This is my journey.....
I have now lost over 110 pounds, and I am so excited about the changes I am seeing in my life as a result of the weight loss. Some days I sit back and think about how far I have come and it amazes me. In the beginning I did not know if this time my weight loss efforts would work. After all, I had tried so many times and failed. I remember going into a non-plus size store for the first time in 10 years, and I was able to buy everything and not have it be largest size they offered!! There were tears - many tears - of joy and it was at that moment when all the runs, the crunches and the lifting were well worth it!! This is my journey......
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED MY LIFE -
In April of 2006, my husband I took a vacation to Europe, and when I looked at the photos I was shocked at how I had let myself go. I did not recognize the girl in the photo. I cried, I was broken and I did not know where to start. I knew it was up to me to change. I wanted to reclaim the person I once was. I started slowly, watching my portions and trying to get in as much physical activity as I could. I lost around 17 pounds that first year, but I did not become truly serious about my journey until May of 2007 when the months leading to my 30th birthday brought a change in mindset and proved to be a changing point in my life.
In May of 2007 I bought a heart rate monitor and it changed how I viewed exercise - it became fun! Using the HRM to record how many calories I could burn and recording how many calories I ate in a day online bridged a gap for me. I was able to make the connection between what I was eating and what I was burning. When I would eat an apple, I knew the caloric count of that apple and what it would take for me to burn it off. If I wanted a meal that was 300 calories then I needed to decide whether or not it was worth a good 40 mins or so on the treadmill or should I go for a healthier option.
This understanding of how our bodies burn the fuel we know as food changed my life. It also changed the intensity of my workouts. I knew that I had a particular amount of time to burn as many calories as I could so I needed to move! I highly advise the investment in a good heart rate monitor. I use a Polar HRM but there are many others. It will increase your knowledge of fitness and knowledge is power! It is what will take you to the next level of your journey.
I started doing cardio for 90 mins a day, 5 times a week and strength training 3 times a week. I also started measuring and logging everything that went into my mouth!! Before I knew it the pounds started to fall off! I went from wearing maternity pants and size 18 plus jeans to now I am wearing a size 2 - 4 in several different brands.
One of the most important things to remember when starting out is to know before hand that there will be hard days. Mentally prepare yourself that the scale will not always move each week, in fact some weeks it may go up some. This is normal. This does not mean that you are not on the right path. Stay focused and know that if you are consistent you will see results. Nothing is more important in this journey than persistence!! You will be tested, you will be tempted to eat the wrong things, you will want to quit, but if you hold on, you will reach goals, and what a day that will be! This passage is from Tom Venuto's book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and I find it motivating -
"The next time you feel a craving, you're tempted, discouraged, unmotivated or you feel like skipping a workout, focus on your daily goals, not on the huge amount of work that is ahead of you. Tell yourself , all I have is today! All I have is this moment, this workout, this meal, the next 30 minutes, the next hour. If I just do what I know I must do now, then I KNOW I'll reach my ultimate goal eventually. Concentrate on the task at hand IN THIS MOMENT. "
There are so many things to share about my program and eating habits...and I have far more to learn. So share with me what you have done to see success and we will work on becoming our very best together!!!! If I can serve as a motivator to just one person and in return they motivate another - than we are successful. We are all here for a purpose. Even though our underlying reason may be different we were brought here for a reason. I look forward to an amazing 2012. Reaching our goals together and gaining knowledge from one another on this incredible road of success that we are all apart of!!
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WHERE MY JOURNEY WILL TAKE ME IN 2012 -
I have come to realize that what I do today will have a lasting effect - good or bad - so I choose to make positive changes on a daily basis. I firmly believe that the smallest efforts over time lead to great triumphs! This is a time of reflection for me- where I have been, were I am now and most importantly where I am going. Who will I become? How will I use this experience to help others? I ask myself these questions every day and I look forward to seeing what tomorrow has in store for me as I travel on this amazing journey that is set before me.
I have not only changed my body, but my life for good. I have added years on to my life and to me that is the best reward! I want to live my life with a passion for making not only the most of each moment - but to make the most of this temple, this body, that God has blessed me with. I am still on my journey and have quite a road ahead of me - but when I see how far I have come it makes me even more motivated to push through to the finish line. I love this quote....
"You may encounter failure at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. You will never know how close success lies unless you turn the corner." Og Mandino
As so I press on - everyday! I am close - I can see it - my ultimate goal - ahead of me - and now it is up to me as to how I will get there! I have to remember that at this time I need to enjoy every stage I am in. Some times we can be so set on looking only at where we want to be that we loose sight of the beautiful transformation that is taking place in this moment!
I am currently taking inventory of my life and reviewing my habits so that each day I can renew my goals and focus. My program is changing the more I learn, and to me that is a sign of progress! I am trying to saturate myself with all things positive. I really do believe that we have a choice every day what as to what we will hear, see, think and do!! I feel that this has a direct effect on our lives. I want to be a support to anyone I can because through this I myself gain so much by giving to others.
Below is a quote that I refer to often. I have to remember that change takes time and that is ok, but I must continue to reach towards my dream every day...
"You will achieve your grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day / not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal / to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished." - Og Mandino
I will leave you with this. Every person who has made a change in their life remembers a specific point in time where something just clicked and they knew this was the moment to change. This is that moment for each of us. Now - today - is the day for change. Forget what happened yesterday and focus on the daily changes you can make that will bring you closer to your goal. If you are thinking, "Well, it is too late, I am too old or too overweight" I want each of you to remember this - post it somewhere you can see it daily -
"It is NEVER too late to become what you might have been!" - George Eliot
You have been given today as a gift - MAKE IT COUNT!!!
