My healthy success is a work in progress….being kind in my thoughts, my words, AND my actions!

I used to hate running! (mostly because it was hard…) I started running in college for fitness, plus who wouldn’t love jogging around Charleston, SC? And now I’ve just completed my first half marathon and I’m signed up for the Chicago Marathon this fall! I never thought I was capable of running so far!

I am finally able to a run a 5k! I’m doing my first race next weekend. I used to HATE running and never thought I’d ever be able to say this 🙂

Brussel Sprouts! I despised them as a kid, turns out they are actually really great roasted in the oven…who knew?

One of mine is doing a yoga challenge where I did hot yoga for 30 days straight! Difficult at first, but I found that I had so much more energy by the end and I was significantly happier 🙂

One of my healthy successes was making a New Years resolution in 2011 to eat less meat–I haven’t eaten meat since December 31, 2010! I’ve even convinced my beef loving husband to eat meatless most nights during the week!

I completed my first marathon last Saturday! It felt amazing (and painful) and still does!

One of my healthy successes has been to set a training plan/goal and actually stick to it for once! After battling with chronic hives for about 6 months and being unable to workout (= weight gain), I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and set a plan Dec 2011. I completed a 30 Day Shred challenge followed immediately by a Ripped in 30 challenge. The extra weight is now gone and I feel stronger than ever!

Turns out I love to cook! I had no idea until I started to try to lose weight and knew I needed to make dinner instead of always eating frozen. I’m now down 52 lbs and am a healthy weight for my height. I think my success boils down to teaching myself how to cook.

My Healthy Success is overcoming an eating disorder and looking at food and exercise in a positive way.

I’ve been struggling with an eating disorder for 8 years and have gone through many periods of treatment, recovering, relapse, therapy…. Rather than giving up, I’ve kept chugging along – graduating college and getting accepted to medical school – two things that seemed damn near impossible in residential treatment just 4 years ago.

I’ve found that setting and achieving small goals has been the key to my continued success in beating the disease. For example, today marks 5 months since I stopped counting and documenting calories, for the first time in 8 years.

One of my healthy successes is I try a new food a week. Some times it is a food I have tried before, as taste buds change. I have definitely opened up my range of foods I eat by doing this.

After many years of never really finding my groove with exercise, it finally clicked. I found aerobics videos I loved and I stuck with them. I lost ten pounds! I’ve been able to keep them off, and I’m at a weight that makes me feel healthy and good. I didn’t need to lose much, but I wasn’t comfortable in my skin with those extra pounds. Now I am branching out past aerobics and am building muscle with some other great at home programs. I look great, I feel great, and I have succeeded!

One of my healthy successes has been setting a good example for my husband by making eating well and exercising a priority for myself, which in turn caused him to want to eat healthier and exercise too… no nagging required! Now we both eat a vegetarian diet and train for marathons together 🙂

One of my healthy successes was to apply for a work-study position at my local yoga studio. Now I have access to free yoga, my practice has grown, and I’m getting stronger!

One of my healthy successes has been learning how to run-and actually enjoy it! I’m running a race today (in 3 hours actually!) that I ran last year and it was the first race I’ve ever run. 1 year, and a 5k, 8k, 10k, 10 miler, and half marathon later, I’m excited to run it again 🙂

Healthy success for me has been seeking BALANCE in healthy eating and exercise. For years I was either underdoing it (no exercise and lots of junk food) or overdoing it (exercising way too much leading to injury and only allowing myself foods I deemed healthy enough). I’m finding a balance and it feels good to treat my body and mind well!

Overcoming being diagnosed with anxiety by increasing my workout regimen – a HUGE recommendation to any that are battling anxiety!

One of my healthy choices has been putting myself out there within the running community and meeting new friends and running partners that help to keep me on track and keep me motivated as well as having a lot of fun too!!!

My healthy success story is recovering from my eating disorder. I had been “recovering” but allowing myself to still use symptoms for basically three years, and I decided on New Years Eve that it had to stop, and I have been symptom free since! This is the longest I’ve been healthy in 8 years, and it was scary, but I feel great. I am also now able to view exercise as fun instead of just a means of burning calories, and it has made all the difference.

