Being Healthy is Hard. Trying Again.

Over the past week, I’ve taken a new step in my fitness and wellness journey. I’ve started using the Lose It! app to count calories and track what I’m eating. It’s a simple tool, helping me refocus on a part of my health that I’ve been struggling with since having my second kiddo 3.5 years ago.

Here’s a snapshot of the app from the past week

I miss the part of myself that confidently said “I’m a runner”. I still run some, but being heavy hurts. Since completing our family, I’ve tried multiple things to lose weight. I know I’m an all or nothing kind of person, so I struggle with the busy life of littles to maintain the ‘all mentality’. I tried calorie counting, tried Weight Watchers again, trained for a marathon (then had hip surgery), started Orange Theory and had a decent success with some weight loss (with the help of Phentermine.. which spiked my resting heart rate in a way that worried me, so stopped immediately after that started), had sciatic pain, hip pain, cortisone injections… just a lot. I met with my doctor through all of this trying to find what would work for me.

For the past year, I tried Wegovy under the guidance of my doctor. It was a decision that came after many conversations and a lot of thought. I had hoped it would give me the push I needed, but after 12 months, I lost just 5 pounds. It wasn’t the outcome I had envisioned. I know Wegovy works wonders for some people, and there are plenty of opinions on it—some positive, some critical. For me, it didn’t work.. I was lucky to have insurance that helped cover it this year, but have stopped taking as it didn’t seem to help and I need a different approach.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom, it’s that life gets busy—fast. Between raising two young kids, running, blogging, working, and everything else, it’s easy to put myself on the back burner. For a while, I told myself that being active here and there—like running occasionally or lifting weights when I had time—was enough. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t in a routine. I wasn’t being consistent, and my progress reflected that.

Parenthood is an incredible journey, but it changes you in every way imaginable, including how your body responds to exercise and weight loss. What worked before kids doesn’t always work after. My second pregnancy was particularly hard to bounce back from, and the struggle left me feeling frustrated at times.

After coming off Wegovy, I want to take more ownership of my journey. I chose Lose It! Because I like the interface and the flexibility of some of their tracking programs (like accounting for more calories on the weekend). I am tracking all my calories to figure out where I’m at, not in a judgmental way, but in a practical, data-driven way.

The past week has been enlightening. It’s reminded me that I can still take control, even if the results aren’t immediate. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Need to repeat that for my future self reading this – it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.

Fitness-wise, I’m still finding my rhythm. Running has always been a part of my life, but I’ll admit I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like. Same with strength training—I know the benefits, but I’m still working to make it a regular habit.

The key for me right now is to stop striving for perfection and just show up. Some days, that might mean a short run or a quick set of weights in the living room while the kids play. Other days, it might mean logging my meals and calling it a win. Consistency doesn’t have to look the same every day right now.

I don’t have all the answers yet, but that’s okay. This isn’t about instant results—it’s about building something sustainable. I want to be stronger, healthier, and more confident in my own skin. I want to model good habits for my kids and show them that taking care of yourself is worth it, even when life gets busy.

I’m hopeful about what’s ahead. A week into calorie tracking, I already feel more in tune with my body and my choices. As I settle into a routine with running and lifting, I’m excited to see how these small changes add up over time.