My Story

MY Story: 1/28/16

Everyone has a past that they try and hide, but why? I have come to the realization that I need to share my story. I need to let it out because this past week has been a rough one for myself. I am an aspiring fitness model, trainer, nutritionist, and one day health coach. I want to reach thousands on how they can enhance their overall confidence within themselves, fight disease, and gain strength, health and happiness from discovering who they truly are with health and fitness.

This past week I struggled, and it brought back an abundance of memories throughout my past. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease October 20, 2014 (to be exact) and from this very moment I have had a rollercoaster ride of gaining my health and strength back too falling off the deep end and feeling like I am getting no where. I have dealt with the side effects gluten has on my body from bloat, gas, constipation, foggy mind, migraines, diarrhea etc. for about 4 years now. Knowing that I have this disease and doing everything I can to cure it, yet still noticing the side effects on a day-to-day basis, aggravates me more then sitting in a boring lecture class!

I call my digestive system the “gut brain” because when it is out of whack, my whole body gets in this funk of “depressed” “sad” “unmotivated”. Yes you heard me UN-MOTIVATED. Let me explain, the only way to cure celiac disease is from not consuming ANY gluten. So that delicious piece of pizza, cake, cookie dough blizzard, ice cream cone, bread, beer, certain alcohols, dressings, vinegar etc. all have this tiny protein in it called gluten that make them taste oh-so delicious! Well, if I have just a bite or two of anything containing gluten, I immediately notice it and ride the rollercoaster of bloat, constipation, foggy mind, diarrhea, body cramps etc. for at least 3-days. When I look in the mirror and see my stomach look 4-months pregnant (when I am not) to super “lean” from sitting on the toilet all morning it is definitely hard to “pat myself on the back” for all my hard work.

This picture explains my past and sometimes my life now. I may walk around like I am this “happy, awesome, motivated gal” but sometimes I am not. Sometimes I am dealing with my gut brain and want to lie on my tummy all day. I look at my potential and know I can go far within the fitness world but sometimes my mind isn’t their because I am dealing with my symptoms and do not know when they will “act up” again. I have had to turn down opportunities, because of this and it saddens me more then ever. I am not giving up on this fight, but some days I sit back and think, “Will I ever be cured?”

If you’re struggling, or you know of someone struggling with celiac disease or any autoimmune disease, please have him or her email me @ haley.ampupfitness@gmailcom. I would love to know how he or she deal with these situations as well! Thank you for listening and I apologize for being so long!

XOXO Hales