Do you endlessly scroll through Instagram searching to find answers about your health troubles?

Do you find yourself comparing yourself to other people on your feed and wondering why you don’t feel as great as they must be feeling? Maybe you are tired of feeling bloated all the time, or you are grabbing another cup of coffee by 3 pm. You ask yourself, “Why can’t I lose those last 5-10 pounds? Where is my period? What is a good night’s sleep?” The list can literally go on, and on.

But mostly, you are filled with doubt. What is wrong with me? Why don’t I feel good if there is nothing wrong with me? How do I fix this, even tho I don’t know what THIS is? A constant state of questioning and wondering what you have to do to feel whole again.

I have been there, I get it. So I wanted to share a little background about my story, how I have overcome my own health issues, and how you can overcome the same fears and doubts about your own health.

Let’s just say I have always had stomach issues, I have never had a 6 pack of abs, even when I was at my lowest weight in college as a Division 3 athlete. I have never felt skinny enough, and used how I looked in clothes as a validation system. The weight never seemed to budge no matter what I tried, and the bloating continued to get worse. Seem familiar?

Mentally, I was stuck in a cycle. Everything was fine, and then I began to wait for the other shoe to drop. Every passing week I felt like something wrong was going to happen. And the pressure began to build until eventually what should have been a small event would happen, and would cause me to have a panic attack. If you asked me what was causing me stress, I couldn’t tell you. There was nothing in my life that screamed STRESS!

I felt off in my body, but at the same time, nothing was wrong with me. I had no ailments that doctors could confirm. I struggled with low energy, a missing period, and stomach troubles (it just never felt right). During my search to figure out why I didn’t feel right, I learned: I had SIBO, confirmed I was lactose intolerant, I have no allergies, my hearing is fine, I have a deviated septum (it’s helpful when your husband is an ENT and loves you very much and will tell you these things). I was even told I could easily get pregnant when I got off the pill (I didn’t). I continued to struggle, having to take a nap after lunch every day (more like passed out, it wasn’t much of an option), dragging myself out of bed every morning, bloating that made me look pregnant by the end of the day, suffering from lightheadedness and brain fog, While my day to day looked fine, I was still searching for answers. Eventually, I had two panic attacks within 9 months of each other, my period wouldn’t regulate, and I was filled with crippling fear. My story had become: no one wants to hang out with me ever, I can’t leave my home and don’t deserve to do anything, and I will never be successful at anything I do.

After my second panic attack, I knew I had to make a change. I could tell I was putting myself through a cycle, and I didn’t want to live with panic attacks caused by not being able to handle stressful situations. I found a psychologist and hired someone outside of the medical world to do hormone and gut tests to give me the answers I needed.

I have made huge lifestyle changes over the past year to heal my gut, hormones, adrenals, and mental health. And I could go into details about the exact things I did (which I probably will at a later time), but the biggest change I made that has helped me heal the most is my mindset.

So what does this story have to do with you? This journey helped me realize why I want to be a Health Coach. For as long as I can remember, I have always been the person that friends feel comfortable with asking personal questions or come to when they are seeking answers. I have a deep desire to help other people solve problems, so I became an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. What I learned the most from my journey is that stress can block you from accomplishing your goals. You may not even realize that you are stressed and that is why you can’t make the small shifts you want to take. As a Health Coach, I help you make the changes you want in your life by addressing your biggest stressors and helping you incorporate daily habits to help alleviate stress.

Interested in seeing what working with a Health Coach is like? Schedule a FREE 20 minute call with me to begin your journey towards healthier living. Go to my Coaching page or email me at hello@lifewithjulz.com to schedule.