Trust me, if I could get in shape at the age of 43 after birthing four babies, so can you!

I firmly believe that reasons for not getting fit are merely excuses in disguise. The more "reasons" I hear, the more I believe this. I don't care WHAT your medical issue or current situation: You can not tell me there isn't something doctor-approved you can't do to make yourself healthier. I'm just not buying it.

I'm no one special: Never been an athlete (I'm horrible at ...

Trust me, if I could get in shape at the age of 43 after birthing four babies, so can you!

I firmly believe that reasons for not getting fit are merely excuses in disguise. The more "reasons" I hear, the more I believe this. I don't care WHAT your medical issue or current situation: You can not tell me there isn't something doctor-approved you can't do to make yourself healthier. I'm just not buying it.

I'm no one special: Never been an athlete (I'm horrible at sports!), very little family history of athleticism, a personal history of severe chronic depression, and a family history of not only obesity and depression, but also heart disease and diabetes..... Yep... If anyone was set up to stay fat, it was me.

But at the age of 42 I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and decided to see if I could turn my body into something that was defying the odds instead of becoming another statistic. It took me almost a year to lose 42 pounds. It was a lot of hard work. I back-slid countless times. There were tears and times of "What's the use?" But I did it. Me- the girl who usually gives up. I didn't give up. And if I could see it through, so can you!

My epiphany came when I let myself absorb the horrible reality of what obesity and diabetes combined with genetics had done to the senior members of my family. I didn't want my kids to watch me go through that. For their sakes, I needed to grab my own health by the horns.

The other thing I had to come to terms with was that I was not taking care of the body God had entrusted me with. Instead, I was abusing it. So the first thing I had to do was ask His forgiveness. Which, of course, came right away. Next, came self forgiveness. That was harder, but eventually I was able to forgive and love myself enough to start the process of reclaiming my health. (I actually blogged about this in my blog a while back titled "The Gift of Self Forgiveness". It's closely related to another blog I posted titled "Love Yourself In Your Current Condition" If you haven't had enough of my words by the end of this very long introduction, you are welcome to page back through my blogs to the right and read them.)

So I joined Weight Watchers and became more intentional about my workouts in the gym. I hired personal trainers and worked with a nutrition coach and learned what food is doing while it's in my body and how it's affecting me. I studied everything about exercise and nutrition I could get my hands on. I'd been a Certified Personal Trainer for several years myself (still am!), but I started using my training to help others achieve similar results. I wanted my journey to benefit more than just me.

In short, I immersed myself in whatever I could do change my ways and help others change theirs.

And eventually the changes came........ Not quickly, though....... Heaven knows I didn't do this overnight! But when you are making positive changes, your body can't help but respond positively.

And that's what I want you to understand: It's not a quick fix. It takes time and effort. It's often difficult. But is getting yourself into shape, both internally and externally, ever worth it!

I don't know when your epiphany will come. No one can make a lifestyle change until they are ready. But when you are ready, dig your heels in deep and tell yourself, over and over, that no matter what comes your way you will NOT give up on yourself, no matter who else disapproves or it inconveniences. Tell yourself you will NOT quit. Tell yourself you are worth it! Because if you don't believe it, no one else will, either.

If you want more inspirational words from me, check out my blogs! A lot of people write me looking for support (I love hearing from you and will do my best to get back to you), but most often I will send them to a blog because of the frequency of certain questions asked and issues being brought up. Be prepared, though: There is a LOT of information in my blogs, so page through them and pick the topics you find of the most interest. There's even a few video blog links!

You can do this. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to your Creator, and you owe it to your family. Now what are you waiting for?

Read More About NANCYANNE55 (Updated April 30)

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