Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Garza.
Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Welcome to my journey! It started roughly over a year and half ago. I realized that I was unbalanced… mentally, physically, and emotionally. Mentally, I would experience brain fog and just could not think clearly. I would start to do a task and then forget what I was going to do or say. Physically, I had no energy regardless of how much sleep I got and always found myself wanting to take a nap. Emotionally, I was just simply unhappy… for no reason at all. My mood swings were ridiculously out of control and I had no patience with my family… whom I felt I was hurting the most. I felt that I was falling into a black hole called depression. I knew I had to do something. I just didn’t know what.
I went to go see an endocrinologist hoping to find some answers. I was hoping that they would be able to diagnose me with something and be able to somehow “fix” me. She did a panel of bloodwork and all of my levels came back as “normal”. I was so frustrated because I knew deep down inside that I was not “normal”. There was something wrong. I was due for my annual checkup so I went to a new gynecologist and told him what was going on. My old gynecologist didn’t listen to me and made me feel like I was inadequate and that it was all in my head. She said that it’s life and I just need to learn how to manage it. I’m happy I found a new doctor who actually listens and genuinely wants to help. He also did a panel of bloodwork to compare to my previous bloodwork and found that I was a little anemic and that I was Vitamin D deficient. He sat me down and asked me what my daily routine was and asked me about my diet. He suggested that I change my eating habits and find some physical activity to help manage my anxiety level. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
I went home and talked to my husband and told him that I would need his help with the kids so that I could start working out. He happily agreed and was willing to help me in any way he could. He knew that I was in an unhappy place. I found a kickboxing studio a few miles from my house called CKO Kickboxing League City. I went in and took a few trial classes and met an amazing instructor named Marvin Rutley, the founder of iAmLIFT. Let me tell you… my health and fitness journey all started with him…
He planted this seed in my head that I can do anything that I put my mind to. He said, “If there’s a will… there’s a way. No excuses.” That seed that was planted has sprouted and is still growing. I now love and look forward to working out. I crave the rush of endorphins running through my veins. I found that it helps me tremendously in managing my anxiety levels and my energy levels have also skyrocketed. Six months down the road I discovered the keto lifestyle and started to dabble with it. I didn’t think that it was something that I could maintain because I was such a sugar and carb addict. What is keto? It’s essentially a high-fat diet. It switches you from burning glucose (which carbs provide) to burning ketones (which fat produces) for energy. It may be the current “fad” diet, but for me, it’s a lifestyle change. It’s helping me heal my body from within; such as balancing my hormones and is also making me feel great mentally and physically. There are no more carb or sugar crashes for me in the middle of the day, and I have a constant level of energy throughout the day now. I can just go on and on with all the health benefits with keto.
I created an Instagram account, @healthylifestylebyjenn, to document my journey and to share my lessons learned with others. I was really hesitant with this at first because if you know me, I am a very private person. By creating this account, I felt that I was being vulnerable and that people would judge me because I’m putting myself out there. My logic to creating this account was that I knew I am not alone with this struggle. If I was able to just motivate or inspire one person, then it will be all worth it. I started following some amazing influencers in the keto space to learn about this way of eating and to educate myself. I honestly didn’t think that I would have any followers on Instagram because I’m just a girl who is trying to become a healthier version of herself.
To my surprise, my following slowly started to grow. I found this amazing keto community who support and cheer each other on to succeed on their journey. I absolutely love them! We hold each other accountable and truly inspire and motivate each other… no matter where we are located in the world. It’s amazing how Instagram can instantly connect you with people around the world!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My health and fitness journey has definitely not been a smooth one. I’m pretty transparent about my journey on my Instagram account. You will see me succeed and you will see me fall. I have eaten unhealthy for most of my life, and now I am working on breaking that vicious cycle. Sometimes it’s difficult to break old habits. The most important thing is to not punish yourself and give up. We all mess up. We just need to learn to accept it and move on. There will be holidays and celebrations where you bond with people over delicious food. Enjoy the moment. Remember, it’s all about balance. Nobody is perfect and life happens.
My advice to women out there is to learn to love yourself. Always take that time to take care of yourself, because YOU ARE IMPORTANT and YOU ARE WORTH IT. I used to feel guilty about taking an hour away from the family to work out, but then I realized that by taking care of myself, I can better take care of them! Self-love doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go workout. It has so many meanings. Do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself like pampering yourself with a facial or a mani/pedi or just a quiet soak in the tub. We all need that “me” time.
Another piece of advice that I want women to know is to never compare your healthy journey to someone’s else journey. Everyone’s journey is different and unique to them and they are probably in a different stage of their journey than yours. Progress is progress, no matter how small or slow. You are a better version of yourself now than when you have started. The hardest part is just to start. Once you do that, the rest will be easier. I promise. YOU GOT THIS!!!
My last piece of advice, find someone or a group that you can connect with or are comfortable with on helping you with your journey. It’s a lot easier to do it with someone who understands and holds you accountable than doing it all by yourself. Trust me, I know. Being around positive people with the same goals or just goals to better themselves will help fuel your fire to succeed. Disconnect yourself from negative people who don’t cheer you on or criticize what you are doing. Don’t let them bring you down. They should be happy that you are trying to improve yourself. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to talk or need some tips. I’ll be more than happy to chat with you.
Please tell us about your work.
I am currently a full time working mom in the healthcare industry. My dream is to someday have a product or service that will help others. Perhaps by becoming a nutritionist, a health coach, or some type of mentor to help others become a better version of themselves mentally and physically. Before I dive into any of that, I feel that I need to work on myself first before I can help others. The sky is the limit… who knows where I will be in a few years.
However, if you are looking for someone to help you now, feel free to reach out to me. I can refer you to someone whom I trust that can help you. Even if you are not near me, there are online programs available wherever you are at.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I try to do intermittent fasting a couple of times of the week. What is that? It’s basically a period of when you are able to eat. I do the 16:8 method. You restrict eating to only eight hours of the day and fast for the remaining 16 hours. During your eating period, it’s important to fuel up on nutrient-dense foods. I use an app called Zero to help me track my fasting schedule.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthylifestylebyjenn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthylifestylebyjenn
Image Credit:
Jennifer Garza
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