#16 Endings and Beginnings – Christie Mcgee

Amy (00:00) Before we begin today's episode, we want to let you know that we'll be discussing sensitive topics including alcohol use, addiction, and alcoholism. The information shared in this episode is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or professional advice. We hope today's conversation is informative and helpful. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use or addiction,

We encourage you to talk with a qualified healthcare or addiction professional who can provide appropriate guidance and support. With that, let's get started.

Amy (00:38) Welcome to Just a Thought with Amy Keys. We are here to inspire, educate, inform, and entertain. On today's episode, I am so thrilled to welcome a dear old friend, Christy McGee. Hello.

Christie (00:52) Hello?

Amy (00:53) Some of the listeners might know you as Christy Heroes McGee because Christy graduated from St. Agnes Academy here in Memphis a year after I did, right?

Christie (01:04) Nineteen ninety two.

Amy (01:05) Nine ninety two, ninety two, ninety one. Ninety one. So here we are all these years later. The same but different, right? Same but different same but different, but older. I'm so happy to have Christy and and the topic of today, I see it as focusing on endings and beginnings and in that specific order, because we have to often end one thing to begin another. And I've I've reflected and thought a lot about that.

leading up to talking to you today. And in my view, which, you know, technically in life, we really get just an eagle's eye view of everyone else. We really don't know what they're dealing with or what's going on. But I have seen you make life transformations plural. And that's inspiring and why you're here.

Christie (01:54) Well, thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here and just grateful for the opportunity to talk about it because it's been quite a journey over the last few years. It has been years of transformation and, you know, just self awareness and deciding that the direction I was going was not necessarily where I wanted to be in five years. So that's kind of what sparked that whole journey.

Amy (02:17) And you changed your body, your health, your life, your comings and goings. And we're gonna talk about it all today. So I thought we'd we'd start off with with a big one here, and that is that you gave up alcohol.

Christie (02:33) I did. I gave up alcohol on September fifth of twenty twenty five, just a few days after my fifty first birthday.

Amy (02:40) not realize I know you had slowed down drinking and I didn't realize it was that recent that you quit. I thought it was years. But for a while I think you had talked. I think when I met with you about fitness, you'd said you were drinking a lot less

Christie (02:54) Less.

A lot less. Yes. I kinda realized that the calories that I was consuming in wine tasted much better as a filet and potato than they did as wine.

Amy (03:04) So So you have an anniversary coming up for that. What are you are you gonna celebrate? Are you gonna do

Christie (03:08) So I said

I went to the beach on September I went to the beach a couple weeks ago. First time I've been to the beach sober, no alcohol. Went by myself for 10 days, celebrated my birthday and a year of sobriety. And I'll tell you, everybody was kind of asking me, like, gosh, girl, this is the first time down at the beach with no alcohol. You know, I mean, I was one of those that would sit at the beach and one after another all day long. And then dinner time came and it was time for wine or sitting on the patio with wine. And

I was able to see things this time going down there. It's you know, like somebody said to me, my cousin actually, isn't it nice seeing the world with eyes wide open? And just things like the sunset, the sunrise, the the blue water, all the things that I've taken for granted. I saw him this time with my eyes wide open. I reflected a lot on the last few years. I've had a lot of changes. I've

lost my mother, my children are all out of the house and out of college. I'm divorced now. I have quit drinking. So just so much change over the last couple of years that I just took that ten days to kind of reflect on that and, you know, kind of decide, you know, what do I want to do next? And and I started back school again. I had gotten my master's a few years ago and decided that I wanted to specialize in women's health and help more women with, you know

sobriety and quitting alcohol and eating healthier. You know, once we get in our fifties, all those things change our bodies in different ways. And so so I'm doing that now. But just kind of a time to reflect on that. And I was really able to see things so much differently, not being drunk on the beach all day long.

Amy (04:46) Well, would you have considered yourself an alcoholic?

Christie (04:50) You know, y yes and no. I g I guess the answer is yes. Because Yeah.

Amy (04:54) Functioning alcohol. Because you sure had me fooled. Yeah.

Christie (04:57) I got up every morning, I exercised, I took care of my kids, I went to work. Yeah. And for me, the what my one of my moments was was I realized that I was one of those people that as soon as I opened a bottle of wine, game on. That bottle was gonna be finished and I might be opening another one. So it was like I n once I started

I could stop for a week, two weeks. I s I did dry January, did all those things. But the minute that I opened up that bottle of wine, I didn't know when to stop. And four, five, six, seven drinks later, I I don't remember how I got to bed or if I washed my makeup off or and then waking up the next morning. How in the world did I even get up? And I didn't and remember never feeling great. My head always hurt. My workouts were terrible. You know, I ate bad. My sleep was awful. But yeah, I just

I don't know. I I guess I was. I you know, and people say, Well, you didn't go to my rehab and you didn't go to that doesn't mean anything. You know, it was not easy. That first couple of weeks was a was a struggle. I didn't feel well. I was shaky. I cracked sugar, my head hurt, my body hurt. That first couple of weeks was rough. So yeah, I mean, I guess I would have considered myself a functioning alcoholic because

I thought about it on Friday afternoon or whenever I got off work, it was like, what time, you know, when is it gonna be five o'clock? And always made myself wait till five, you know, because I thought, Well, that's what good alcoholics It's

Amy (06:23) Five o'clock somewhere.

Christie (06:24) five o'clock somewhere. Yeah. So yeah.

Amy (06:26) What was your vice? Was it wine?

Christie (06:28) It was wine. Okay. For sure. Okay. White wine.

Amy (06:30) Okay. White wine specifically. Okay. Okay. Well, I've I did some research on quitting alcohol and found, you know, improved liver health, fewer headaches, more control and stable moods, mental clarity, better sleep, more energy, easier weight management, and better workouts and recovery. And being a fitness person that you are now that you transformed into, it sounds like the quitting alcohol and that went hand in hand.

Christie (06:54) Hand in hand.

Amy (06:55) What have you learned about yourself without alcohol?

Christie (06:59) gosh. All one hundred percent to everything you just said, because I've experienced all of those. My sleep is amazing. My workouts are always great. I feel great. I look forward to them. I don't dread them like I did when I was hungover. Sure. I pop out of the bed in the morning whereas I used to hit the snooze button five times. Even my lab work, my nurse practitioner that I see mentioned that at my last visit. My lab work is better. Wow. it's easier to keep my weight off because I'm not binging on food at night. And

You know, I just I feel amazing. My the brain fog is

Amy (07:32) Look

amazing. Y'all should see her arms. We're gonna get to that in a minute, but whoa.

Christie (07:37) brain fog lifted. After about a month, I would say even my skin started to feel better. People would say, What are you what kind of skincare are you using? And it was like, I'm just not drinking alcohol and I'm drinking water. Wow. but my sleep was better. My mental clarity is, you know, I lost my mom in December and I remember thinking that, you know, how anxious I would have been if I just if I was still drinking. But drinking gave me so much anxiety. I thought it was taking the edge off. But it made

th you know, certain situations I was hyper anxious about, you know, being divorced. I was, am I ever going to meet someone? Am I going to be lonely for the rest of my life? Am I going to be by myself? And now it's it there's so much more self-love. I love myself so much more than I did when I was drunk. And and I don't worry about those things and faith and God. And anybody that's gone through recovery will tell you, God, you have to have faith. You have to have God in your life. There's no other way, you know,

support systems and and all those things are important. But if you don't have God, then you have no way.

Amy (08:42) Well, do you ever miss it? Especially when you're like with your Mahjong group and your friends, do you ever feel like you're like missing out? Or are you just like, No, I beat this, I don't need it?

Christie (08:51) No, I don't miss it anymore. For the first few months I did. And now I have found that when I do meet up with girlfriends or have dinner, my conversations are more meaningful. I remember what we talked about the next day and follow up on that. You know, for instance, if I said, Hey, let's go have lunch next week and what I follow up on those things. I'm not just saying those things because I'm drunk. I'm saying them because I truly mean them. So conversation is more meaningful, memory recollection is more meaningful. And I even have a dear friend.

Neighbor Kara, that every time I go over there, she is such an angel. She always has me a mock. Tell Red, a beautiful mock.

