I guess if we were truly to start at the beginning we'd go back to when I was a kid...for as long as I can remember I struggled with weight. It's not to say I've never been skinny...I have. I've just yo-yo dieted up until August 15, 2011. I'd lose-I'd gain--lose--gain...it was a roller coaster and every time I was on the "gain" cycle I'd put on about 10 to 15 more than I had been previously. I have done pretty much every diet out there except the baby food diet...but I was even tempted to try it at one point. It'd be hard to believe looking at me now, but the day James and I got married--I weighed 103 pounds. The thing is the way I got to 103 pounds was very unhealthy not to mention dangerous. And that's how most of the weight loss methods I'd previously used were...either not healthy or they were not sustainable long term.
In June or so of last year, I sat down with my husband and I told him these words: "Listen, I think we're going to have to deal with the fact that you're just gonna have a fat wife." I went on to say, "It's not what I want...I'm not happy about it but obviously this is the way God made me" Yes, those words came out of my mouth and it's very possible I shoved a cookie in as soon as I had said them...I'm not for sure.
This all came to the forefront because we'd been planning a trip since the first of the year to go to Texas to see family and my goal had been to lose 50 pounds by time we left...it was a few weeks before the trip and I'd lost a whole ZERO pounds. In fact, I'd actually gained a few and I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life (including being pregnant--that's just sad). So, at that point I was done. I was throwing in the towel. I was quitting.
And then something happened to change my mindset...we had one of our friends, John, over for dinner while his wife was on a mission trip in Africa. He was telling us about how good he felt since he'd started using AdvoCare products...he could work 10-12 hour days and come home and still have energy left for his kids. He felt better than he had in years. I'd seen very positive results that a few of my friends had with AdvoCare but I was a bit stubborn (hard to believe, I know) and I figured I could do it on my own. But up until that point, I hadn't really heard what AdvoCare was truly about. It wasn't just losing weight, it was feeling better--it was being healthy so that I'd be around and want to be around in the years to come.
There's a side to the old me that no one outside of my home saw, I was barely making it at being a Mom. My normal routine was to roll out of bed and feel like I hadn't slept a wink...I would drink a minimum of 4 Diet Mt Dew a day and sometimes I'd mix that with anywhere from 2-4 Red Bull. I would hit a wall around 1:30 in the afternoon and have to go to a back closet at work that I set up as my "nap" space because I couldn't make it through the day without having a 20 minute nap. Around 4:30 I'd be wondering how I was going to keep my eyes open to make the commute home. Most days, I would get home and tell James to just let me take a 20 minute nap and I'd be good to go the rest of the night...but I wasn't. I'd be asleep on the couch around 7:30pm. I had nothing left to give to the kids or James, I was failing my children miserably. I was cranky and I was absent...maybe not physically but in all the ways that counted--I was not taking an active role in my family. The one area in my life that I had no business "dropping the ball" on was being drop kicked right out the door.
That night as John sat at our table telling us how good he felt I made the decision to give AdvoCare a shot. Don't get me wrong, I was skeptical...boy howdy, was I ever. But I figured at this point it couldn't hurt to try.
On August 15, 2011 my journey with AdvoCare began. And now all those things that John was saying as he sat our dinner table...that's part of my story. I have more energy than I did 10 years ago. I feel better than I have...in well I can't remember how long. I am active with my kids now...they've seen me do things they'd never seen me do before--like jog. They bought me exercise accessories (if you exercise with music at all you have to get a pair of wireless headphones...they are AWESOME!!) for Christmas because I wanted them!! If you'd told me this would be what my life would look like last year at this time, I'd have laughed in your face.
I have set a goal to lose 70 pounds and I'm on track to hit that goal by June of this year--as of this morning I've docked 25 pounds off that number. I've adopted the mantra, I guess you could call it, #failureisnotanoption. I tell it to myself over and over...FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION...EVER. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm not going to get just skinny, which has always been my goal in the past, I'm going to get HEALTHY and nothing is going to stop me. I am so thankful for the changes AdvoCare and good friends have made for my future.
Speaking of good friends, the first inkling of AdvoCare was planted in my head by my friend Alison Bynum who has currently lost 100+ pounds. Alison then shared it with Ashley (John's wife) who has lost 90+ pounds. And John has lost 75+ pounds. Because Alison went out on a limb and shared her story I'm here today sharing mine...it's a trickle effect. All of us started our journey with the 24 Day Challenge and if your sitting there reading all this thinking--well, that's great for them but does it really work?? I get it, remember I was skeptical too (which is why I put it off for several months and happens to be one of my biggest regrets). If I could do it all over again, I would have found a way to have started this last year the first time I heard about AdvoCare. It's not just made an impact on my life...it's been LIFE CHANGING.
Oh, and by the way...when I hit my 70 off....I'm jumping out of a plane and going skydiving. I CANNOT WAIT!! I already have a T-shirt printed that says #failureisnotanoption...and failure will most certainly not be an option in that situation either...THE PARACHUTE WILL OPEN!
This blog is going to be my journal of the journey I'm taking to reclaim my life, my health and freedom from the bondage that weight issues can hold--if you've ever struggled in this area you know exactly what I mean.. If you are feeling it's hopeless...please don't give up, take a minute to contact me--I would love to share how you can experience freedom too
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