I’m Going On A Fitness Journey – Here’s Why

Exercise has many benefits, including stress reduction. And when you reduce stress, not only do you feel happier, but many other things can happen to your body. Now, not only do I want to feel happy, but I also want to clear up my skin. I already have issues with acne, so when I get stressed, breakouts come easily. Scientists believe acne can be worsened by sebum-producing cells that have receptors for stress hormones. Sebum then mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria, which clog hair follicles and lead to pimples and/or acne cysts. So, I guess it's only logical that when you reduce stress, acne doesn't flare up.

Acne in my young adult years has been a huge insecurity of mine. I battled it throughout my teen years (as many teens do), and after quitting tanning in a bed when I was 20, the acne flared up again. I see a dermatologist regularly and finally found a medication that cleared it up nicely, however, I quit taking it because it requires annual blood tests, lowers blood pressure, and increases potassium levels, which is potentially life-threatening. (No, it was not Accutane I was taking.)

My acne problem has improved over the last few months, mainly because I switched jobs and enjoy working where I do and doing what I do. But I'm tired of having this problem - it's time to kick acne's ass once and for all!

Going on my fitness journey isn't just about losing weight - it's about losing inches and fitting into smaller clothes. Right now wear a pant/dress size of 6 and/or 8 (depending on the designer). I'd like to bring that down to a size 4, at the very least.

Also, I haven't worn jeans that I enjoy wearing in maybe 6 or 7 years because they just don't feel comfortable. I was pretty thin for at least 2 of those years, but I lived in Florida and didn't need to wear jeans because it was so hot. Now that I live in my native Colorado, it would be nice to wear jeans and not have to freeze during the winter months in leggings a.k.a. "fat pants."

Before I got into radio, I really wanted to be a singer/performer. I lived and breathed singing, wrote songs, and became so obsessed with this part of me. When I was living in Orlando, I took lessons from a vocal coach who used to work with the band, Warrant.

Well, this old man turned out to be an a-hole.

I was about 15 pounds lighter at the time, but he told me that he would no longer continue to have me as a student if I wouldn't lose weight. After weeks of seeing the scale go UP from the pressure, I walked away from taking lessons from this d-bag and told him his standards were unrealistic.

Three years later, and one year after he passed away, I still find myself believing I can't lose weight. That's complete BULL! There is no way I should have ever allowed this old man to have that much control over my life, happiness, and well-being, but that's what happened. And now I'm taking BACK that power to believe in myself and have a happy, healthy life.

I've been living a very sedentary, lazy lifestyle ever since I got into radio, mainly due to stress and an early-morning schedule. Although I still have an early-morning schedule, a lot of the stress is gone, so I really don't have a good enough excuse to be lazy and sit on my butt binge-watching Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place on Netflix.

I always feel awesome and energized after working out, so exercise is definitely something I need to add more of to my daily routine.

I'm not going on this fitness journey FOR my haters, but rather to prove my haters wrong.

For privacy's sake and to avoid promoting them, their name(s) will not be revealed.

But think about all the people who told you you weren't good enough, who wouldn't give you opportunities you deserved, who wouldn't give you the time of day, who talked badly about you behind your back...wouldn't it feel fabulous to succeed at what they failed at? Hell yea, it would!