Amy (09:28) Probably with some yummy cookies or sourdough because she's a baker. Very tough. She's amazing. She is the most one of the most hello, Kara. I'm sure you'll hear this, but she is like one of those strong women who is just confident and knows what she's doing, knows what she wants, knows her why. I've always had a lot of respect for her. She's beautiful. Kara

Christie (09:48) Love her. She is a huge part of my

Amy (09:51) Jameson, hello.

Christie (09:52) yes. She was encouraging and surround yourself with amazing people.

Amy (09:57) Absolutely. Sharpens iron. Yeah.

Christie (09:59) I is an amazing person and she has been there for me, but she does. She always has me a beautiful mock tail and a beautiful glass so that I feel just like everybody else. But yeah, I just feel like when I leave a girl's night, I leave with so much happiness and gratitude because I remember everything.

Whereas before when I was drinking, I would half the time didn't remember how I even got home, which is scary in itself and we won't go down that road.

Amy (10:24) That is.

Christie (10:24) But it is the truth about out you think that you're okay and you think that you can handle it. And and I would say, Well, I drank a bunch of water between each glass of wine and you know, all the excuses. And I found that now I just have much more meaningful conversation. I I connect with people so much better. And everything just seems more authentic authentic and real.

Amy (10:45) So, okay, being addicted to alcohol, I I was thinking deeply about this conversation because it's gonna go to a lot of listeners. And someone might be like, Well, alcohol's not my thing, but sugar, gambling, social media, anything we see is an idol. And an idol is something that takes place of God's rightful place in the heart. It is anything in life you depend on your

For your ultimate worth and safety and joy instead of God. Yes. And you might not have gone to worth, safety, and joy if you're a listener or you sitting across the table from me for your gambling or your candy or whatever the addiction or or vices are, but they are idols. They are idols. And it go you know, it goes back to biblical times. Let's let's let's go to the golden calf. I mean, they built a statue to worship while waiting on Moses instead of waiting on God the way they should have. And

we know what happened there. So, you know, I was thinking of other other kind of idols. Approval from others, shopping, fame. I mean, there are so many kinds. It might be just creeping in enough, but not so outward as alcohol, because alcohol changes the way that you act. Whereas

Christie (12:03) Yeah.

Amy (12:04) somebody who wants that dopamine hit from social media likes or from

A shopping trip? I mean I love to shop

Christie (12:13) Shop.

I love the shop. I love the shop. Yeah, that might have replaced my uncle.

Amy (12:17) But shopping but shopping or eating candy or checking your phone doesn't hurt anyone but really but you if you're if you're addicted to it. So it's it's interesting to to look at it from like an idol standpoint. And that's what I say, what advice do you have to listeners for giving up an idol?

Christie (12:36) So what I did, and it goes back to God too, I used to in the mornings I would be hungover, so it was all I could do to get up and work out. And when I was not hungover anymore, I decided that I was gonna set my clock back about thirty minutes earlier. And I took that thirty minutes before anything. Well, I I did my workout and then took my thirty minutes with my coffee and spent that time with God. You know, Lord, how can I serve you today? Lord, what can I do to, you know, lift somebody up today? J speak to me, tell me.

So I would say to fill that addiction, find a healthy habit, whether it's a devotional, whether it's a volunteering opportunity. And don't forget to treat yourself. The money that I'm saving with alcohol, which by the way is astounding, I'd go now and get a facial or I go get my nails done. I'd do something to remind myself of how hard that was and how far I've come. So treating yourself to s a healthy habit, you know, I wouldn't say like

Go eat a bunch of cupcakes or eating like that. Yeah.

Amy (13:35) Don't trade one idol for another.

Christie (13:37) So exactly. Something healthy that transforms you in a better way. And for me, that was that was strengthening my relationship with God. G alcohol, I thought was giving me the confidence I needed and making me happy and making me popular or whatever I thought it was doing. And at the same time, and all it was was I was missing something. And I was missing that time with God. I was giving

Up God and that time with Him in the morning so I could hit the snooze button and sleep off my hangover. And when I replaced it with morning quiet time, and I'm talking no phone, no anything, just your Bible, your devotional, or just your ears, that my life just became so much more enriched. I don't know what the word is, but just take whatever that habit is.

And fill it with something healthy that elevates you, that makes you a better person, that serves somebody else, that's you know, just just do something good and kind. You know, if you're if shopping is your thing, you know, add a little money extra in the collection basket or just do something because yeah. I mean, really and truly, and I remember years ago, I I wanna say it was like Dave Ramsey or somebody was talking about his children had to give a certain percentage of their allowance to others. When you give your time to others.

It's amazing. And I just recently took on a volunteer opportunity that I would have never taken on before because it would have been during my wine time or, you know, wind down time at Birthright. And I'm count

Amy (15:10) Wow, you know how I w I j I just recorded I just recorded with Wesley and Kylie last week.

Christie (15:17) Two of the most last wonderful angels on this earth.

Amy (15:20) Yes, they are.

Christie (15:20) But the work they do and I felt this calling. And again, being able to see with your eyes wide open, you can hear so much more. And I kept feeling this tug to go and do something with my that spare time when I used to want to drink or I, you know, whatever. And so teaching a class quarterly with young pregnant women, just kind of teaching them healthy habits and things like that. I was a labor and delivery nurse forever.

And and specializing in women's health now. And I'm telling you, when you give to someone else, you get back a hundred percent.

Amy (15:54) And I just talked about that. It's a Ruminian episode with Renee Platton. Like you're you think you're filling a cup, but you're really filling yours. Your own. But not with alcohol.

Christie (16:03) Not with alcohol. So I would say replace it with a a good habit that serves yourself in a good healthy way or ser serves someone else. Because I those women last week when I was there, I I just I left, I got in my car and I burst into tears. And I thought, Lord, thank you. Thank you for bringing me to this place to these wonderful people. Because, you know, even if I help one mom

eat healthier and have a healthier pregnancy than then I've done what I set out to do. And so I would just say replace it with a healthy habit.

Amy (16:39) I I love that you say it like that instead of saying, Well, tie a string around your finger to remind you that not to do that. I mean, you're you're talking about something really practical that put something better out in the world.

Christie (16:49) Yes.

Amy (16:50) And I will tell you this fun fact on air. When I did record them to them, I went to Birthright and they were like, It's a weird day here today. They're just like there's a lot going on and would you believe that I I'm I'm one hundred percent convinced that Satan did not want that podcast to happen because we talked about babies. Uhhuh.

and birthright of being born. Yeah. The microphone wor we had to share a microphone for a little bit and it worked for me, but not for them. I

know. Doesn't that give you chills? Very profound. But an hour later we got up and running. But it was very powerful and it really makes you wonder. But I'm really proud of you for channeling the energy that you did to one vice and idol.

To something wonderful that's gonna benefit babies and moms. Yeah because I've worked those breakfasts and it's that that place that place

Christie (17:40) I definitely want

Amy (17:41) is magical.

Christie (17:42) to that's that is the thing about alcoholism is that you are very selfish. You don't think about you think about everything in terms of you and your time and when you're gonna do this and when you're gonna do that and what serves you. But when you remove that toxic substance from your body, you bec you liter I literally became a different person. I just and and I'm not like saying that in a good or good or bad way. I just

realized that God put me on this earth for a purpose and alcohol kept me from and again that's the whole Satan thing. It was like, you know, when I would try to stop drinking, it'd be like, come on, just one. and I knew you

Amy (18:21) Yep, yep. And rationalize it all.

Christie (18:24) can rationalize it. That's exactly what it is. I mean you rationalize it. Well it's just one or it's Thursday night. I'm off tomorrow or whatever. But you truly your your clarity is just so much better. And so when you're clear and you're

you know, your emotions are in control and you're more, you know, able to see things around you and people that need you. And and it's amazing and it's such a great feeling to feel needed. It's one thing to feel needed as a mom and, you know, and all those things. But when total strangers come up to you after and they have questions and they trust your advice and they want to know what your opinion is and it's just the most wonderful thing in the world. And I hope that I can continue to do that. And

And you know, once I finish with this next degree, I my hope is to help women. That's kind of my I love young pregnant women. I love being able to get them started on the right foot. So that's a whole nother conversation. But it's an amazing place and I am thrilled and beyond blessed that they, you know, reached out to me to do this because it's just an amazing, amazing. Yes.

