I am a mom of two small children. We are always on the go, carpooling between school, the library, the children's museum, grandparents' homes and more. As such, we are in a season of life where it is infinitely easier to breeze in and out of the drive-through rather than go to the grocery store as a family, find and buy food, go home to prepare it and clean up the kitchen afterward.

Yet, as much as I've come to adore a greasy double cheeseburger to go, I have recently made a turn for the healthier that I feel will help both myself and my family live better, feel better and ultimately, have more energy to fuel our busy schedule. I'll be the first to admit that this newfound lifestyle took me more than a little by surprise. I have always been thin and haven't had to watch my weight as much as my husband has. Yet, over the course of my tween, teenage and college years, I let myself get away with that knowledge. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, paying no attention to how many calories I was intaking or worse, the negative effects that my diet was having on my overall wellbeing.

I continued that trend into my young newlywed years. I took a job as a technical writer, where I was sedentary for a majority of the day. I went from walking around campus all day to suddenly sitting for most of it. As a result, I started to slowly but surely become unhealthy. Not only did my body shape change, but I found it more difficult to do simple tasks such as climbing a flight of stairs or taking a stroll around our neighborhood. One day, however, I got a call that prompted me to pursue something different.

I had just gotten a physical per a requirement at my work. The nurse on the other end of the line said "You are in fine physical health except for one issue." There was a brief pause. "Your cholesterol is through the roof." She said that while she didn't think my levels were high enough to put me on medication just yet, they were too high for someone my age and I needed to adjust my lifestyle and my diet as soon as possible.

So, I took her advice to heart. I started eating foods rich in iron and low in cholesterol. I learned to like raisins for the health content they offered. Instead of going out to eat on my lunch break, I instead found a co-worker and walked around the office building with her. I learned how to cook healthy dessert recipes that were indulgent but guilt-free and I even joined a nearby gym that I could visit after work. It was a period of my life that I am infinitely proud of and that I'm convinced helped to get me back on track.

Then, as it has a tendency to do, life happened. My husband and I welcomed our first child, a daughter, in 2014. Only 23 months later, our son was born. I was either expecting or nursing for almost three years of my life. As such, my body took another toll and turn for the worse. I was ravenous all the time, exhausted beyond belief, and staying up way too late just to snag a little bit of time for myself once everyone else was asleep. It was a lifestyle that I could comfortably manage for about a week if I absolutely had to, but I somehow kept it up for around two years.

This past month, however, I decided that it was time to take action again. I realized, maybe for the first time, how much of an influence I have on my children. If they see me gobbling down a brown-box supper three to five times a week, what is going to prevent them from doing the same thing in about 20 years? More than anything else in the world, I want to set a great example for them. I want them to love the taste of fruit and vegetables just as much as they adore chocolate ice cream. I want them to be active. We live in the country and they have ample access to cornfields, creeks, streams, climbing trees and a huge yard. I want them to explore the property and learn to love spending time outdoors. I want them to derive joy from exercise and moving their bodies.

But the change has to start with me. They are mini parrots and take everything I do to heart and commit it to memory. If I want them to live healthy lives and cultivate healthy habits, I have to do so first. I am taking that first step, buying all the produce I can, and finding small but meaningful ways to be the best mom, wife and person I can be. Is it always easy? Absolutely not. I'd rather pay $7 and eat a quick meal I don't have to prepare or clean up afterward. Yet, is this journey worth it? You bet. Turns out, most of the really important and meaningful things in life don't come that easily, but it's the active pursuit of them that counts.