Paying it Forward

Where I was

Just over a year ago, my girlfriend Larissa and I threw down our proverbial gauntlets and declared that enough was enough when it came to the state of our bodies. We both were tired of feeling tired. My joints ached me almost every day and Larissa had developed type-2 diabetes. I was pre-diabetic and had severe sleep apnea which impacted my memory and concentration. We were both physically a total mess!

I had been overweight for so long, I had convinced myself that I could not lose weight no matter how hard I tried.  Part of the reason I was convinced of this was because I love to exercise and I had started meeting with a remarkable personal trainer about two years ago but had not lost any significant amount of weight. Despite the sweat-drenching workouts three times a week plus two workouts on my own, I think I lost about 10 lbs initially. However, I attribute that loss more to other changes in my lifestyle, like  trading  happy hours for workouts.  As hard as I worked, I seemed to be going nowhere and even started gaining some weight back after a while. Talk about discouraged!

About a year ago, a friend of mine told me that she had joined one of the powerhouse weight-loss programs (I'm declining to say which one here but I'm happy to share if you ask me personally) and that she was losing significant amounts of weight. Larissa and I decided that we were at the end of our ropes and had nothing to lose except maybe some cash.  

The program consisted of  weekly personal consultations with a nutritional counselor and a pre-planned menu consisting of the program's food. It was very expensive food and quite honestly, not very nutritional (lots of preservatives and additives) but I was more interested in finding out if I could actually lose weight. 

While Larissa and I only purchased their food for a couple of months we did each start dropping weight. I lost about five pounds the first week and then about one to two pounds a week after that.  While that might seem slow, one to two pounds a week is really is a good, safe amount to be losing.

After a couple of months, we were done with their food but kept meeting our very awesome counselor who encouraged us when we were doing well and talked us off the ledge when we gained weight back or hit a plateau. 

Where I Am Now

The photo of me at the beginning of this post is the picture of a person who was not feeling the full beauty of life. I was feeling stuck and miserable most days.  The above photo is the picture of a person who has released about sixty five pounds off her heaviest weight and knows now what it takes to get this done. 

As of today, I no longer meet with nutritional counselor or trainer. They were both amazing and integral to helping me understand what I needed to do in order to be successful in getting healthy.  I got what I needed to get from them and know that it's up to me to keep it going. I continue to educate myself about health (not diets!) and make sure I am keeping my workouts fun and creative just like my trainer did for me. I don't rule out "tune-up" visits with them but for now, I'm on my own.  Just me and my supporting crew of family and friends. 

Where I am Going

I'm still not in my optimal healthy condition but am so grateful of how far I've come. I do not..repeat DO NOT lament about how far I need to go but instead choose to focus on how great I feel today. I  want to express my gratitude in the best way I know how and that is through paying it forward. I plan to use this space as a space to share some of my challenges and wins and hopefully help others see that it's possible. I know firsthand the mental and physical toll being unhealthy can have on you so I'm happy to share whatever I am to help.