My current success is strive for 5 to get 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day! It’s tough but most days I get it done!

That sign is so funny! At least they are being honest 🙂

A healthy goal of mine is to workout 30 minutes 6 days a week, even if it is a walk in our neighborhood.

It was discovering that I didn’t have to just accept a healthy condition and the side affects, I could start doing something about it!

one of my healthy successes was learning to LOVE avocado– yay healthy fats!

My healthy tipping point was realizing that I actually like running. But only outside and without an ipod.

I realized while reading a well regarded “diet” book that I had already adopted or surpassed a lot of the suggestions for healthy living (100% whole grains, healthy fats and oils etc.) I was thrilled to see just how far I have come over the past four years or so. It really is amazing how quickly small changes can add up!

One of my healthy successes was learning to love exercise. Well, I love exercising with my buddies. So, I know if I have company I will show up and they will too! It is great to catch up socially, push each other, and meet so many goals together.

one of my healthy successes was learning to do everything in moderation. it sounds simple, but it was a major breakthrough for me. healthy living is not an “all or nothing” game – we do what we can, where we are, with what we have. it’s made all the difference!

I’m going to agree with you on how to cook veggies. Roasted veggies are so good!

Learning all the different ways to make kale has been quite a healthy success for me! I used to only think it was good for kale chips, but I’ve found that I actually prefer it raw in a massaged kale salad (or in a smoothie, which was how I enjoyed it this morning). It’s become my favorite vegetable and I eat my greens way more often because of it.

Thanks for the giveaway!

My healthy success is taking care of myself for once and not just others.

One of my healthy successes is continuing to stay active while pregnant – it has made me feel 100% better overall 🙂

One of my healthy successes has been quitting smoking 4 years ago this July!! It was so hard and I thought I’d never do it but I did 🙂

Losing 70lbs on my own…with hard work and dedication 😉

one of my successes is when i went vegetarian 3 years ago. i started eating healthier overall!

One of my most healthy sucesses so far is picking whole grain or oats for breakfast instead of sugary cereals or pop tarts. The feeling of starting off my day on the right food instead of in a sugar coma/guility state of mind makes my whole day better!

I am proud to say that I am beating an eating disorder, maintaining a healthy weight and running my first 1/2 marathon on Sunday!!!!! I have never felt so good about myself…completely loving life right now 🙂

One of my major successes has been that I am beating bulimia, and really listening to what my body wants and needs when I’m exercising and eating. It’s definitely still a work in progress, but I’ve made huge strides in the past year, and I have really overcome my binge/purge tendencies to put more focus on what healthy eating really means.

Learning to love kale was a huge success for me!

I wasn’t able to walk across the street without pain for four years. Once I finally got the correct diagnosis and had surgery, I gradually built up strength in my legs and am now proud to call myself a runner.

OMG, I planted artichokes last year and nothing. but the plant is beautiful so i let it grow. Yippee. So far five artichokes. (one the ants got, whats up with that?) One I am going to let bloom. I hear it has an amazing purple flower and the rest I will eat with my family.

My healthy success was incorporating a combo of strength training + cardio instead of only always doing cardio thinking that was the only key to weight loss.

Here’s a rug success story: Capel Rug Outlet. When I lived in NC, my mother introduced me to this place. Great rugs & great prices. It is a little off the beaten track and a bit of a drive from Charlotte, but it might be worth a day trip.

My biggest (mental) health success in the last couple of years: Learning that I can’t control some situations, but I can control the way I react to them.

It’s important to remember though that health is a journey and not a destination. I find that successes and setbacks often go hand in hand. The important thing is that you are headed in the right direction.

My healthy success: figuring out that an apple a day really keeps the doctor away!

Learning to like execising

One of my success stories was the moment I finally reached under 200 lbs. It was the best feeling, and just in time for Valentines day that year. I could not have given myself a better Valentine’s Day gift.

Going for a 30 minute walk everyday!

One of my healthy successes was finally becoming a runner after all those years of not even being able to run a mile in gym class!

One of my healthy successes is figuring out how to consistently get a good night’s sleep as a college student!

I’m finally finding a healthy mindset towards food!