Amy (19:31) Like what a win win for birthright.

So sometimes in life when we make changes, it often changes the people we're around or the environment we're in. Have you experienced any of that? Like people maybe not wanting to go out with you 'cause you don't want to drink. Yeah. And they don't mean it mean or you stepping away from certain environments.

Christie (19:53) Yes. I have found that okay, so here's the other thing that's great about drinking is that I go to bed at eight thirty every night, weekend, Sunday, Monday, whatever it is. I wake up at four thirty. So my bedtime is really early. So I think a lot of people don't ask me because they know if they ask me to go to dinner it's gonna be, Well, hey, can we meet at five o'clock? Yeah.

Amy (20:12) Yeah.

Christie (20:13) But it my bedtime I am I am strict about it and and that's just the way it is. Yes, I was telling somebody a while back, my circle has gotten smaller. Mm-hmm.

And I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but and I think we kind of grow and evolve and change and our kids start to grow up and we become grandparents, then our kids are in college and everybody's going ninety different directions. So I don't think it's anything intentional. I don't think anybody would ever say, no, don't don't invite her. She doesn't drink.

Amy (20:38) Right.

Christie (20:39) But I think that, you know, we're all so busy that we spread ourselves so thin that we start to our circle gets a little smaller. Yep. And and you do have to surround yourself around people that

are like minded. I mean, you know, that have a good attitude, that are positive about life, that are, you know, healthy or make healthy choices or whatever, because you are kind of w the company you keep and and our parents taught us you know, who are who you hang around. And

Amy (21:05) And

and Kara making you a special mocktail. I want to come over to Kara's

Christie (21:12) Solid. She's solid. And you

have got to come in.

And that was one of my first like group sober sober events was a mahjong and pizza night at Kara's house. And she had me the loveliest Ma I mean you would have never known that I didn't drink wine. And she did that and she took the time to make sure that I felt comfortable and and so and I'm so blessed because my circle hasn't gotten smaller because I've lost friends. It's j it's a time thing, I think, more than anything. Sure.

Amy (21:42) Yeah, we're definitely.

Christie (21:43) But I I I just

I I I don't know. I think we're just all busy. So I don't think being sober has really changed it's made me say no to a lot more things just because A, because I got above so darn early. But I I I do more thing intimate things. I go to dinner with small groups or one fr one on one. That's

Amy (22:05) My style too.

Christie (22:05) my style now versus a big group and staying out till one AM. You know, so my part of it is because I've changed. And so everybody

I'm so blessed with great friends and family extended, you know, they've been so supportive. They've been so just I'm so proud of you. This is so amazing. Can you ha and I've had a few friends reach out to me and say, Hey, help me and I don't know what to do.

Amy (22:30) So

you're you're lucky to have a support network because not everybody listening will. Everybody

Christie (22:34) Not everybody does.

Amy (22:36) has. But

Christie (22:38) So

for those, I would say if you don't have adequate support, AA is a fantastic organization. I did go to one meeting. It was not for me at that time. I have thought about going back now that I'm through my recovery process, but AA is a great organization. So there are people out there. There's a girl in Oxford who was one of the people that encouraged me more than anybody, Christy Bridgers.

And she does sober on the square. She is four years sober. She's very open about her sobriety journey. Very, very open. I like all the details. I mean, she holds nothing back and she's an amazing person. I hope that one day I get to meet her, but I message with her quite a bit. And so she's got a lot of resources. But there are resources out there because it does take support. I mean, yep. It really does. You have to have people cheering you on because getting up alcohol's hard.

Amy (23:31) And sometimes when you make changes that are that leave some people behind, they they want to be left behind because they're jealous or they can't do it or they don't think they can. Yeah. But with the right sport they can. So yeah, there's some social pressures there, but I'm glad that you seem to have had a really positive experience. But you know, experiences are what you make of them and you're a positive person and you have a fantastic attitude. So that's part of your and a faith. And faith. We're we're both Catholic girls, y'all.

Christie (23:56) The girls

Amy (23:58) Right, so let's pivot to your fitness journey. Yeah. If y'all could see her arms, like I mean, her we are sweet. Smoking hot here, y'all. She's looking great. And but yeah, tell me, like, okay, were you athletic before? You know, how did it be how did this begin? How tell how this got gone?

Christie (24:20) So I've always been athletic. It was funny when my I laugh and I tell my dad that he's the one that started this. When we were kids, if we wanted to go swim at the racket club, he would make us run there. So we had to run to the racket club if we wanted to go swim. Yeah.

Amy (24:31) If we want to And you didn't live too far. I remember when you lived in I've a mile away from

Christie (24:35) of this running joke that okay, we're going, all right, let's go, let's run. So my dad was always a a fit person. He played a lot of racquetball. He, you know, and my mom, when we were younger, played tennis. And then of course she got busy with kids and whatever. But she always did her, we call it her little weights in the den. So my parents were both pretty active people, fit, you know, dad was very athletic. So I always was involved in sports and whatever. Hi high school, I cheered.

And during high school, there was a lot of pressure to be really, really skinny at that time. I cheered over at Christian Brothers and you know, we all needed basic skinny. So I had a a little bit of an unhealthy relationship with food in high school. As a matter of fact, I had a really unhealthy relationship with food. Saw somebody about it. I I remember at one point taking diet pills like it they were candy so that I wouldn't eat. So I kind of outgrew that. And then after I had children and whatever and

Was married and working. I'd steadily just I was always working out. I'd you know, go to spin class two or three days a week. I would walk every day. But my eating was just kind of on the fly. You know, we've got practice tonight, let's go to Huey's. We've got this tonight, let's grab fast food. So it's just unhealthy eating choices. So I was always exercising, but and which is why I think my weight kind of crep up slowly. And and then in I went to grad school twenty twenty, twenty-one. And I was sitting a lot at work and sitting the majority of the day.

in the evening studying. So I gained during that period, I want to say something crazy like 20 or 30 pounds. And when I I was about two months from graduation in 2023, I thought to myself, I'm going to be 50 in a year. I don't want to live like this. I feel like, I feel like trash. I wake up every day. I feel awful. I missed my children. You know, I was doing the empty nesting thing. My daughter had just gone to college. My oldest one had moved out. I was just having a big old pity party, but I thought, you know what? By the time I'm 50,

And I didn't give myself like a goal weight or what I just want to be healthier. I'm not gonna lose 50 pounds or I'm gonna what I'm gonna lift weights. I'm gonna add that because I was always a cardio girl. I'm gonna add some weights and I'm gonna lift. And luckily, I have the blessing of a dietitian daughter who was able to help me. My Maddie is amazing. And she just said, Mom, you just need to eat more good stuff. And then you won't crave the bad stuff. So we kind of

went about what should I eat. And I just started including more protein. I mean, kind of what the the big macro thing now, the protein, the fiber, the, you know, carbs, all those things. And what I found was that I was overeating the bad stuff and under eating the good stuff. And once I started eating, you know, filling my plate with protein and veggies, I started craving those things. And it wasn't even like, wasn't even hard. It was just like the weight just started coming off. And I did track

And I still do to an extent just to make sure that I'm hitting my goals and things like that, more for, you know, nutrition reasons, being in menopause and those kind of things and bone, you know, bone maner loss, all those things. But I it just started coming off. It was like, okay. So that's all I have to do is just eat healthy and whatever. And I added strength training three days a week. So I do exercise every day, which I don't always recommend. I enjoy it. I it is not a job for me. There are people that I've talked to and I do work with some people right now helping them with.

you know, fitness and eating right, very basic stuff. I'm not a dietitian. I'm a nurse, you know, about to be a nurse practitioner. So not anything like the scale of my daughter. But I just, you know, I just change my diet. And yes, do I still have a hamburger on Saturdays? Absolutely. And now I'm gonna have to find a new one because the Belmont closed down. And that's where I would always get my hamburger. So

Amy (28:03) I hadn't been there in a long time, but yeah. It was right around the corner from your house. That's

Christie (28:06) I Amy, that was mad you weakness.

