If you want to know how I'm succeeding and how you can too....keep reading! If you want to hope and pray and wish upon a star that you'll lose weight without some hard work, perseverance, and patience then go ahead.....but it won't work!

I am celebrating over one year in my SparkPeople journey with the goal of losing close to 90 pounds of fat and keeping it off for the rest of my life. I've got about 18(!) pounds left before I reach my dream weight of 145. I 'spose it's not a ...

If you want to know how I'm succeeding and how you can too....keep reading! If you want to hope and pray and wish upon a star that you'll lose weight without some hard work, perseverance, and patience then go ahead.....but it won't work!

I am celebrating over one year in my SparkPeople journey with the goal of losing close to 90 pounds of fat and keeping it off for the rest of my life. I've got about 18(!) pounds left before I reach my dream weight of 145. I 'spose it's not a dream anymore! This is real! I am doing it!

As I get older.....well, more experienced.....I find that a year is really not a very long time in the scheme of things. Perhaps that is why when I see the SparkCalculations display the date by which I can reach my goal weight I don't feel daunted. I'm not discouraged. I didn't immediately think, “Oh, forget it! This will take too long....” Instead, I see a doable task that will be completed. Maybe not next week, or even next month, but soon enough. It's just a few flips of the calendar's pages, after all. Seeeesh! It took years and years to put that weight on to begin with.

At 39 I was ready to change direction. Not that I hadn't tried in the past. Believe me, I tried! Diet Center in my teens, my own diet concoction in my 20s, LA Weightloss in my 30s. Not to mention all the head games I played with myself. “If you just did THIS, then you would achieve THAT!” “If I had THIS, then I could do THAT!” Well, 40 was around the corner and, while that number didn't scare me, it did seem like the perfect time to get my act together. I was fat, tired, winded after climbing the steps, disgusted with my image in the mirror, embarrassed to go out for fun nights with friends, and angry with myself every time I took a bite of food. With my son in school full time now and the luxury of not needing to work there were no more excuses.

A good friend told me about SparkPeople in the summer of 2008. I was traveling a lot at the time but I promised her I would check it out when I got home. I don't even want to THINK about how much I'd weigh right now if I hadn't! This weight loss thing is a numbers game for me and SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker has made all the difference. Knowing how many calories I should consume in a day is a priceless bit of information. It has forced me to look at food labels with more purpose. I count out almonds, I weigh a piece of cheese, I measure a bowl of soup. I'm aware of what I'm eating now and when I've reached my caloric max for the day I have no desire to keep eating.

As much as I rely on the Nutrition Tracker, I certainly wouldn't be this far along toward my goal if I weren't exercising on a regular basis. I dress in my workout clothes every morning so as soon as I've dropped off my son I can go straight to my exercise plan of the day. Walking has turned into walk/jogs, which has turned into to completing 5K about once a week. My bike riding has gone from 30 minutes in the gym to a brand new hybrid and 10 hard miles on country roads. The pool time has gone from aqua aerobics to swimming a mile just for fun. And all of these activities led me to register for a sprint triathlon. I know I wasn't the fastest one out there, but that's OK. I was OUT THERE doing it and finishing! The varied classes I take throughout the week like Circuits and Legs, Bums and Tums keep things interesting too. And nothing beats logging in all those minutes on the Fitness Tracker and watching those calories I've burned add up.

With SparkPeople I am now surrounded by my own cheerleading squad. I can always count on a SparkFriend to send a comment or a goodie just when I need it most. I'm always encouraged by someone else's experiences, their successes, and especially their humor. SparkPeople is just so fun. I'm sure to spin my wheel every day and check my page to see what's been happening in the lives of my SparkFriends. And there's just something about providing support to so many people in return. That really inspires me.

To say that I've changed would be a huge understatement. I'm really a different person. Physically, my body shape is altered. I'm down four sizes and I can see my jaw line and collar bones again. And I'm fitter than I ever was as an adult. Every time I exercise I am surprised at what my body is now capable of doing. Mentally, I'm more stable, I'm less doubtful, and I'm more confident. Emotionally, I'm happier, and most importantly I'm proud of myself.

When I reached the milestone of 50 pounds gone I finally felt like I have something to share, something to give. I want anyone who is just starting their SparkJourney to know that it is possible to achieve what might seem impossible. You just need to work hard, have perseverance, and continue to be patient.

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS 2009:

Lose 40 pounds by the time I'm 40......DONE! (February 2009)

Weigh less than my husband......DONE! (October, 2009)

Weigh what my ID says I weigh.....(ETL January 2010)

Weigh my dream weight (145).....(ETL April 6, 2010 *my birthday*)

FITNESS GOALS 2009:

Complete a 5K on 17 May (DONE!! 35:08)

Complete a mini-triathlon on 7 June (DONE!!!!!)

Find another 5K race to register for......(did I just write that?!?!?!)

PERSONAL GOALS 2009:

Become a SparkPeople Motivator...... DONE!! (17 May, 2009) This is HUGE for me! Thanks EVERYBODY!!

Become less of a procrastinator (Things are a little better....I don't log onto SparkPeople until I've emptied the dishwasher AND started a load of laundry...)

Keep the clutter from taking over! (getting better....I pick up what doesn't belong in each room EVERY day and my son seems to be responding to my training....good boy, good boy....


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THOUGHT I'D START A LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED ME REACH MY GOALS.....

**I speak kindly to myself....yes, I talk to myself!

**I try to fit in as much exercise as I can while I'm on vacation. More than 3 days without it and I feel empty!

**Cardio, cardio, cardio!

**I've chosen a reward that really keeps me going! I want those diamonds in that picture.....BADLY! They represent this journey I'm on.....going from large to small, SPARKLING all the while.

**I read the labels! Seems that when I start adding up those numbers, suddenly that chocolate covered graham cracker doesn't look so good anymore. (especially when I see the teeny size of the serving!)

**I use SparkRecipies.com A LOT! It makes it so easy to track my dinners.

** I track my food.....obsessively....I do have the luxury of being at home most of the time so I just jump on the computer and click away....(must admit that I am no longer obsessive about my tracking, HOWEVER, IT WAS THE KEY TO LOSING THE FIRST 60 POUNDS!)

**I don't deny myself the food that I ~really~ want. If I absolutely HAVE to have those jelly beans, I WILL.....but only one serving's worth....and then I'll log it!

**I dress for exercise EVERY morning. As soon as I drop off my son at school I'm ready for whatever exercise I have planned. If I had to come back home to change I'd probably never do it.....

(I'll keep adding......)

Read More About BIONIC2 (Updated November 20)

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