For 7 years I’ve been dealing with eating disorders (overeating to anorexia to bingeing and starving). Although I am not 100% recovered and still struggle some days the healthy success has been my ability to forgive myself, move forward and live my life in a way that I feel excited about! The best part of the journey has been (thanks to blogs like yours) that most days despite the number on a scale I look at myself and feel happy, beautiful and like I’m enough! For me, this has been my healthiest, greatest accomplishment in years! I still have a long way to go but for now I take this one success!

A healthy success of mine is moving a step closer to loving and accepting myself more. This was acknowledging some of my insecurities as a teenager that I still think about as an adult. I finally was ready to admit to myself I had these insecurities, accept myself for having them, and not feel bad about it.

Thanks for posting this topic, I enjoyed reading other people’s successes too. Cheers! ^^

I finally gave up soda! I was pretty proud of that!

I gave up diet soda and artificial sweeteners. They were a staple and definitely reinforced ED thoughts. They were also making me feel physically bloated and sick, so I cut em out.

Thanks for the awesome giveaway! One of my healthy successes has been learning to make exercise an everyday part of life, not a once-in-a-while chore!

Healthy sucess #1 signing up for a marathon. # 2 discovering almond flour.

I have undertaken to learn to tolerate foods that I previously disliked. I don’t eat red meat, I’m allergic to nuts, and I have a major aversion to mayonnaise, so already I’m kind of hard to feed and find myself asking waiters to “hold the _______” a lot of the time. It was a New Year’s Resolution at the beginning of 2011, and so far I have learned to tolerate (and in some cases even enjoy) olives, a few different cheeses, and (most impressively) several kinds of beans. The beans were key – I have opened myself up to all kinds of healthier dishes, and am now able to have protein in situations where previously I would have gone without it. (If anyone is curious, I read “The Man Who Ate Everything” by Jeffrey Steingarten, which was the only reason I ever thought I could do this. I highly recommend it for its insight as well as its hilarity!)

Unrelated: I have also learned how to run 5k+ since September!

My healthy success is learning how to make more of my recipes gluten free for a healthier gut for myself!

Quitting smoking and taking up running – best thing I ever did for myself!

My healthy success- I completed my first triathlon today! 😀

One of my healthy successes, which has helped me lose 33 pounds so far, is to enjoy long hikes on Saturdays!

My healthy success is that I quit drinking diet soda one month ago.

One of my healthiest successes has been tracking my calories. I started watching my calorie intake last August and within a few months, I lost 15 pounds. I had a harder time over the holidays but have recently gotten back into the groove. It really helps me make sure that I have a balanced diet throughout the day but also that I don’t beat myself up if I have a great night out and want to indulge a little bit.

One of my healthy successes has been committing to a regular yoga practice for the past three years. Thanks for the giveaway!

One of my successes was to run a half marathon less than 9 months after being serious ill with anemia. I never thought I could run a half, much less so soon after my health issues, but I did it. I can’t wait to do another someday.

Amy Lauren
proudpatriot2007(at)yahoo(dot)com

Healthy success … PRing by over 20 minutes in my last half marathon. I think my key was having lost 10 pounds by making better food choices and not stressing out about food constantly!

My biggest success thus far has been becoming a vegetarian. I just made this lifestyle change in January. Like you, I was inspired by “Skinny Bitch” and a few documentaries. I was nervous at first that I would be too weak willed to stick with it, but I have proven myself completely wrong. I’ve been vegetarian for four months now and can’t imagine ever going back. I love the way it makes me feel and I love that it inspires me to be more original with my food choices and recipes. It was definitely an excellent decision.

One of my healthy successes is learning about all the great protein sources outside of meat and cutting back on my consumption.

I have learned how to cook healthy foods

Of course I realize this isn’t for everyone, but for me my healthy success was going vegan. Aside from my animal reasons for choosing this lifestyle, it also forces me to put more thought into what I put in my body and to make sure that I’m eating the right nutritious foods. Aside from that, I think actually getting to the point where I enjoy and look forward to working out is also a pretty big accomplishment.

Eating more (variety) fruits and vegetables now then my parents fed me growing up!