Amy (28:10) the East Memphis dive place. Yeah, they had great tamales. I love tamales.

Christie (28:15) And

I think they'll be back. Hopefully they'll be back. But that, you know, so I did not deny myself the things I enjoyed. And that's what my daughter said. You'll never be successful if it feels like a a full time job. Right. So, you know, and now I've gotten to where I crave those good foods. So I I really just changed my diet, added strength training. And I do, I know that says sounds as silly get the 10,000 steps a day because I do sit a lot at work and I sit now again, being in grad school, but I

make sure that I walk, even if it's ten minutes after lunch, ten minutes after breakfast, ten minutes after dinner, just a combination of, you know, and the people think they have to go all in. I never went all in. I just made small changes. I never gave myself a goal weight, what I thought that I needed to be. I'm actually 10 pounds heavier than that. And I'm fine with that. And that weight fluctuates still quite a bit, but you know, within a range. But I've kept it all for three years, which I'm really proud of and and it's been hard. And, you know, I have people all the time like, girl,

You on that shot and I I cannot tell you how many people. I'm sure. And and while I believe there's a place for that. And again, I'm not versed on that. I have no idea, you know, benefits that would be something to talk to a doctor and a dietitian about. It was never an option for me because I knew that if I tried it and it came off that easy, it wouldn't be worth I wouldn't have appreciated it. For me, I had to work really hard to get that weight off and and keep it off. And keeping it off is the hardest part. Yes. But but you know, once you get in that rhythm

But I will say at our age, especially, once you get in your forties and fifties and the amount of muscle and bone that you lose every year, strength training is an absolute must, whether you're trying to lose weight or not.

Amy (29:52) Strength training. Don't you I you know, I was up at six fifteen at Memphis Fitness Company this morning. Yes. W and and and Brandon the trainer, who is triple my height, yeah, and probably triple my weight. This dude is a big

Christie (30:03) A big

Amy (30:04) strong guy. And he's helping me with these cable things. And I'm like, Am I doing it right? And he's like, Yeah, just do this. And I'm like

You've got like a lot of weight there. He's like, You can do this and I can do it too. I'm like, I I can do this too. But it takes a lot of self discipline. A lot. I mean, I am not I'm not I'm not a morning or night out. I'm just I'm just an average person normally who wants to get up like at seven and go to bed at ten. Yeah. But today I had a busy day, so I was like, Well, I'll get up at five thirty and I'll I'll be up there at six fifteen. I have been so happy all day that I went earlier. 'Cause usually I go to eight thirty. Yeah. But like you gotta work it in your schedule. I'm a big fan, I guess, at fifty-three right now of

working out my mind, my body, my soul. Yeah. I mean, like all of it goes together because of one piece of the puzzle, especially hello, menopausal women.

Christie (30:49) Yes.

Amy (30:50) If you're if your faith life isn't in tandem with your self discipline, with, you know, to go to mass, to do the certain things in your faith, you don't have time to pray for your friends. You don't have time to pray for everything you need, then you're

grumpy 'cause you didn't get to do that and then you don't get your to do list done and then you don't get to the gym and then you don't get to the d Trader Joe's to get the healthy stuff. It's like it all kind of goes together. So I'm really big into like right now, I mean I guess I kinda always have, but right now I'm like, let's go.

Christie (31:17) Get it done.

Amy (31:18) My friend Kelly always gets tickled with me. Hello Kelly. I re I I mention her in a lot of these, but she knows me really, really, really well and she's always like Man, when you do something you are a hundred percent And and sometimes that's too far.

Sometimes that's too a fault because okay, if you're gonna if you should try to lose five pounds, ladies, I'm talking to you. It's like okay, I have to eat. Like I had a dietitian put me, I'm five I'm like four eleven and three quarters. So, you know, I don't know

Christie (31:47) I could put you in my pocket.

Amy (31:50) So my attitude's too big for the pocket though. But so the funny thing is is I will be told I went to dietitian and everything and she put me she's like fourteen hundred calories and she's telling me I was and I was like, Okay, all right, well then you could take women can take that to like if I eat more than thirteen hundred ninety nine calories, I failed. Yeah. And I think that's where women need to go a little easier on yourself because then you fizzle out. Then you fizzle out and you're like, Well, I'm not gonna do that, I can't do this.

Christie (32:18) Do it over a smaller period. Like I set mine at like a half pound a week to to a pound, you know, then and that way, and and you can work up to that two pounds a week, I think. But when you're too restricted, and that's why I always failed on the eating part in the past. The workout thing, I had that down. I got up every morning early, and which I 100% agree with. There are mornings sometimes, every now and then where I roll over and go, I'm exhausted. I don't, but I have never regretted working out first thing in the morning. And I work out at like four forty-five. So I get it done.

But it just makes my day so much better. So I do it because I love it, because I know that if I don't, I'll feel like trash. And and as far as eating goes, I eat like a linebacker. It's I you can eat, you know, as when you're eating the right foods, I mean, people look at my salad, they're like, I could never eat all that. I'm like, it but it's all good stuff. You know, it's like volume eating. So then I stay full for the rest of the afternoon. But yes, I think when you try to go all in and you set, I'm gonna weigh, you know, one twenty five.

By this one, you just have to not put the pressure on yourself. Just make the small changes because that's what I've found is is or I've seen is the times that I've done a little bit of a drastic weight loss and cut myself down to 1200 calories while killing myself in the gym. I didn't last a week. I was, you know, malnourished. I was tired. My hair was falling out. Now I even it was funny because the girl that does my hair, my sweet Abby, she said, gosh, your hair is so much healthier.

Wow. Since A, you stopped drinking and eating better. I mean, it's thicker. It it's it's just the amount of benefits from eating the right foods, the right proportions, and cutting out alcohol. It's like instant Botox, ladies. Instant Botox. Literally. You your skin feels better. Your body feels better. You just feel better. I mean, and I and I can honestly say I had somebody say, like, you know, how do you feel? I said, I feel better than I did when I was in my twenties.

Because you treat your body like trash when you're in a tourist. You're up all night, then you're going to work all day. And and when and going back to what you were saying about the mental and all that, I had a dear friend of mine last year and he was teasing me about my workout routine and whatever. It was funny. And I, you know, was dealing with some stuff. I had been div just gotten divorced. I take care of my ex-husband who has early onset Alzheimer's. You know, and it was just kind of a whirlwind of the year with my mom. And he said, you know, Christy, you worked so hard to be healthy and work out. He was like,

you need to remember that when it comes to your mental health. You've got so much on your plate. Mm-hmm. You should, you know, think about seeing a therapist somebody's and I would have never in the past and and now I do. And it's the most wonderful thing. So ladies, don't ever, ever think that you're not sick enough or not, you know, or that it's some kind of failure or what

My therapist is monumental in my mental health. She has helped me work through things, decide what I want next in life. And so I was so grateful for him to say in that. I was a tad bit offended when he first said it, like, well, what do you think is wrong with me? You know? And it wasn't that. It was just, you know, so it was some of the best advice that I've ever gotten. Is sometimes life feels so heavy. And you can work out and you can eat right and you can feel great and whatever, but when your mind is not, you know, and your faith too is another huge part.

then things aren't always I think

Amy (35:44) think

a key element in being successful is discipline. Self discipline. Sure. Not discipline. Self discipline. Yes. You you have to I mean it takes self discipline to go to bed at eight thirty. Yes. And not scroll your phone for an hour and a half. Yeah. It takes self discipline to wake up at four thirty. Yeah. I thought I was doing pretty good waking up at five thirty, but okay, you got me beat. But your arms are more muscular than mine too. So maybe I need to do that because there is a five fifteen class. But

Christie (36:11) It is nice to get it done. I will say it's nice to get it done.

