A dear friend from my San Diego days always inspired me with her unwavering and unapologetic commitment to fitness and healthy eating. Maybe it was my age and the stage of life I was in at the time, but I could never understand why she’d skip happy hour for her kettle bell class, or pack healthy snacks for a business trip rather than using it as an excuse to indulge in fast food.

I totally get it now.

Kelly B., if you’re reading this, I completely understand why you always stuck to your guns and made time for those workouts and pursued eating habits that make you feel happy, energized, strong… I’ve finally, for the most part, found that “it” place in myself, which is way more mental than physical.

I thought I found the motivation last year, but that was really only about “the big white dress” for my wedding. Like so many brides, the motivation pretty much dried up after the big day and it was a struggle for months to get back into a routine. At some point this year however, I finally realized that taking gym classes go way beyond how my jeans look. Yoga, sculpt, kettle bells, spin…they all drastically reduce my stress levels and lead to healthier choices throughout the day. Do I really need that bagel when I worked so hard at a 7am class? Sometimes the answer is a resounding “hell yes, I deserve that [insert cookie, bagel, ice cream, beer, cocktail, wine, and so on].” But many other times I’ll give it a second thought and reach for some fruit or other nutritious, REAL food instead.

Which leads me to the inspiration for this long post…the Whole9. Kelly B (mentioned above) has a sister who is lovely inside and out. Melissa is someone we can all envy, she is living out her dream to connect with people worldwide to share her knowledge and insane passion for nutrition and fitness. She and her husband founded Whole9, and I was so thrilled to find out that their brand new (and first) book, It Starts with Food, is jumping up the charts.

Admittedly, I have not dabbled in the Whole30 program yet but I would really like to learn more about their approach to food and adapt it for what would be sustainable long-term for me and Mike. I am not interested in weight loss, but I am very interested in evolving my new “no meat, only fish” approach to food to be more all encompassing. Just because I’ve been avoiding meat does NOT mean I’ve been making great food decisions. Not in the least.

Thanks for sticking with me on a longer than normal rant…I’d love to hear if you’ve been exposed to Whole9 and hope you will spread the word about Melissa and Dallas–they are truly an amazing duo and I am so excited for all of their success!