After watching NBC's "The Biggest Loser" this season, I've decided (with encouragement from the hubby) to set a goal to walk/run/crawl in a 5K race one year from now. One of the contestants (Helen, who is 48ish) just ran a full marathon last week, and completed it. This got me thinking that if someone (who is a few years old, and was in a lot worse shape than me) can do it, then WHY CAN'T I? I'll give you a little background on myself ... during school, I never really considered myself overweight. I was a cheerleader in junior high, and was always asked to be at the bottom of the pyramid and launch the "skinny chick" onto my shoulders, but I didn't stress over being "fat". My Grandpa used to tease my mom by calling her "Crisco" because he thought she had a big butt. Needless to say, he called me "Crisco Jr.", and thus I began to think of myself as being overweight. I weighed 107 lbs when I graduated high school, and was quite comfortable in my skin. I was never "skinny", and I was okay with that. I could still buy cute clothes and I didn't let it get me down. When SgtDub and I got married (1991) I weighed 122 lbs. He thought I was cute, and that's all that mattered. (NOTE: SgtDub was quite the hunk in 1991). As soon as we got married, we began to expand. We ate fast food all the time and never cooked at home or exercised. When I found out that I was pregnant in 1993, I weighed 150 lbs (oops, forgot to tell you that I'm 5'0"). I had a normal, but stressful pregnancy and ended up on bed rest at the end due to preclampsia (not sure about how that's spelled). By the time MissDub was born (2 weeks late via c-section), I looked like an elephant and felt like one too (I don't even recall how much I weighed at that time, but it was a lot). During the pregnancy, SgtDub was wonderful to me. I would come home from work, throw on my pjs and lay on the couch. He would go pick up dinner and rub my feet and I just laid there (looking like that "Jabba the Hut" dude from StarWars) and got bigger and bigger. (Note to pregnant ladies -- get off the couch and move around - you'll feel better, trust me). Once I reached my "maximum capacity", I decided to join WeightWatchers with one of my girlfriends. I joined around the time of my birthday, so my friend paid my initiation fee and that got me started. I starting keep a food journal, counting points and walking. Guess What? You can lose weight by doing that! It was awesome . . . I was averaging about 1 lb per week and reached my goal in about 8 months (128 lbs). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! After maintaining my goal weight for a certain amount of time, I became a Lifetime Member and can attend meetings for free (provided I stay close to my goal weight). I managed to keep the weight off for several years, and then slowly (unnoticeable) it started creeping back. I went from a size 8 to size ?? (after I swore I would never wear that size again). This time, I did it on my own. I started keeping track of my calories and walked like crazy. I would walk on my lunch hour and during breaks - the more I walked, the more I wanted to walk. I now weigh 135 lbs and I'm happy with that. I've gotten rid of all my "fat clothes" and am now wearing a comfortable size 10. Don't misunderstand, I do want to look and feel better, and I'm starting now to take steps to make that happen. I realize that I'm 40-something and "gravity happens". My body will never be perfect, and I don't want it to be. I want to be healthy - I want to eat better - and most important, I want to be a good role model for my daughter! Tomorrow I will tell you about our first "family walk in the park" . . . (note to self, NEVER attempt to walk, jog and do lunges on the first day!)
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