Amy (36:14) But like I I'm a very structured, scheduled person. And I was I was actually in a at event today and at an event today and this lovely lady was giving me her harvest salad recipe. And it was delicious. I said, I have to have your recipe. Her name was Fran. She was the sweetest lady. And I said, She says, you know, I said, I'm gonna name this salad after you. Cause she let me take a picture. I said, I'm gonna name it Fran's Harvest Apple Salad. And so she looks at me like

Literally look I swear she looked through my soul and she says, I am eighty six years old and no one has ever named anything after me. I looked at her and I said, You are eighty six. What is your secret? Because

Christie (36:56) What is your

Amy (36:56) here she is at charity event making giant salad bowls for hundred hundred or so people. She's out and about, looked amazing, beautiful skin. I I had her at least ten years younger, maybe fifteen years younger. Wow.

And she looked at me and she says, Don't stop moving. Yeah. She says, I don't own a rocking chair. Stay busy. And I was like, Well, that's the case. I'm gonna live to peek really old because I thrive on being I I don't like there there's no glor ladies, there is no glorification in being busy. Yeah. There's you don't ha have to have your day completely full. However, I am someone who likes to g God gives me every day I'm given.

And I want to use every minute of it to be a productive person. Right. So I live on a calendar. I'm paper day timer. People make fun of me. I

Christie (37:50) Me too.

Amy (37:51) I gotta scratch it off my list. Yes. But I am very self-disciplined with my time management. Yes. And I am also careful of who I spend my time with. So I think that's really important for women to be

Christie (38:02) yeah.

Amy (38:03) to r to be and and and if you do, you know,

Well, let's go back to the Bible when we're talking about idols. We can go back there again and talk about pride. How many times you're about pride in the Bible? And and if you are pride filled, then you are not going to get the help you need. No. Or you're going to be embarrassed. And there's such a stigma now about, you know, we're not enough. Or, she doesn't do this enough. Or it's first of all, it's not your business what everybody else is doing. But, you know, talk to a friend and be like, Hey, do you notice this about me? I mean

I went to my friend Kelly. Hello, Kelly. Again, in twenty twenty two in tears, I could not get myself out of a menopause slump of emotions. And I was like, I'm not the same. I don't what is wrong with me? You know, all that stuff. And so, you know what? I have no pride. I had to start hormone replacement therapy. Yes. For my physical, mental well being for

Christie (38:56) Absolutely.

Amy (38:56) my family. For your family. God help them. So I had no pride in that. And I'm on a low dose.

Then an OBG wine put me, a little patch on my stomach. Yes. And I still have major brain fog and exhausted and can't remember anything, but that's why I write it all down.

Christie (39:12) And that's the thing is more women need to hear other women discuss their struggles because you know what, life is hard.

Amy (39:21) It is hard. It's hard. Juggle and

Christie (39:24) Lotta hats. I do women. I

Amy (39:26) Do believe the message from Fran and running into her by her harvest salad. Maybe I'll include the recipe in the show notes. But her looking right at me and saying, I thought she was gonna say I use Cetophil or Noxema or castor oil on my face. I thought it was

Christie (39:42) Or she's

Amy (39:42) like don't stop moving. And my mom has a little plaque that a friend gave her and I'd love to have that sometime, but it it's a little needlepoint one. And my mom was very well, my mom is, you know, no longer yeah with us, but it says if I rest, I rust.

And that is so true. And I love

Christie (39:58) I love it.

Amy (40:00) my mom and genetically, I mean, if you met my dad, you'd be like, Wow, he walks three miles a day. He's amazing. Like so, I mean if I rest, I rest. And so there's you don't have to run circles around it to be busy, but you know, have a little faith in every day or something, whether you're Catholic and saying a rosary or going to adoration or mass or whether you're just whatever religion you are, and you just

Get on your knees and pray and you work out if it's a ten minute walk or

Christie (40:29) Yes.

Amy (40:30) fifty minute waits, arm day. Clearly you do arm days or whatever it is and have a purpose and volunteer and give back. That's the best part of everything.

Christie (40:40) never regret doing something that is healthy or helps someone else. Right. I've never regretted a workout. I've never regretted bringing dinner to a friend in need. I've never, you know, all those things. I've never regretted. What I've regretted is when I don't do something that I said that I would do that would have, you know, been, you know, like, I don't I'm too busy. I don't have time to take them dinner this week. I'll I'll just

And then in it just it kind of eats away at that when I don't sign up for something. And I there's something when my mom died last year that I learned, I got several cards. I had several people send, you know, my friends came in, my house wa I didn't have to do anything. They set up this full reception. I always now try and volunteer whenever something comes out through the death of a family member, you know, even if it's dropping off cups. Right. Right. And I always

try and send a card if I know the person well enough that they would know that the card is coming for me. Just saying, you know, I'm thinking of you. I'm praying for you. Because losing your mom and you and I both went through that last year.

Amy (41:41) Two months apart. Yes. It's that's insane. It's all

Christie (41:45) And it is it is heartbreaking and I'm going to not cry today, but I saw so much love during that time and I want to make sure that anybody that loses a loved one or goes through a hard time feels that same love that I felt because that was what got me through.

Amy (42:06) Same and and there are moments that you will look back on that and like I remember my friend Stephanie. Hello, Stephanie Borden. And she lives way out in Lakeland. I mean that she doesn't live way out. We both live we live like forty minutes from each other. And she showed up. I remember this clear as yesterday, about a week after my mom passed away. She showed up, she was a sorority sister at UT. and she showed up with

strawberry cake, which was our preference night cake. She

Christie (42:37) Shorty.

Amy (42:38) showed up with this cake and it it was fr it's set on the box with love from your Alpha Chai sisters. I do not know what Alpha Chai sisters did that. So hello Alpha Chai sisters, whoever

Christie (42:49) Wow.

Amy (42:50) contributed to that cake, thank you. It was one of those like sugaries or West Point cake, you know, diggity diggity bomb cookies. I mean cakes. And so

She sat it wasn't the cake that meant so much. She sat out front in my out around like chairs with me for like an hour, just shooting the breeze. Got my mind off of things. I that was the most meaningful conversation to me. I don't remember what we talked about, but she went out of her way. It's those little things and moments like that.

Christie (43:17) Those things forever. Yeah.

Amy (43:18) Or my friend Melissa Ra. Hello, Melissa. I think Melissa lit listens to each episode like five times. So I she's gonna like her little shout out, but

She has the most lovely way of being a friend. When you're going through something or you ha just have a lot on your plate, she says, How may I serve you today? Now that's so humbling for a friend to ask you that. Yeah. And of course, we all women are like, we don't need anything. We're good. I'm good. I'm good. And so you say that to her, but then she shows up and leaves you with gifts on your porch. my gosh. That's how she served you because you told her you we all

Melissa, we all do all need a Melissa Melissa and I love you.

Christie (43:57) To be a Melissa.

Amy (43:58) Yeah, we need to be like more like Melissa, but I have been very, very blessed with phenomenal friends. I I have I I don't have a very big family. Yeah. So our friends are our family. You're your family. And I have been enormously blessed. And my daughter in law's mom had said after the wedding, you have really great friends. Like after i i during a shower or something, she said

You you have really great friends and I I am so blessed by the people in my life, near, far, close. I just am so blessed. But it is really important to have that support network when you're making these life changes.

Christie (44:35) Especially at this age too, when you're kid where you're becoming an empty nester, your kids are getting married. You're right experiencing an empty house for the first time. And I will say the same thing. The friends that I've had, they encourage me. You know, I have one friend who's very fit and eats very healthy and she's all she's a phenomenal cook. Hello, Stacy. And she's always encouraged me, you know, with her healthy habits and her self discipline. And she's a wonderful mother. She's a wonderful grandmother and

Just, you know, such a great we exercised together up until COVID and then we all got Pelotons and then we never looked back. Right. And but she, you know, I I do, I I wish I could name every one of them. I have such amazing people in my life, you know, that have encouraged me and pushed me. And my children, like, my gosh, you know, they are so supportive. And, you know, I remember when I went through my divorce thinking, this is the most awful. How can I do this to my children? It was not

a decision taken lightly, but they have been extremely supportive and loving. You know, they're it it it's when you go through major life changes like that, the fitness, a divorce, a death of a s loved one, whatever, it's so important to have people that love you and don't judge you because there's a lot of people out there that'll say things and, you know, and I've learned, and that's another thing that comes with no longer being drunk all the time, is you just learn to

control what you can control and you can't worry about the rest. So if somebody has an opinion about something that you've done, that's just not something that you can

Amy (46:09) Can't change it. You can't change I can't change. I cannot I cannot change what people think of me. And when we started this podcast in episode two, I said to my husband, who was my co host that day, I said, You set yourself up for failure or success on a literally on a global dreaming

Christie (46:26) Yeah.

