My Fitness Journey



 My husband, Ed, and me.  Mother's Day, 2009.



I feel really very fortunate that in my whole life, I have never really felt terribly overweight.  That is contrary to what doctors and scales have told me, but it never defined me, I guess I should say.  Despite having times of being heavier, I always had a desire within me to be fit and active.  Over the years, some things got in the way of that as happens to many of us.  Some of those reasons were very valid and some were not. 

Back in 2005, I did 3 things that brought me from the brink of going over a line that I had never seen myself going:  right at Christmas I discovered that at that moment I either had to go shopping for size 18 clothes or do something to turn it around.  The previous fall I had had a foot surgery that enabled me to finally be able to get off my duff (after suffering from plantar fasciities for several years), and so in January I joined Weight Watchers online.  I also joined a gym; LA Fitness.  These were both very successful decisions for me.  I did really well there and within a few months, I had lost 35 pounds. 

The next year, though, we moved to a new home, and the trip to the gym was no longer a convenient stop for me.  I also got busier at work than ever.  I found myself never going anymore, and I was not adhering to any sort of eating plan.  My only eating plan was "See It, Eat It".  I had zero willpower to turn down foods that I shouldn't be eating.  To make matters worse, I ate at very irregular times, and some people would say I wasn't eating enough.  So, not eating enough AND eating wrong things in general.  I would buy good food to eat, and it would just go bad sitting in the fridge.  Working out, too, was not something I was doing.  My other problem was that I was chronically dehydrated; NEVER taking time to drink anything!

I didn't like this trend as the pounds started to come back.  Two other times I tried to re-join the gym and Weight Watchers, but I couldn't replicate the success I had had before...for a multitude of "reasons" (a.k.a. "excuses"). 

In January of 2013, I was introduced to the Curves Complete program.  My mom had just joined it and was very excited about the possibilities.  The plan included an online eating plan, a well-defined circuit of strength-training equipment at the gym, and one-on-one coaching with a certified trainer.  The key part for me would be that one-on-one coaching because I need that accountability.  Basically, the whole program was perfect for me.  I did have a tricky time getting TO the gym during their hours of operation, but I put their schedule into my phone so I could plan my day around it.  I just really made it a priority. 

 My husband and I in mid-February 2013.  This is right before I joined Curves...the day my colleagues chose me as Teacher of the Year at my school.












After one month on the Curves Complete Program, I participated in a Dirty Girl Mud Run in Austin, TX with my daughter, sister-in-law and her best friend.
 
I am happy to say that in my time since joining Curves, I have lost about 20 pounds and 20 inches.  I was wearing size 14 in January and am now wearing size 8.  The exciting thing is that I feel that I'm just getting started and look forward to seeing how far I can go with this.  I was even watching the Insanity infomercial today and thinking "I could do that!" 

We shall see!

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