of all of the good things of life—specifically, the things you cannot buy. Energy. Strength. Joy. The ability to show up for the people I love. 

And perhaps the greatest surprise is how ordinary the transformation feels now. I am not obsessing over food all day long. I am not starting over every Monday. I am not bargaining with myself in the pantry at 9 p.m. wondering why I cannot “just have more willpower.” Instead, I eat protein-rich meals that satisfy me deeply, move my body consistently, and then go live my life. There is so much freedom in that. 

Friend, we were MADE for freedom. 

I told my daughter-in-law that I never want to go back to how I used to feel. And I want to shout to the rooftops that you CAN change habits; you can learn to LOVE foods that love you back. 

Not loving you back like an abusive boyfriend sort of love, where it feels good at first but ends up making you feel like crap, but a stunning, rich, FULL love, one that makes you live your best life.

Okay, you are nodding. You understand what I am saying and you are starting to believe it might be possible. 

How to cross over to this new way of living? 

It’s actually super easy. Start with food. Start by looking honestly at what you’re eating and asking one simple question: Does this food love me back?

Then begin making small shifts toward true, deep nourishment. Tend toward meals that energize instead of deplete: organic meats, colorful vegetables, fresh fruits.

I promise you this: When you begin eating food that is whole and deeply nourishing—food so beautiful and satisfying it makes you pause midbite to praise God and all that is holy—your life will start to change in ways you never expected.

Transformation doesn’t begin (or really have anything to do) with willpower.

It begins with one delicious meal that changes what you believe is possible.

That has been the surprise for me.

Not deprivation.

Not obsession.

But abundance. WHAT A SURPRISE!!!

And if you’ve been wanting a simple place to begin—or begin again—I’d love to invite you into our 14-Day Belly Blast starting Monday, June 1. (We've had five day micro commitments, but this is a full two weeks, allowing a lot of ground to be covered!)

These two weeks will be full of delicious whole-food meals, recipes, shopping lists, encouragement, and practical steps designed to help you feel energized, strong, and well again.

Nothing crazy or outlandish.

Just real nourishment, real momentum, and a community of women learning how to care for themselves with wisdom and joy as we age!

Find out more here: The FASTer Way Belly Blast