Amy (46:27) situation, but in life too, and everything we do. There are women who will be jealous. There are in and and I'm not a jealous type person. I'm a I love when my friends succeed.

Christie (46:36) Two.

Amy (46:36) but there are people who don't want you to be better because then they feel bad about themselves. So all right, so what's a piece of advice about all these transformations you've made in your life? As far I mean, I had like six questions to ask you about this, but you've answered them all. Like you're

Christie (46:52) I remember thinking as an A plus guest. Well, like you are an A plus host. I remember seeing one question on there and it was it was one that was important to me that my daughter and talked to me about and that I kind of researched on my own about initially making those changes. And there's a couple of things that I would highly recommend. The first is if you are starting from ground zero with nutrition, I would highly recommend seeing a dietitian. Dietitians are incredibly underused, and my daughter is an amazing

Dietician, as all of them. And they can give you real advice on how to be successful, how to eat healthy, you know, based on your lab work and any health conditions you have, because we we're not a one size fits all. So what works for me may not necessarily work for somebody else, you know. So that is the first thing. And and if you're new to fitness, then I would also recommend seeing, you know, a personal trainer or somebody that holds you accountable. The next thing I did when I first started was I did a complete kitchen clean out.

I took everything out of the refrigerator, everything out of the pantry, and anything that was a trigger for me, like granola. I could eat by the handfuls. And when I was drinking, I would eat it and I would wake up the next morning, it'd be all over the counter. I'm like, I don't remember getting up at 2 a.m. and eating that handful of granola, but I did. So for the beginning part, I would say to set yourself up for success. Have some healthy snacks.

I always go to the grocery store on Friday. I prep my food on Saturday or Sunday. I kind of batch cook proteins. I batch cook vegetables. I cut all my fruit. And that way there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. If I'm hungry, I got Greek yogurt. I can get some berries and I can eat that for a snack. So I don't keep things around me. If I want a treat, I have to go get it. You know, and I'll go to T C B Y or I'll go to Huey's or whatever.

Amy (48:40) P C V Y is my love language. my dark

Christie (48:42) Yeah, and they have great

Amy (48:44) give me all the white chocolate mousse.

Christie (48:46) Me

all of it. And I do it about once a week. I have a friend of mine and and they he teases me about my TCBY addiction. Yeah. Not

Amy (48:55) I love it. It's so there. You have a hard time getting me there.

Christie (48:58) giving it up. I'm just not. So I would say set yourself up for success, clean out your kitchen, get rid of all the old stuff, see a nutritionist, and and and get some support because yeah, that was those were some of the things I did. And then just make it a non-negotiable. Don't

Allow your, you know, make work it in your schedule. Okay. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I'm going to walk for 30 minutes and I'm going to wait train on Tuesdays and make a schedule out at the beginning of the week. And you were talking about that, being a planner. And sometimes it can seem, you know, like she's being an overachiever. What it's not. If you don't plan it, you're likely not going. It's kind of like asking a friend, hey, let's get together and go have dinner. And my attitude now is, and I'll it's funny because now that I'm more intentional, I'll say,

Yes, I think that's a great idea. What night are you good next week? And I'm gonna go ahead and make that reservation. So Thursday, okay, perfect. Karen I went to dinner last week. She's perfect. We're gonna make a reservation. So be intentional about it because if you say you're gonna do something and you don't work it into your day, you're likely not gonna do it. And I definitely recommend getting it done if you work or you have a busy day doing it in the morning.

Amy (50:02) Because if not you'll have an excuse. I I cannot work out during the night. I mean I'll go for Yeah, as far as working out, working out.

Christie (50:09) No

way. would never happen after work.

Amy (50:12) So it's rapid fire time. My favorite time. I love it.

Christie (50:17) La

Amy (50:17) What's your favorite high school memory?

Christie (50:19) Favorite high school memory?

Amy (50:21) I have to ask that since we went to high school.

Christie (50:23) You

know, yes. It was what was our religion teacher, Carol Brewer? Yep. It was going to her ranch or her home. She was the coolest teacher ever because she could tell her anything and she had no judgment. She was kinda like a little Dolly partner.

Amy (50:36) She used to let us listen to Bon Jovi. We're showing our age. Yes.

Christie (50:38) Yes. She was fantastic.

So she going to hers and you know, just that camaraderie with my classmates and just getting that time to reflect and be grateful. I always remember those retreats that we had at St. Agnes. And of course, just football games. There's so much good about high school.

Amy (50:55) You I'm I'm really disappointed you mentioned the hotel parties at the Admiral Benbo on Union. I did

Christie (51:03) Which is now what, like the Planet Fitness or something? Yes. No, those were good too, but that never would

Amy (51:06) Wow.

Christie (51:09) A that would date me and B that would that would make me look like a not very good person.

Amy (51:14) What's your on the go protein tip? Like what do you ha what do you put in your purse? What do you go grab?

Christie (51:18) What do I put in my purse? So every week I'll make some sort of muffin, pumpkin muffin, banana muffin. And and you know, that's the great thing about social media, Instagram and all those things. There's a lot of options. So it's never like a protein bar or anything packaged. I'm just not a packaged food person anymore. It makes my tummy hurt. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. It drives my blood sugar up. So I always have some sort of like muffin or it and if I'm going to work or somewhere, I'll have Greek yogurt.

As a snack. I mean I eat three meals, three snacks a day. I go by, but not I will say, now this sounds kind of gross, but like I've told people before, tuna packets, those kind of things that you can quickly that that I will eat out of a package. But you know, beef jerky, those kind of can't do those either.

Amy (52:04) no make

someone's gonna make fun of me when they hear this, but I have like beef jerky phobia. That is just I I cannot do it, y'all.

Can't do it. Can I do it?

Christie (52:13) Pulses me. my nut. But

this little nut mix situation here. Now nuts are really good to just put

Amy (52:19) Healthy stuff in that gifts.

Christie (52:20) stuff there. So but that, you know, but I really do I cook probably every meal but one at home. I eat breakfast every day at home. I eat lunch every day at home, or I take lunch to work or whatever. And I eat dinner almost every day at home.

Amy (52:34) What's an indulgence?

Christie (52:36) An indulgence for me is a big juicy cheeseburger with yummy fries.

Amy (52:43) Pickles.

Christie (52:45) yes. Yep, yep. It is just my favorite thing in the world.

Amy (52:49) What's your go to restaurant meal? Like like fast food or when you're on the go again. Like give us something easy to

Christie (52:54) Something easy. Okay. Chick fil A has a great healthy menu. I'll get the eight count nuggets. I'll get a little fruit cup or salad. I'll put the nuts on top. But I love Chick fil A for stuff like that. Me too. they're cool nuggets. look.

Amy (53:08) You put that some of that sriracha sauce on it. The

Christie (53:10) Ratcha or buffalo?

Amy (53:11) sriracha is like the healthiest version they have there.

Christie (53:14) Yeah.

Amy (53:15) and there's all these like hacks that people post online about it. And like their their chicken tortilla soup. If

Christie (53:21) I've never had.

Amy (53:21) you get that in the in the wintertime, 'cause it's too hot in Memphis, right? Yeah. You get that and you get like a small grilled nuggets and add that two extra more chicken, so So good.

Christie (53:31) And you'll stay full forever. And so

and if I'm going to out to eat and I want a yummy restaurant, I will say like my fancy restaurant indulgence is probably River Oaks. There's salmon and Chef Jose there is fantastic. Everything there is yummy. Their burger's good too, but that's my that's my cheap meal. Okay. Chow Bella, you know, there's salmon and salads and and you know, you can have your pastas and things like that too. But when I

It's funny now that I've my eating has changed so much, I don't crave those things anymore. I w I want the salmon and the salad. It's not like I'm trying to be I just know that my body is gonna feel good when I wake up in the morning. And so but yeah, there's some good

Amy (54:16) I do have some protein aversions. Like I don't like fish. The texture. Okay. I can't I can't do it. I don't like to cook either. So there's that a whole nother separate podcast about me not cooking. But I I found this great hack for getting really good solid protein in. You take a cup of Greek yogurt.

