That Moment

         

There truly is nothing like that moment something happens that you have mentally played out in your head so many times.  That moment it happens is priceless.  That moment you realize your life has changed… for the better.  That moment your realize it was the result of determination and motivation mixed with fear and obstacles.  That moment…

On January 1, 2011, I made the ever-popular New Years resolution to lose weight like millions of other Americans.  Only I knew deep in my heart, this was it for me.  It was a do or die crusade, literally.  The month before my doctors had warned me about my weight and how I was slowly killing myself.  I was 31 years old and weighed 288 lbs.  I was on the road to Diabetes.  I had already had my gallbladder out due to a poor diet and I’m sure high blood pressure and cholesterol were going to eventually catch up.  I had to do it for real this time.  I have lost weight before, always gaining it back, and then some.  I had decided to join WW and add some activity to my life.  I set small weight loss goals for myself. I aimed for 30 pounds, then 50, etc.  I dreamed of what it may be like to actually lose 100 pounds. I never said it to anyone for fear of failure.  Did I actually think I could do it? No, not at first.  That is a surreal amount of weight.  I had decided to keep the small goals and dream about the big ones.  After losing 50, I had said it aloud to someone and they didn’t laugh, or discourage me.  Was it not crazy? Wait..other people think I can do this? Hmm..ok.  Before I knew it, I began saying it to everyone.  I want to lose 100 lbs.  Nothing but “you can do it!” and pure encouragement came from every mouth.  I dreamed about what it would be like to see that on a scale.  I dreamed about how I would tell people.  I even dreamed about how I would write this very blog post.  It’s here, that moment…

   

For the past 12 weeks I have been receiving nutrition coaching from my boot camp trainers.  They see me daily at camp, know me as a driven individual, and knew I had been stuck at a plateau.  They read my blog post “Tearing Me Down” back in February and reached out.  They strongly felt they could help me They were confident they could help me.  I blogged that I was in search of this magical person, lo and behold they were in front of me the whole time.  I kept a detailed food journal and had several check-ins.  I made small, yet necessary changes.  They opened my eyes to what the issue really was in my journey and why I was struggling.  Today was the end of the 12 week coaching program, and I can confidently say I was successful.  In the 12 weeks, I broke the plateau with a 14 lb weight loss.  My body fat went down 7% and my hydration level increased significantly.  That moment…that moment you hold your breath and squeeze your eyes closed and open them to see the scale and it happens.  That moment is nothing short of amazing  phenomenal .  I managed to hold back the tears of joy til I got in my car.  I sat there for a minute and experienced the pure happiness, then I let it all go.  I earned that moment.  Miles of running, dozens of races, hundreds of hours in bootcamp, and many days of tears.   I am going to stew on this for awhile, LOL.  I just can’t believe that I did it.  I did it.  It was all worth it for that moment.  The times of struggle; Turning down more birthday cake than I can count (even my own), ordering salad when I really wanted a burger, drinking water instead of wine, and even giving up coffee.  It was all worth it to know if I can accomplish losing 100 lbs, I can do anything I freaking want.  I’m going strong into this half marathon training knowing I have it in me.  My confidence is soaring and I feel ready to tackle more goals!

That moment, it’s yours, it’s mine…go get it.  Seize the opportunity to change your life! It won’t happen overnight but if you remain dedicated, persistent, and focused, it WILL happen for you as it did for me.  Thank you to all those that supported me and lifted me up when I needed it.  Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤

         

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***A Special Thank You to Ryan & Danielle for reaching out and believing in me.  You did more then just help me break a long standing plateau, you taught me what it means to be healthy and that my dreams should be referred to as “goals” .  Without even trying, the healthy eating transferred to my family in the process.  That was something I never expected.  Thank you, you are two of the most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing ❤ ***