Influence is a funny thing.  It’s so powerful, yet so quiet.  Influence doesn’t say anything, but it can change everything.  Josh & I have been married for 8.5 years and there is no doubt that we influence each other heavily, but sometimes we still surprise ourselves.

In 2012 we started changing the way we eat.  Our daughter was an infant and we wanted her to eat healthy as she grew up, so we knew we had to change things.  I gained 50 lbs from pregnancy and well… yeah… that was pretty depressing.  Despite eating healthier and working out after she was born, the scale didn’t budge, and neither did my waistline.

In two years, I lost 30 lbs.  That sounds like a lot, but I really couldn’t tell much difference.  I began to just kind of accept my new body and move on with life.  Then in May 2014, Josh started doing CrossFit.  A friend showed us Whole 30 and it was wildly interesting and made a lot of sense.  Josh is the kind of guy who goes all out for something, but then sometimes gets burned out quickly because he puts ALL his effort into it.

But not this time.  His trainers made sure he took it slow, and I looked into paleo foods.  I started making freezer meals so we could actually keep up with it with our crazy busy schedules.

Seven months later, I’d say we’re doing pretty well!  It’s obvious what’s different with Josh– he’s working out like crazy and eating much healthier.  For me?  The food I’ve been eating has changed, but only because I’m eating what Josh eats.  Let’s face it, moms typically cook for everyone else in the household and eat whatever they’re eating… or, whatever the toddler doesn’t eat.

To give you a comparison, the below pictures are December 2012, May 2013, May 2014, and December 2014.  Very little change throughout… until Josh started getting serious about his health… and suddenly his influence changed it all!

The thing with influence is, you don’t realize it when it’s happening.  You’re just living life, doing what you’re doing.  Josh was just living a healthy life.  And I was just being a good wife and trying to do my part to make food for our family (moment of honesty: Josh cooks about half the time).  The result?  We both got healthier.

Never underestimate the powerful influence you have over those in your life.