Journey to Weight Loss and Better Health – Weight, Kids, Cancer, Success

Recently, my job has me reading lots of blogs on weight loss and better health. One day after reading the blogs, a neighbor saw my fitness picture in my husband’s wallet. He wanted to know why my husband was carrying around a picture of another woman. I had changed that much! I was unrecognizable to one of our closest neighbors! That inspired me to take up the challenge and get myself into shape. This is my story.

A Bit of Background Information

Back in my 20s, I decided to get into shape. I workout in the mornings (4:30 to be exact) and ate a healthy diet. I read all the fitness magazines and boy did I look great. Then everything changed.

Like many women, kids came along. My rock solid 115 pound 5 foot self waned away. In its place came a 135 pound blob. Now 15 pounds does not sound like a lot and for years, I denied it myself. However, I lost muscle weight and replaced it with fat. Therefore, I went from 12{dc95c22c9cec96e4b887cb128e750bad45acd6bf2ff75ab29d9ade61e84bfb51} body fat to a whopping 30{dc95c22c9cec96e4b887cb128e750bad45acd6bf2ff75ab29d9ade61e84bfb51} body fat.

I married my husband weighing in at 95 pounds. Yes, I am that short. At 34, I was 40 pounds heavier than on the day I got married and that was depressing.

Starting to Eat Healthy

When I decided to change, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I ate to get into that rock hard body. I racked my brain and could not think of anything. I vaguely remember protein bars to add muscle but that is it.

So, I turned to my blogs. Consistently, the blogs were saying to eat natural foods. It is like going vegetarian but more eating things as close to nature as possible. This was fine with me; I don’t like pre-packaged foods anyway.

I started eating right but I still was exhausted from shopping with my girls. So, I decided I had to add the dreaded exercise.

Exercise after Cancer

Ok, so now I have to mention I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32. I have not exercised since. This was a scary proposition for me and I guess after two years, my cancer excuse is pretty worn out.

This is when I take up walking. I decided to walk 1 mile a day. There happens to be a one mile track near my house, so I don’t have to do mindless laps around a track.

The first day, I felt like I was going to die. It didn’t seem like the best idea but I kept going back. Then somewhere around the third week, I found myself thinking this wasn’t so bad. It was getting easier. I even added an extra lap!

New Clothes for the New Me

After about a month of walking, I decide to treat myself with some workout clothes. I am familiar with women’s workout clothes so I know I can grab a shirt for $7. I am so excited, I splurge and buy two.

The walking and the diet has changed how I feel about myself. I am not the blond bombshell I was at 22 but what 34 year old is? Instead, I am a getting into shape mom ready to take on the world.