"Some people dream about success, while others wake up and work hard at it."

There is a certain point in ones life when you come to the realization that things need to change. We all come to that realization at different times and in different ways. My time came at the dawn of my 30th birthday, during my last pregnancy.

History:
I was a take-for-granted thin teenager. Not naturally thin, but forced myself to be that way due to peer pressure and social ...

"Some people dream about success, while others wake up and work hard at it."

There is a certain point in ones life when you come to the realization that things need to change. We all come to that realization at different times and in different ways. My time came at the dawn of my 30th birthday, during my last pregnancy.

History:
I was a take-for-granted thin teenager. Not naturally thin, but forced myself to be that way due to peer pressure and social expectations 105 lbs. thin. At the time it was a great weight to be socially, realistically looking back, it didn't look so great.

The good 'ol days of college life helped to put some much needed pounds back on. Within the first 2 years I was in between 120 - 130 lbs. Not too bad, but not too great either.

Child birth x's 2, enough said! Of course another weight gain of 10 lbs. was added. For those keeping track, 140lbs.

Recap:
Mid-twenties, Married + children + stress = LIFE

I spent the remainder of my twenties on and off several diet and exercise programs. My weight yo-yoing between 120 - 170 lbs. Life was starting to = FRUSTRATING! Well at least the weight part of it anyway.

I started 2008 by finding out I was pregnant. Not only was I overjoyed but I was also terrified of the weight gain that I was about to embark on. Well I had every right to be terrified not only did I gain a whopping 40 lbs., topping my weight off at 200 lbs., but I also developed high blood pressure and gestational diabetes. That was my moment of realization! It was then that I knew my weight had nothing to do with appearance or acceptance, but ultimately with health.

I lost my pregnancy weight within 9 months after delivery. However, my pre-pregnancy weight was entirely too high. So I still had a lot of work to do. That is when I joined Weight Watchers in May 2009.

Present:
Since then I have steadily lost weight at a healthy rate, bringing my numbers back into the "healthy" range, and lowering my BMI out of the "obesity" range. I have learned how to eat healthier, cook healthier, and act healthier.

The changes in my health have benefited me more than I could have imagined. The real changes didn't happen until I realized I needed to change my lifestyle and not just my weight. Losing weight doesn't make you healthier. However, the direct result of becoming healthier is weight loss. More importantly though, it's a weight loss that can be managed and maintained for life. Anyone can "diet" and lose a few pounds here and there, but to change for life is a whole new challenge. A lifestyle change takes determination, perseverance, inspiration, motivation, and patience.

Future:
The reason it is called a life change is because it is for a lifetime. What was once unthinkable will become doable. What was once hard will become easy. Bad habits will soon cease to exist and become replaced with healthier habits. Life = Living!

Read More About CHRIS-FIT4LIFE (Updated August 24)

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