A couple years ago a family member fell to mental illness that caused a lot of stress for me and my husband as we are their only close family. Over that time the stress, poor eating habits and drinking more adult beverages than one should, we found ourselves with quite a bit of excess weight. For me, it was actually the heaviest I had ever been! I was always slender, never had to worry about my weight etc. I was miserable, did not like what I had become or how I looked. I knew I needed a change but going to the gym and sitting on the elliptical for an hour and doing some machines were not cutting it.
About 14 weeks ago I hesitantly signed up for SKFitLife. A friend had done the challenge and she looked great! I logged onto my workouts, read, watched videos and thought what the heck have I gotten myself into?? I panicked and sent Stephanie probably way more messages than needed to. I had a previous fall which led to me breaking my back in January of 2004. The damage had caused a lot of upper body weakness etc. I was scared and did not think I could do many of the exercises. Stephanie reassured me she would work with me and we would make alterations etc.
Week one I seriously thought I had lost my mind and I think my family thought I had as well! The workouts were the hardest thing I had ever done! I felt sick to my stomach and horribly out of breath. While I posted on the private Facebook page it seemed everyone was feeling the same as me. Everyone struggled as a group we all had good days and bad days some even bad weeks or months BUT we all stuck together and supported one another!
I sit here with so many emotions of gratitude for this most amazing journey I was blessed to be a part of. I went for a week-long vacation with 5 teenagers (only two of them are mine), my amazing husband, and my three dogs in week eleven. Before this challenge I would have sat on the beach and rarely got in the water. I would have sat on the side and took photos of them riding jet skis. This year I swam, I walked, I ran and YES I rode a jet skis. Much to my hubby’s chagrin he could not throw me off the back of the one we were on due to my new strong body! The best part of that vacation I actually put on a bikini for the first time in many years!
While everything I have mentioned so far have been amazing I want to share something else. My husband was diagnosed with MS in 2007. He did not do the challenge with me but he did do the clean eating with me as well as visiting the gym. About half way through the challenge he came to me and told me that his legs have felt so much better and had less spasticity. That was the best thing for me to hear in a very long time! Even with limitations, injuries, illnesses YES YOU CAN do this challenge! I am happy to report that my back is stronger than ever! My overall attitude about things is much more positive and I have learned that we are ALL human and to do the very best we can each day. This was truly the best twelve weeks of my life! I hope everyone is as lucky as I am to experience such positive life changing events!
