First, the obligatory bio:
I’m a forty-something wife, mother of six, business woman, lawyer. I’m a dreamer and planner, a do-er and a relaxer. I love painting and knitting. I love swimming and riding my bicycle. I really love reading. I’m a teacher and a student. A perfect night out is dancing with friends. I like to be the center of attention. I also like to celebrate others.
One of my favorite maxims is “if you want something done, ask a busy person.”
My health and fitness journey:
I have always felt like a professional dieter. If there is a “lifestyle plan” out there, chances are I’ve tried it. My main goal is always to eat healthy and get my workouts in, but I get suckered into the fads pretty easy. I’ve weight-loss solution-ed (Nutra System, Weight Watchers, and Mayo Clinic Diet to name a few), flushed, I’ve supplemented, I’ve cleansed, I’ve joined fitness programs, I’ve hired personal trainers, I’ve body wrapped. So far, not much has worked. Why? Because like many people who struggle with weight loss, I get discouraged and quit. Or, and this is worse, I have success and start to self-sabotage. Well, not anymore! This time is different.
I have always been a chunky girl. My Mom tells the story of how I was the “bath model baby” for the mommies of the babies born at the same time as I was because I was the biggest of them all weighing in at 9 lbs. 6 oz.
I have had periods of thinner and fatter. After the birth of my first two children, I struggled with the 10-20 pounds of post baby weight that I just couldn’t get off. Then, I started law school and something magical happened, or I switched from regular soda to diet… Hard to know for sure. I lost 10-15 pounds and felt really good at 145 pounds. I was able to maintain that weight after the birth of my third child and my surprise twins a year and a half later.
Then, a few things happened. I was in an auto accident at the end of 2004 that ultimately resulted in surgery. After the injury, I struggled with pain and depression. The result was a weight gain of over 40 pounds. This is when I started trying All The Things. I did manage to drop some of the weight, interestingly enough, after the birth of surprise baby #6 at an “advanced maternal age.” But, even that didn’t last. When I hit my all-time low, mentally and physically in 2017, I was topping my weight chart at over 180 pounds. At 5’4″ and small boned, this is not a healthy. I was tired, sad, and sick. Carrying all of that baggage is exhausting. Not just the weight, but the depression and anxiety brought on by being miserable in my skin.
I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but happen something did. In July, 2017, I hit a bottom. I was miserable. I made a decision. Well, I made several decisions that have changed my life. 1) I decided to quit drinking alcohol. Nothing good comes from it. 2) I decided to commit to exercise. and 3) I decided to quit eating out and start eating only whole foods that I prepare myself. Guess, what? This worked! Mind. Blown.
This is where Beachbody entered the equation. I was not new to Beachbody when I started this journey, or more accurately, this life-style. We had a copy of P90x laying around. I also had a borrowed copy of P90x3. I tried them, but never completed them. I also had a Beachbody membership that I started in 2015 and a copy of 21 Day Fix – which I started a few times. I was the proud owner of a few container sets – that I never used. What changed is that my mind-set changed. I have had a gym membership for years and had faithfully “donated” my dues. The problem was that I only use the gym for the classes and the pool, but the classes aren’t at great times for my work schedule, and the best time for me to use the pool also seems to be the best time for everyone else to use the pool. So, I was stuck in a place where I was doing nothing.
The first step was to cut out alcohol completely. The first month was rough and the second month, I hit the gym. That is, my home gym. I dusted off the 21 Day Fix and made the commitment to do it. Then, a Facebook friend invited me to join a challenge group. This is where it got exciting. I was losing weight and feeling better than I had in years. I want this for everyone. I am committed to maintaining the path to fitness and wellness. I am learning nutrition. I feel inspired to share this knowledge and work with others.
Join me on this journey and get fit with me! We can do it. I promise.