Christie (54:34) Real Greek. The real Greek ill.

Amy (54:36) And add a I know this is processed, but add healthy protein powder. Yeah. Mix it together. It is like eating pudding. Here's my pro tip. Here's the amyloid tip.

You just get the just the cheap I know it's probably got caridine or whatever, but just a little dollop of the canned whipped cream you put

Christie (54:54) Well honey, I have that.

Amy (54:55) it on there. It is like eating pudding. It is so good. And I'll get almost forty grams of protein. Yes. And and I don't need I mean I'm being not even fully five feet. Yeah. I don't need as much a hundred grams a day. Yeah. I need around eighty. Yeah. and I'm lucky if I get there because I don't love it.

Christie (55:12) Ooh,

a good protein shake at night is kind of something that I'll do. I'll do like a to help me sleep. and one more thing I want to tell you is my mocktail. So my treat now, and there's a lot of great mocktails out there. There's a lot of restaurants that are very sober friendly. You just have to ask. But I take a my magnesium bis glyconate. Okay, ladies, that's your recovery magnesium. And I mix the powder form with like a bloom or a LaCroix.

And it makes a fantastic mocktail. And the and you know, you can mix it with your hydration packet or whatever. And you sit there and sip it and you're sitting there thinking, I'm doing something good for my body. I'm gonna wake up hydrated. I'm not gonna wake up forever. It's the best thing ever. Like my morning coffee, I appreciate so much more now because I'm so much more present. But there's so many good, I could just go on a tangent on that. But

Amy (56:01) Like it. Are you a coffee drinker?

Christie (56:04) I was not until I quit drinking. And then I needed something to give me a little bit of a pep in my stuff. And so a friend suggested that and now I'm a two cup of I cannot function. I do my workout and then I have my coffee. Yes, I drink my coffee before I eat breakfast. And I love it. I I love it, love it, love it. It's I mean, it is just such a treat.

Amy (56:25) Who do you look up to the most? Or who do you look up to in general? There can be multiple ones, you know.

Christie (56:30) You know, my parents, my dad is an im as a Cuban immigrant, always worked hard, instilled that in me. We are giggling now about me being fifty two and back in school and he goes, I'm not surprised. No

Amy (56:41) But you you have reversed age, by the way, if you just add that. She she has literally reversed her aging.

Christie (56:47) He, you know, he said to me, If you if you quit using your mind, then it just stops working. He's seventy five and

Amy (56:53) Be rusty rut.

Christie (56:54) you rest, you rest. Yeah. But my parents, you know, my mom was such a serve server, how would you say that? Like she was always that mom that signed up for the room mom, signed up for everything, signed up for the homeless shelter, signed up to take, you know, food at she did Madonna Circle, she did birthright. She was such a

service first person. And she was that way with her children too. Everybody came before her. She was such an amazing I miss her with all of my heart. But all the things I do now, I I we were talking about that earlier. I'm like, my gosh, that's so my mom. But my parents, they're just, they were amazed, they were married 55 years. They were just a solid example. And and you know, like I was so scared to tell them when I was getting divorced because I thought to myself, gosh, they're going to be so disappointed. Are they

And all they did was, you know what, honey, we love you so much and all we care about is you being happy. And I think at the end of the day, that applies to women, to friends. I just want everybody around me to be happy.

Amy (57:51) I know. I just want to I'm not a c I'm c I'm tired of I don't want to do all that other

Christie (57:55) Yeah. If you're if you lose a hundred pounds, I am your biggest cheerleader. If you change your life and quit drinking, I'm gonna make sure that I tell you how amazing you look. And that is something that my parents always taught me is never ever be unkind. And and again, seeing the world with eyes wide open now that I don't drink anymore, it's just such a different it's just such a different view on life. And I think that, you know, yeah, my parents were just amazing people.

I love I just I love more than more than anything.

Amy (58:27) Well, finish us out with finishing this sentence. I want if somebody wants to change but don't know how, how do they do that? And you've kind of touched on some of this already, but you just finish if I came to you and said, Hey, I want to change my life, what do I do?

Christie (58:44) I would say, why? What do you not like? What what that a

Amy (58:48) What do you want?

Christie (58:49) change? Right. What is what is no longer serving you? And for me, it was alcohol and and being overweight was not serving me. I felt horrible. But I I looked at myself, and it's funny on my Peloton rides, it's always one of the first things that so many of the instructors say is let go of whatever is not serving you. And when your mind is clear, it's very easy to do that.

you know, somebody doesn't want to be around me. That's okay. That's fine. I'll move on. Yep. You know? Yeah.

Amy (59:16) I'm not everybody's cup of tea and that's cool.

Christie (59:18) You don't want to be in my presence or you don't want my company. I respect that. For whatever reason, I respect that. But l what about your life is no longer serving you? Is it the extra weight you're carrying? Okay, well, let's sit down and make a plan to change one thing this week. Add

one protein let's let's build let's learn how to build a plate. And one meal a day, I want you to build a healthy plate. The re the other meals you yeah, all you. Because if you if you go all in, it's just so hard to

Amy (59:47) It is. It is. It's a y you you set yourself up for failure.

Christie (59:50) Yeah. So you almost kind of it's kind of a reverse question, like, so I want to change. Okay, well, why? What do you want to change? And and I've sat down, it was funny. My hair the girl that does my hair the other day was telling me we were talking about being single and all these things. And and she said, you know, honey, next time I get married, I'm gonna have a list. And and I am deserving of that. And I and I, you know, and it's gonna be my future partner would never do this. My future partner would never do this. And

And I love that. Like the people that I hang around would never do this, whether it's talk bad about me or say something negative or not encourage me. And so I think it's more of like not so much what you want to change, but what do you not like about what is no longer serving you? And then just take that little thing and and work with that and just, you know, and what what would change if I did this? But for me, it was just I woke up one morning and I was like,

I don't wanna be this person anymore.

Amy (1:00:50) A lot of people are afraid of change. Like people

Christie (1:00:52) What?

Amy (1:00:52) don't like change. Yeah. It's scary. And a lot of people don't like trying new things. And if I hadn't had people around me encouraging me or a really supportive husband who is the backbone of this podcast,

Christie (1:01:02) Yes.

Amy (1:01:03) I this would we wouldn't be sitting here talking about this. Yeah. And I I always have hoped that, you know, what you I really feel if any listeners are young and don't know this or old, you've gotta wake up every day with your why. Why do I go to the gym? Yes. Why did I go to mass this morning?

Why did I go to the luncheon that I went to to support a charity? Why am I doing this podcast? You know, why why what am I filling up? Because if it's not filling my cup, I can't fill anybody else. So I really think it's Yeah, this this podcast actually, we went from I thought it was being more about alcohol and and and fitness, but it's really more about empowering other women.

Christie (1:01:41) Mother women.

Amy (1:01:41) Because you're here to do that.

Christie (1:01:43) Yeah. And I ha I have had without, let's see, in the last month or so, probably three people reach out to me and say, you know, and I posted on Facebook, which was really hard for me. And I thought for a second I thought to myself, what are people gonna say? What are my children gonna think? What's my family gonna think? I posted my one year sobriety. And because I was proud, it was hard.

Amy (1:02:05) Yeah.

Christie (1:02:05) and I had several people call me. I had one friend call me and she said

I am so grateful that you put that out there. Will you come to a meeting with me? Will you help me? Will you be my support person? Because she's gone through a divorce as well. And I'm I'm divorced. She's going through divorce. And so she's feeling really lonely and she's lost some friends. And and I am always your friend. Call me, find me on social media. I'll help you in any way I can because life on the other side of alcoholism is so.

Beautiful. It's amazing. But I've I have I've and I thought I thought to myself, okay. So that was my purpose. Like you said, you wake up and I put that post out there. It was really, really hard. And but three people called me and asked me, Hey, how did you do it? I I'm tired of how I feel. I'm tired of drinking too much. I think it's interfering with my life. And I want, I want, and in any way I can help you.

