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You may be curious about what a psychic has to do with Crossfit and Paleo. Five years ago I would have wondered too, but having survived two moves to California and the birth of a child, I find that the few words spoken to me by a random reader have remarkably affected the life I now live.

Let’s go back those five years. At 19 of age, I decided I needed to leave the small-town roots I had laid down in Northwest Ohio and find myself. While there were plenty of exciting cities to choose from, I made a bold decision. With stars in my eyes and fears behind me, I set off. Can you imagine a more exhilarating place for a naïve teenager to run to than Los Angeles, California? Me neither. Welcome to the City of Angels.

As it turns out, the City of Angels was not so angelic. There was nothing smiling down on me:  no soulmate, few real friends and no job that I remotely enjoyed. Even though I was only a teenager, I prided myself on possessing the great combination of ambition and an “old soul.” So, I was patient. Well, as they say, patience is as patience does. I soon got tired of having no money and nothing to do, and in typical teenage fashion called “the old man.

Daddy to the rescue. He flew out to see me post- haste and we had a nice little vacation together. Just as we were getting ready to pack up and leave I saw a sign in the window of a quaint little shop advertising $25 Psychic readings. “What the heck,” I thought, “When in Rome.”

In I walked. The psychic was a lady of indiscernible age with the expected shock of red hair. After a quick look-over, she announced, “Ah, I see your future.—the American dream.” I handed over my $25 thinking, “Hmm, white picket fence, 2.2 kids, an SUV in the driveway and corporate America.” Not!

A bit disgruntled, but now feeling quite content with my decision to leave woo-hoo California, home I went. Once there… well, if I had stayed in bumble Ohio, there wouldn’t be much of a story, would there?

Quickly more bored and thinking about that American dream a bit more, I decided that maybe, just maybe, I had misunderstood. Amazing, as a teenager I actually figured out that I might be wrong about something. So, back I went to sunny CA, this time adamant that I would get that dream, but that it would be my heart’s desire, not someone else’s silly idea of what my life should look like.

The years passed quickly. I ventured out again, this time in business, and started what is now a thriving enterprise. I met the man of my dreams and gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, all within 2 years. As many of you mothers (and of course fathers), can probably relate, juggling a family and running a business is tough work. It’s enough to make you go insane! On the brink of “losing it,” I decided that my health was the next target for an overhaul.

In the past, I had joined numerous typical 24-hour fitness gyms, so that’s where I began. I soon fell into my old habits. I would be vigilant for a week or two, but then take time off. With no staff to call me to task and no real enjoyment of the workout routine, I quickly realized that I was getting nowhere fast. I knew that I had no idea what I was doing on half of the fancy machines and I felt like a complete idiot. Desperate, I dug deeper and finally found a Crossfit box. In I plunged, hoping that this one would be different.

It certainly was different, but at first, I had mixed emotions. The trainers I met on my very first foray at Crossfit were awesome. They pushed me to my limit, and by the time I was done, I wasn’t exactly sure if I was going to throw up or cry – or both. But, for some weird reason, I felt fulfilled. I knew that if I stuck with this I would see real results.

Those very same trainers instructed were adamant that if I was to really be healthy, my eating habits simply had to change. “Oh no, I thought, yet another stresser.” Again, I was wrong. Screaming part of the way, I attended a seminar led by Paleo founder Dr. Loren Cordain. My trainers were so passionate (and insistent) about it that I just had to go. Not too many words into the little talk, I was hooked. The Paleo “Caveman” Diet, as it is called, simply made sense. I knew it would be a bit of work, though, so home I went to ransack our pantry, cupboards and fridge and get rid of the junk. I did a bit of shopping around and was able to replace all that crazy stuff with tasty, nutritious, energy-producing foods that make a body happy.

I’m now six months into my Crossfit journey, four months into the Paleo diet, and just thrilled. I am also pregnant! Here we come full circle. My family is my (unexpected) dream and the psychic was right, I got it!

That’s why I am writing this. Though I am not an expert in either Crossfit or Paleo, I want to share how my life has changed in incredible ways because of this duo, and I want everyone to be up here with me. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am to be where I am, doing what I am doing and experiencing life to its fullest. What I can tell you is that I am now pregnant and the Crossfit Paleo duo has not been the easiest ride – though I know it’s best.

So, it is with passion and excitement that I share my ongoing saga. I have found precious little about the awesome threesome of Crossfit, Paleo and pregnancy. While my ongoing journey will certainly involve a few bumps in the road – after all, intense workout, a starch and dairy free diet, and pregnancy may not seem like the ideal match – I look forward to it and hope you will all learn with me, and laugh and cry with me as I move forward.

The more I learn, the more determined I am to do this and succeed. We live in a “survival of the fittest” world and I want to make sure my children come into this world with every advantage I can give them. I want you and yours to do the same.