I'm No Jillian...

I have a love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels. If you have ever done one of her workouts you probably know what I mean. Her workouts are awesome, but often so intense I find myself yelling at the TV screen. If you don't know who she is, she is probably best known for being one of the coaches on the hit TV show The Biggest Loser. She is both a fitness and nutrition guru.

I'm no Jillian, but I'm about to venture into some of her territory. While you have been accustomed to reading about the possibly mundane aspects of my life ranging from slightly comical to a bit serious and downright sappy, I'm now going to add in some nutrition and exercise topics as well.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a tad nervous about this because those topics can tend to be delicate topics. Depending on your crowd you don't ever want to come off sounding judgmental, critical, condescending, arrogant, etc.

I'm also worried about people judging my qualifications due to me being an amateur of sorts. Why would anyone want to read what I have to say? I'm not a nutritionist or a physical trainer. I haven't had any formal training in either field. I don't have six-pack abs or biceps to write home about.The longest race I've done is a 5K. I make my family mac'n cheese once a week. I don't like brussel sprouts....wait....does anyone like brussel sprouts...and is that even related? I digress.

So you many wonder, why would I write about health and wellness and why should you read it?

Why am I Writing About Health and Wellness?
First of all, staying fit and active has always been something important to me. I'm a different (and better) person when I exercise consistently and eat healthy. If you aren't currently exercising and eating relatively healthy I'm fairly confident I'm not the first person to encourage you to do so. My hope is that by writing about it, I may encourage someone to take that first step. I'm well aware that I won't be giving any advice to prep any of you for a marathon, or start a crazy diet that I know nothing about. I'm just here to encourage.

Also, as many of you know, I work for a health and wellness company (www.SZwraps.com), so I firmly believe I should "practice what I preach" as well. How can I explain to customers that our products are a great complement (not a replacement) for a healthy diet and exercise when I don't do it myself?

Why Should You Read What This Amateur Says?
I'm your Average Jane kind of person. I'm a 40 year-old wife and mom of two kids. I love food. I have a busy schedule. Life gets in the way of exercise. I love food. We don't have lots of money to spend on a gym membership. That lack of funds also directly relates to the amount of healthy food that gets thrown in the cart. I still love food. I love food. Yes, I just said that twice in a row....because I LOVE it.

Can any of you relate to that previous paragraph? I think many of you do, and it is for you that I will write these posts. It is for you that I will encourage YOU to get up and take that first step, to write that first goal. If you are looking for serious advice from a professional dietitian, nutritionist or physical trainer, you will NOT want to read this. If you are an Average Jane kind of mom like me that wants to get started putting one foot in front of the other, my periodic posts on this topic might interest you.

Well, this should be an interesting new venture in this blogging adventure of mine. I'm curious myself what I'll churn out. Remember...

Simply put...I'm no Jillian.