Yes from Within...

The other day I received a lovely message on Facebook from one of the kindest people I know.  She is a friend from High School.  Facebook is a wonderful place to re-connect.  Anyway..her is part of the message...

..would you consider talking about how you reached the point of wanting to make all of these changes in your life? And how, for all of these changes to be effective and become permanent, they have to come from within...?

I responded back with a quick reply..."sure...that will be my next post"

So here is my response...

Pretty much right out of college (1982) I met a pretty nice guy...in 1984 we got married and in 1985 I had a baby...this was 100 pounds later...yep...I did put on about 100 pounds  with my first pregnancy.  I was so infatuated with my new life...marriage and being a new mom...that the weight didn't really even bother me. I can truly say that I wasn't really that affected by it.  I did take off some weight, not really trying... and then in 1988 baby number two arrived and so did some additional poundage...again loving my life...being a teacher etc I just carried on.  We did all the normal parenting things...all the normal activities and continued with our lives.  We ate good...and I loved all the junk.  Shortly after baby 2 arrived I began working for Wilder Foundation...became very busy balancing home and career...changing careers by going back into teaching and 10 years after #2 number #3 came along...with about 20 more pounds.  I was significantly in the 200 plus pound range.  I knew I wasn't healthy...but to be honest with dance classes, Girl Scouts, summer activities and work...and now a third child who really had time to take care of themselves?  And again I never really bought into all the "you should look this way or act this way or appear this way..."  So my life continued...two daughters graduated HS and attended college and graduated college and moved on ...to different states...I suddenly felt like my life was pitiful...I still have daughter #3...and still her stuff to contend too...but it really started to slow down and I found myself drinking more Diet Coke and eating more chips and more Girl Scout cookies...we also went through some emotional highs and lows...which caused lots of emotional eating...lots and lots...

I knew I had to make a change...

I deemed 2012 to be my year

But it didn't necessarily include weight loss...at first...I tried to make and keep other goals...but nothing seemed to work...nothing seemed to inspire me and I truly wasn't very happy.  So unhappy that I really couldn't even focus or look myself in the mirror...

I needed to make a change...After getting therapy on my knee and really having to focus on my lack of physicality...I knew the change had to come from within...and I knew it had to be something physical...I was so worried about being a burden to my children as I grew older...I knew that I wanted to enjoy my mid life and I knew neither were going to happen if I didn't do something with my body...MY BODY!

So in April I pursued finding a way to get my physical act together...

And it has been a journey...a happy journey.  It is happy because it was my doing...my decision and something I always knew I could do.  I always liked doing exercise and knew that it would be the secret to my success..whenever that success was to happen.

So 9 months later...many pounds lost...many inches gone...I am a much happier person inside and out...I have a focus (and it is me) I am enjoying life...My job doesn't stress me half as much as it use to and I am making friends.  I also find myself helping and encouraging others.

So there you have it...a chapter in my life called Yes from Within...