I am so proud of my mom… I have watched her struggle with her weight my entire life and nothing makes me happier than seeing her looking and feeling great! Thank you, Mom, for sharing your fitness journey with us…
Since childhood I have struggled with controlling my weight. This is contradictory to my personality because “control” is my middle name. I am a very strong type “A” personality that likes to plan, organize, and execute in order to reach my goals. So why have I struggled with my weight? Looking back at times in my life when I was stressed, I either ran to food for comfort or starved myself thinking my lower weight would make me happy.
Photo take in 1999 at age 39
Finally, I have taken a holistic approach to reaching my goal. In May 2011, after attending a wedding in Mexico, I hit another low. I realized that I had gained all the weight back that I had managed to lose over the previous five years. I decided it was finally time to put this yo-yo in the box and put the box on the shelf.
May 21, 2011
I began using my gym membership again and following a balanced, properly portioned, and healthy diet that included Isagenix. I wasn’t comfortable in the gym yet, but I knew it was something I was going to have to do if I wanted to progress towards my weight loss goal. I would go to the gym when it was empty and I would hide in the back corner to use the elliptical and treadmill because that is where I felt safe. Finally, the pounds started to slowly come off and I started to gain some confidence but I was really struggling to gain new ground while spending so much time traveling for my sales job.
No matter how much I planned and prepared, it was a constant battle to eat healthy while traveling four or five days per week. Learning how to make the best choices in any situation and having healthy meal replacement shakes and bars available during my long days of travel were the techniques I used to take my weight loss to the next level. As the pounds started to melt off and my confidence grew, my first question when choosing which hotel to stay in started to be, “what are the hours of your fitness room”?
My next step was to get one-on-one instruction to teach me how to lift weights so I signed up with a personal trainer at my local gym. In all my years of struggling with my weight, I had never lifted weights. Learning proper form gave me the confidence I needed to feel comfortable lifting weights. Stephanie had always told me to hit the weights… that the resistance training would give me everything I was looking for and more. Now, you can find me confidently lifting (heavy) weights right next to the weight room regulars.
In my entire life, I have NEVER been a “runner”. I would do just about anything to avoid running so who knew that I would LOVE hill sprints? Stephanie’s SKFitLife Challenge included so many different High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts that I had never done before and I have really enjoyed trying new things and seeing how much they have helped me to continue to shape my body now that the extra weight is gone.
December 13, 2011
I have more energy and feel better now than at any other point in my life. It isn’t just the weight loss that feels so good… it is the feeling of finally being healthy and feeling good about being in my own skin that is my greater achievement.
Back to Basics… 7 Months
