Hello! I’m Julie – a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and teammate – and my own hero. Originally from Indiana, it was my active lifestyle and love of the outdoors that brought me to western Colorado. I spent years working in a fulfilling career in the design industry, and balanced my time in the office with time in the gym, on the trail (hiking, running, mountain biking, snowboarding), in the backcountry (snowmobiling, four-wheeling), or on the road (motorcycling).
In 2012, everything changed. The body I’d worked hard to make strong grew weary as weight piled on – during and after my pregnancy. The job I’d enjoyed day after day was gone. The time I had to spend in the gym, on the trail, in the backcountry, or on the road, dwindled. My goals of running a marathon, competing in a triathlon, becoming a better backcountry snowmobiler, and riding cross-country on my motorcycle were replaced with new demands of ensuring my baby boy was breathing, eating, sleeping, and being loved. My new role of mom simultaneously demanded my attention while providing abundant joy in my life. Though I was happy to be a mom, I was also sad to see much of who I was slipping away. I told myself it was a temporary sacrifice, and that I would once again be fit, and able to enjoy the many activities I once did. However, my daily life found me overweight in clothes that didn’t fit, making poor food choices, ashamed of myself, and just too exhausted to do anything about it.
I realized that nobody else was going to do this for me – that I had to be my own hero, and step up to make the necessary changes to get to where I wanted to be. I committed to making healthy food choices, and abandoning the bad habits I’d acquired (drinking coffee/pop, eating out, etc.) for a month. Then, I decided to give the Advocare 24-Day Challenge a try. I had heard of Advocare for years, and was quite skeptical. Aside from making adjustments to the Challenge because I was still nursing my son, I followed the program very strictly for the first cleanse phase, and then a little more loosely during the max phase.
In less than a week, I felt great – and was losing weight. My energy levels skyrocketed, and I was active again for the first time in years. I lost enough of my excess weight through the Challenge, that I felt comfortable to run again without crushing my joints. I once again picked up my skates and returned to playing roller derby. I bought new clothes – in smaller sizes. I became my own hero – and put the ‘me’ into being a mom.
Recognizing the role that Advocare products played in my transition, I signed up to become an independent distributor – so that I can share this experience with you. If you are ready to be your own hero, and think you’d like to know more about how Advocare can play a role in your own transition, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Be Your Own HERO 