Half the Size, Twice the Life
Age 42
Brentwood, California
145 pounds lost
I had a weight problem all my life, but when my vacation photos were processed, I honestly thought they gave me the wrong photos back until I noticed my grandmother standing next to me in the photo. It was my "A-Ha Moment" for sure. I could not believe how I had let myself go.
My biggest challenge was the overwhelming task of thinking how would I ever lose all the weight. I then broke it down into small goals--five pounds at a time--and just kept moving forward. I hit plateaus, but always mixing up my workouts helped me get over them.
My life has changed in so many ways in the five years since I've lost the weight. I do believe that you are treated differently when you are overweight. I wish this wasn’t so, but it is. I am happy, healthy, and able to do things I never did before.
SparkPeople's menu ideas and tracking my progress with all the tools available really helped me. The Message Boards are wonderful; I totally believe SparkPeople is the BEST weight loss website out there.
It’s a continuing journey of eating clean and working out. But I plan on getting certified to be a personal trainer early next year. What’s next? My dream would be to open my own personal training studio, also starting a healthy living program for the kids at local schools.
If I have had a rough day, I may blow it with a meal or something I should not have had. The truth is, we cannot be perfect 100 % of the time and there will be slip ups, and there will be stressful moments in our life. Just jump back on with the next meal, with the next workout. Don’t wait for that next Monday; jump right back on track.
