Look at Me Now..

I recently shared this picture on Facebook.  I was actually pretty nervous to share it.  The truth is I would like to forget that the girl on the left ever existed.  But the thing is "she" was "me" for a long time.  And that girl is still very much a part of me.

My weight has been an issue since Reagan was in office. My mom put me on a Weight Watchers diet when I was in third grade.  I look back at pictures of myself as a third grader and I see a normal sized little girl, I wasn't skinny or lanky by any means, but I definitely didn't need to go on weight watchers.  I always felt like I wasn't good enough because of the way I looked.  My brother always ridiculed me by calling me names like "fatty" or "big fat pound mound."   I quit taking tap dance (which I loved) because another girl told me that I looked fat in my leotard.

I reached my (non-pregnant) biggest when I was 24 or 25. So that awful picture of me at the top, isn't even me at my biggest. My husband,  Geoff,  my daughter,  Shaylee (then an infant,) and I were living in a small town in Michigan,  I didn't have very many friends and I felt isolated.. and surprise surprise I am an emotional eater.. and an oven full of baking cookies kept my little house warm in the long winters.

After my son was born, I decided I had to do something for the sake of my kids.  I didn't want to pass down my issues, and bad eating habits to my kids.  I didn't want them to struggle and hurt like I did, I wanted to do all I could for them and be all I could be for them.   I grew up eating fast food or processed boxed food, and it had such negative effects on the way I looked, and the way I felt about myself, and I didn't want to raise my kids eating the same way I did.  People always ask me how I lost the weight.. and the answer is, "I simply changed my life."  First, I got really happy with myself on the inside, and found confidence on who I was and not what I looked like.  Then,  exercise and healthy eating is the way to go.  

The trick to success is to NOT GO ON A DIET.  Going "on" something means that probably you will go "off" sometime.  You have to change the way you live and eat and never go back.  Sure, I will have an occasional cookie or cupcake and enjoy some good ice cream from time to time; but my eating habits as a whole are NOTHING like they were when I was 25.   I  try to exercise  for an hour at least  4 days a week-.  Exercise can be fun, I Jazzercise and I LOVE it.  I had to change my mindset about exercise.. from something that was a chore, to something that was a special time  for me to focus on me.  Maintaining weight loss is just as much work as loosing it.

The thing is, if I can do this, then ANYONE can! Never tell yourself that you can't.  Yes, its hard. Yes its a big commitment,  but it can be done.