Weight has been an issue for me for over 14 years. When I had my first child, I went from 160 all the way up to 220. After the second, I went up to 265. After having my second child Morgan, I was really unhappy with myself and the way I looked. It bothered me enough that I joined the gym, with a personal trainer.

I was very successful. I lost a lot of weight, getting down to 202 pounds. That was summer of 2002. The end of 2002 I went through a really hard time in my life, the ...

Weight has been an issue for me for over 14 years. When I had my first child, I went from 160 all the way up to 220. After the second, I went up to 265. After having my second child Morgan, I was really unhappy with myself and the way I looked. It bothered me enough that I joined the gym, with a personal trainer.

I was very successful. I lost a lot of weight, getting down to 202 pounds. That was summer of 2002. The end of 2002 I went through a really hard time in my life, the stress and chaos, left me with no time for me. I fell off, and after 2 more children, I was at a HUGE 288 pounds! I was so depressed.

Over the next few years, I stayed in. I didn't do anything that I loved anymore. I was raising my children and giving my all to them. I was so embarrased to go out of the house. In April of 2006, I knew things had to change. I would not even take the kids to the pool anymore. I could not be seen in a bathing suit. That would be humiliating!

I started out with Turbo Jam Videos. They helped out. I lost about ten pounds. After that I went to walking. Every night, late at night when Nobody could see me because it was dark. I got down to 255. I was feeling a little bit better, but was still self concious about how I looked.

On Dec. 18, 2007, I took my kids to a park near my house. It was nice, there was a track that went around the park, so I could walk laps and the kids could play. My oldest daughter, Keysha was walking laps with me that day. She thought it would be a good idea for us to run. HAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!! That was the FUNNIEST thing I had ever heard of!

My mother was a runner when I was a kid. She ran like outrageous amounts of miles. One month she ran ten miles a day, every day of the month, total of 300 in a month! I did NOT get it.

For some reason, I did it. I started jogging around that dirt track. I could not go far, maybe 30 or 40 yards. But I liked it. I started wogging. Walking and jogging. I would just jog until I needed to catch my breath, walk and start jogging again.

I caught the "running bug"! After a while, I was able to run a whole .35 mile lap! Then I was up to running 9 of those laps without walking. I thank God that I found running. Running is my passion. I GET IT NOW! I have been able to lose some weight, still have some to go, but I am getting closer. So far my furthest point was running a 4.5 mile route on Town Lake. That is with no walking. I started running up hills. All over, not caring how anybody seen me.

The fat girl in my is leaving. Yeah I have some extra baggage still. But I am strong. I am healthy. I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. I go to the swimming pools ALL the time. I don't have to wear a t-shirt over my bathing suit to be comfortable in my own skin. I LOVE IT! I have even gone to the water park for the past 2 summers, and felt like a kid again! I needed to be able to do what I love.

I am now living! I am not just a spectator watching life pass by.

I have over 50 pounds to go. I know I will acheive it. I recently came across a gym, that I could join for $10 a month. I faithfully go at least four times a week, sometimes 5. I do ST at least 3 days a week. I am really seeing a huge difference. Yes, I have been doing this for 4 years. Yes I have over 50 pounds to go to get to my 120 pound loss goal. This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change. It takes time. I am doing this the right way.

I LOVE to exercise. I LOVE the way my body feels, when I eat healthy. I LOVE the fact that I know what is good for me know. At 18, I thought it was cool to have McDonalds all three meals...as long as I had 3 meals. I did not know I was downing over 4000 calories a day.

Even the worst of my binge days now, are NEVER as bad as what was going on before I knew. Knowing is HALF the battle.

This has been a long journey, but it is well worth it. My goal that I really want to do, is run a 10k with family April 2011....and sometime after that I would LOVE To run a half marathon, or even a whole one day. I BELIEVE in me! I BELIEVE I can DO IT!

Life is better.

Read More About SSPANIER (Updated October 7)

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