I was going to wait to post this until I was finished the losing, but with the new 500 in 2010 challenge, I thought this would be as good a time as any. I have been working hard over the past year to lose some weight. Not a little weight. A. Lot. Of. Weight. I was always an athletic kid, and through college as well, and then life sort of happened and I had three kids and found myself extremely overweight. I tried hard many times to lose it, but I always regressed to my former ways. It is so much easier to give in to temptation with yummy things than to eat things that will fuel me well. Last January, Will's Dad died, and something clicked in my head. I saw all of the sadness that it brought to the entire family, and couldn't bear to think of leaving my family. I decided at the end of January to start hitting the gym regularly and happily, and I started eating whole foods and really thinking of food as fuel. Now, I still eat things I love occasionally, just not pounds of chocolate or serving bowls full of cereal. I can't really believe I let myself eat like that for so long. I was so tired and sluggish all the time. I didn't have any clothes that weren't elastic waist pants, and I never felt good about myself. I figured out that if I wanted the girls to be healthy and exercise I would have to be their role model. I have succeeded. Now when I am not home, they assume I am at the gym. Even if I have already been there earlier that day. I am not a food nazi, or an exercise lunatic, I try to do everything in moderation. I was starting to get really bored at the gym and was startimg to lose the excitement of going until LauraC threwdown the 500 in 2010 challenge. Now I am happy to go to the gym and am pushing myself harder than I ever have when I go. I think the challenge was just what I needed at just the right time, so I thank her for that. I also decided to train for the WIllow Tree Half Marathon In Providence, RI in May, which is about a week after my 32nd birthday. I feel better than I ever have. I have lost 80 pounds through eating (mostly) clean and exercising. I still would like to lose 30ish more pounds, but I am getting there and I am proud to be healthy and a good influence for my girls. I know they will be healthy and know how to take care of themselves, and now, so do I. I have very few pictures of me from before, because who wants fat pictures around? I didn't, and now this is my before picture. Now, I love to be in pictures, but I am usually taking the picture. In this one, it was Christmas, eleven months after I started the weightloss. Yes, I have all of my family piled on me (just the way I love to be), but you can get an idea. I will definitely post better pictures when I take some.
9 comments:
Congratulations! That's awesome and really inspiring. I am very fortunate that I haven't had any weight problems, but I completely identify with not eating well and feeling sluggish and tired all the time. And I definitely want to model positive habits for the boys. So although I haven't joined the 500 in 2010 challenge, I have started C25K, and hope to be able to run for 30 minutes straight by the time the spring and warmer weather arrives. Maybe this summer, I'll enter a 5K. At any rate, most people who have lost a lot of weight after many failed attempts talk about that something "clicking," that moment when the desire to change overcomes the lure of the old ways. I wish we could wrap that up and market it! Thanks for your inspiring story, and good luck in the 500 in 2010 race!
Dude! Dude! 80 Freaking pounds! That is amazing. I'm so impressed.
That takes a lot of hard work and discipline.
I think the thing that finally "clicked" for me was when I opened a Lane Bryant credit card because that was where I was buying most of my clothes. It also helped that Andy joined me in making the necessary lifestyle changes, which provided the support I needed.
I really love the energy that exercising gives me. I'm happy that my struggle now is how to balance exercise with my life, not how to get up off the couch.
Once again, Congrats!
80 lbs! CRAZY AWESOME!!!
Erin lost 70 lbs last year too and she is planning to write about it. For me, I want to be here for my kids and grandkids and great-grandkids if possible. And truly, I feel my best when I exercise regularly. Whenever I'm running, I think about all the things that I CAN accomplish.
You look absolutely beautiful! Thanks for your story. It really is inspiring to read.
That is awesome!!! Way to go!
Very awesome! I do love the motivation of this challenge. I feel so much better and have more energy when I am exercising on a regular basis. And the 500 miles is enough of a challenge to me to keep me at least moderately active.
80 lbs? Incredible! You are amazing Maria and I am so very impressed!!
You are such an inspiration to me, Maria, as a Mom, and as a person.
Wow - so wonderful! I am trying to catch back up with WHO all of the old May '06 mommies are around here, so I'll be around!
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