Feature Fridays: Kalee Sorey

Happy Friday!  The sun is shining here and it is finally warming up a tad...dare I say Spring is on the way?!?  Today's feature Fridays is some Kalee Sorey, who found her strength and self confidence through healthy living.  She loves sharing her passion for health and fitness through her blog and her Facebook community.  Make sure to stop by and check out her blog and Facebook page, you are sure to be inspired! Healthy living can truly change your life and Kalee is a true example of this!

Her Story: 

Standing outside of the classroom, waiting in line, another girl's mother told me I was heavy. I don't remember why or what context she said it; I just remember it hurt. At 10 years old, I knew nothing about food, exercise, or weight really, and I had no idea why I didn't look like the other little girls.   

My mom was always so supportive and kind. She consistently set a healthy example in our house. We ate pretty healthy, especially for growing up in the South, and she always made sure we were playing and staying active. She also did workout tapes and was just a really great role model. She always made sure that I knew I was valued, pretty, and special even on the tough days when I didn't feel any of that at school. 

By high school, I had naturally slimmed down, but I wanted to learn more about my food. My mom and I started sharing a passion for our health and nutrition. We started eating clean 90% of the time, and we never counted calories. The other 10% of our diet was reserved for anything special (aka junky) we wanted. It could be a birthday party, date night, or even a Snickers bar on grocery day. Having that freedom and knowing I was fueling my body correctly most of the time gave me a whole new sense of confidence. I finally felt strong and cared more about nutrition than the outcomes of a "diet" which a lot of my friends were doing.

After adjusting to college for a semester, I was able to get back on track and eating just a balanced diet again. I also added in exercise. That's when I found ChaLEAN Extreme. A friend had recommended it to me, and I bought it and the brand new heavy weights. I fell in love with the power and strength that lifting gave me. Plus the workouts were short, challenging, but doable which empowered me.

Four months later, I added in HIIT workouts from TurboFire, and I got to my happy weight. There is nothing like getting into a healthy routine, feeling confident in your skin, and inspiring others, and that is why I continue to live a healthy lifestyle above any other reasons.

Tips for Living a Healthy Lifestyle

• It's really important for me to remember I'm living a healthy life; therefore, if I totally blow it one day - it's okay. For me, it's not about one really great day, week , or month of eating perfectly clean or exercising like a madwoman. As long as I am consistent with my healthy habits most of the time and staying true to my goals, I know that is enough. Living healthy should be something that empowers you - not brings you down or makes you critique yourself.
• Meal Planning helps me stay focused and organized through the week. I love knowing what to pick up at the grocery, what I will be eating at each meal, and how much prep-time is required every day. Plus, having a meal plan keeps me from getting hungry in between meals or skipping a meal.
• Allowing for a little wiggle room every week helps me stay focused the rest of the week. On a date night or special occasion, I don't track my calories or worry about what I am eating. Having the freedom to just enjoy the meal and company is something I stay focused on and excited about all week.
• Last, but not least - I surround myself with positive, goal-oriented people. If you are around enablers or negative people, it is going to bring you down and make reaching your goals that much harder. By surrounding myself with positive people, I am more confident and happy. If you don't have a local group of healthy friends, follow blogs, reach out to people on social media, or join a  healthy accountability group online. Seeing people's progress and inspirational posts in the morning gets my day started right.

About Kalee
After graduating college with a Marketing & Finance degree and teaching high school for a year, I decided to follow my passion of health and fitness. I'm now 25, a full-time Beachbody coach and full-time blogger. I'm engaged and am so excited to get married this June. I follow a mindset of "building a healthy body and balanced life" that way I know I'm living healthy, but I also allow for a little indulgence here and there. I love strength and HIIT workouts, easy healthy recipes, Quest bars and an occasional cupcake.  My blog is www.soreyfitness.com, and I'd love to get to know you better on Facebook too!

Connect with Kalee:
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram

Thanks so much to Kalee for sharing her story of creating the life she wanted and sharing her love of health and fitness!  You are an inspiration to many!

Have a healthy and fit day, 

Angelena 

P.S. Stay tuned for a giveaway starting soon!