Amy (1:03:05) This podcast does that.

Christie (1:03:06) I do. And I hope that somebody will mess with me and message you and so that like

Amy (1:03:11) Eighty seven percent of my listeners are women, which I of course I expected. But hello, thirteen percent men, there's no shame. Yes.

Christie (1:03:18) Because that's what we're here to do. And if you can save one life or save one marriage or save one person from being on blood pressure medicine or cholesterol medicine or whatever it is, you know, food and activity, and my daughter and I laugh about that all the time, truly our medicine. My, you know, my lab work from when I was overweight to what where I am now is is proof of that. And I show people that all the time. I'm like, it's not even about fitting in my clothes better or or whatever. It's truly

I just wanna take this next chapter in my life and live it to the fullest. We're on borrowed time here, you know. We

Amy (1:03:50) No.

Christie (1:03:51) we don't have forever and ever to make those changes. So I would always say if you're thinking it, then act on it because it's not gonna get any easier in a week, a month, or a year. if you're thinking about it today,

Amy (1:04:03) That's good advice.

Christie (1:04:04) figure out how you're gonna get there.

Amy (1:04:05) I wish the listeners could see what I'm seeing right now because l lit y'all she could talk for three hours about it. She has nothing written in front of her. She is going for it. She is just I mean, the passion and the drive and the joy that you feel sharing your story is awesome. Did want to ask, are you still doing your health coaching?

Christie (1:04:28) Just a few little people now, now that I'm back in school. When mom got sick, I kind of backed off a little bit. But I would like to once I finished school make that my like full time job for sure. But I'm always so happy when somebody reaches out. I had a lady at when I was at the beach that asked me, you know, a and and it makes me feel so good. She was like, Well, what do you do y do you work out? Yeah, and what do you do? And she got my number and she wasn't even from here and she said, Would you mind sending me your so

I I would like to eventually make that a career, yes.

Amy (1:05:02) Well can I provide in the show notes and the link like a way to reach you? I mean there might be somebody on here who listens to you and knows that you're a friend of mine and is like, I don't have anybody else to go to, but I heard your friend say that if anybody needs find me and I would love to be able to provide that if you're willing.

Christie (1:05:21) Absolutely.

Amy (1:05:23) I can also vet them and have them contact me first if that helps. Yeah. So you don't have like a hotline. Yeah.

Christie (1:05:29) possible. You know, and just and all I can do and what I can do is just offer you my how what worked for me. And it and like I said, it may not work for you, but sometimes it's nice for somebody that's been through it to just listen to you in the beginning stages. I wish I'd have documented more and written down more about my early stages of sobriety because looking back on it, I think, how I wish I could go back to that. But sometimes

And I reached out to this sweet girl in Oxford multiple times. She was immediately responded, immediately gave me the resources and then encouragement. So yes, I would absolutely welcome anybody that even if you just need someone to talk to about it, you're thinking

Amy (1:06:09) Your

your number's gonna go out. Everybody, this has been a joy. This has also been the longest recording so far because there is so e every sentence, every word has had such value.

Christie (1:06:22) Well they call me Chatty Kathy. I used to have to sit next to the teacher's desk, so

Amy (1:06:26) Hello, have you met me? I mean

Christie (1:06:29) Chatty c I went

Amy (1:06:30) I was on a Curcio retreat last week. Well they say not called a retreat, but I was at Curcio last week. and we had a little bit of a silent time and I was like, do they know who they're dealing with? Like what? I am like shaking. But I I'll provide that information. But everybody, if you are, I I did want to make this easy in case you're just listening to this and you're like, I want to make a change. I I did look up

Memphis Alcoholics Anonymous. And the phone number is 901-454-1414. That is 901-454-1414. Alcoholics Anonymous website is www.a.org. That is www.aa.org. I would advise you to carefully consider who you hang around. Iron sharpens iron.

Always live that way. You'll have more Christies in your life if you do. It's very evident in this discussion that you friends lift you higher. And it sounds like the Karas of the world

Christie (1:07:39) For sure.

Amy (1:07:40) women need more of those and more of you in it because sometimes you need to be the wind beneath the wings for somebody. I

Christie (1:07:46) Absolutely.

Amy (1:07:47) can think of countless times people have been wind beneath my wings.

Christie (1:07:51) Gosh.

Amy (1:07:52) for I mean not for alcohol but for everything. Every everything. Everybody has

Christie (1:07:56) Losing a pair though?

Amy (1:07:57) things. go through things. So, you know, think about who you're hanging around and think about your habits and know your why. Knowing your why is super important. And maybe because we're in middle age and that's just where we are. I didn't know my why at forty three or those were ages where I was just like going through the emotions and doing things like I was I was happy, but I really am you get a little more deeply planted. Yes.

in this these these ages in this season. So I'm so proud of you. You're incredible. You you are a huge inspiration to me and I admire you.

Christie (1:08:33) You're inspiration to me.

Amy (1:08:35) We'll provide her information, everybody. Christy McGee.

Christie (1:08:39) We can

have a little get together, a little mocktail nine mon night and just share stories. Karas.

Amy (1:08:45) And

Christie (1:08:45) And Karas.

Amy (1:08:46) share stories.

Christie (1:08:50) Just so much more beautiful when you do it with people like my

Amy (1:08:53) I know. I know. It really is. I know.

Christie (1:08:56) loneliness is is not good for you. No surround yourself with good people.

Amy (1:09:01) Going back to biblical times, we are not meant for I mean in Genesis, we are not meant to be alone. No. And that's just the way it is from the beginning. Yeah. And so here we all are. But I find that the l the most unhappy people I know tend to have a trend. Yeah. They're lonely or they are not f practicing any faith in anything. Whether you're Christian, what w know what or what, like they have nothing to anchor you.

Christie (1:09:29) Yes.

Amy (1:09:30) And maybe it if you are that way, it's time in your life to be a friend, make a friend, find someone who is. Yeah. or just

Christie (1:09:39) Attitude of attitude of gratitude.

Amy (1:09:41) Join or or join something that gives back. Like birthright.

Christie (1:09:45) for sure. For sure. And that's another thing is just waking up grateful because there's always something. Even in my last two years were two of the worst years I've ever had. And just deal, you know, dealing with the loss of a parent and watching my poor dad and and whatever. But there's always something to be grateful for. If you really if you look beneath all the heartache and and that's where you have to just focus. God's never gonna give you more than you can handle. Right. So just focus on what's going well in your life.

And everything else you're it just it shifts you in a way that it's just y you can't imagine.

Amy (1:10:21) church this morning at Mass and I w I went to the OLPH all school mass so it was lots of kids there. It was it's Friday and I when one of the songs it really hit me it was, you know, God is before you but he's also behind you. And your friends can be that too. You

Christie (1:10:38) Yeah.

Amy (1:10:38) know? You don't have to have a ton of friends. Yeah. Just a couple really great friends is

Christie (1:10:43) Really great friends that you know you can call.

Amy (1:10:45) So you're amazing. You're an inspiration. You're beautiful inside and out. I'm super proud of you. It's really nice to s sit across the table from a real strong woman. Well, thank you. because I am often called a real strong woman.

Christie (1:10:57) You are a strong woman.

Amy (1:10:58) But yeah, you you are I also I just wanna end this with I am not ever eating out of a tuna packet in my car.

Christie (1:11:06) Yeah.

Amy (1:11:07) Not happening, y'all. I don't care. I don't care if my arms look light. I'm not doing it. It's not happening. everybody, if you would like to be on the podcast, if you have a friend who would like to be, and know any anybody who wants to be, you can reach me at amykes podcast at gmail.com. That is amikies podcast at gmail.com. If you do not hear with back from me within a few days, it might have gone to spam. So reach back out.

You can find me on Audible iHeartRadio, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Radio, and I think a few other places. I don't know how that's happening, but awesome. So you're amazing.

Christie (1:11:45) You're amazing. Thank you.

Amy (1:11:46) We'll have all of the information about AA and Christy and all the things after we stop recording, the longest podcast yet. But there's just so much to talk about time goes by so fast. Love you, Christy. You're

Christie (1:11:57) And it does come up bad.