A couple of years ago, I started with a Personal Trainer at GoodLife. My initial motivation was to reduce stress, establish a work/life balance and get my blood pressure down. Having never really been a workout person, it made for a tough go at first. But when matched with the right trainer, I learned how to eat and actually appreciate food and to have the trust to push myself (nothing like a good sweat!). It was hard work and required constant focus (and so much self talk). But in about two years, I became a label reading, sugar-slamming foodie, who you’d find more often on the elliptical machine than at a happy hour. I even ran the Blue Nose (ok, the 5K). I was strong, energetic and in control of my health, and was actually having fun with it (surprise!). During this process, the Pain was kind of a thing, but would come and go, so I was able to just work around it. I was in the Zone.

Near the end of my sessions with my amazing trainer, things took a bit of a turn – courtesy of an unusual Pain related issue. And while I knew something was different, I didn’t imagine that in just a short time I would move from an exciting, proud place to one of confusion and disruption.

The timing of these blogs is not a coincidence. I’m now trying to get off that rollercoaster and into a new kind of  Zone, and writing makes it real. But the biggest part of this process is learning to let go of what was and find a new path of what can be. The cardio is being replaced by cycling and walking and the foods that crept back in are being once again replaced by better choices. I am understanding how the Pain works and how to work with it. It may be a winding road, but I still have lots of energy to fight.

I never hesistated to reach out to professionals that I thought could provide me with solid advice, and that includes the team at EFAP. In particular, health-related support. To check it out,  sign-in to http://workhealthlife.com, go to MyServices. Or just give them a call at 1-800-387-4765. Or an online chat. Worked well that way too.

Take care,

Angela