The time has come to make some drastic changes, I mean drastic! Changes in my mood, my outlook and most importantly, my health! As most people wait until the New Year to conjure up a resolution, I waited until the season premier of the Biggest Loser! I have long known I needed to take better care of myself; just this past January I lost 32 pounds and felt great only to gain 18 of it back. It is now time! Though I’ve told myself this many, many times before; the roller coaster must stop now, life changes must occur and a new me, mentally, emotionally, physically and hopefully with that FINACIALLY will come out of this shouting from roof tops that I too can achieve greatness!
Okay enough of the pep talk. If you follow my blog you’ll know suffered a stroke five years ago so you’d think my health was paramount and in my mind and heart it truly was. For some reason, eating and eating unhealthily was simply easier. I feed my emotions, my pain, my successes, my failures, everything. Because of my stroke I could no longer get additional life insurance. Because I’m a single parent, I needed it. Just last week I qualified for it! The last step was to complete the blood, urine, height and oh yes the weight – stepping on the scale for the first time in a long while, I cried when the medical assistant moved the slider to 250 then 265, 275…277 – there I was in all my glory, less than 3 sacks of potatoes from 300 – ashamed, I drove to work in silence and tears. How can I have a 120/80 blood pressure and be morbidly obese??? I wasn’t overweight as a kid. I’ve been in healthcare for 17 years, I know what’s right – I teach my son healthy choices everyday. I’m astonished by the childhood obesity plaguing our country but yet I stand before you a hypocrite. Easy to give advice but poor to receive it. Those days are over.
The day before the biggest loser premier, a friend posted a YouTube video about a man and his journey; www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU. I was touched by Ben’s story so much that I went to www.bendoeslife.com to read more. PUMPED, I wanted to get off the couch and instantly go for a run, but I had a sleeping 7 year old upstairs, so I cleaned out my cabinets of junk. Anything Jillian Michaels wouldn’t have approved of was gone. I wrote down my goals, my why and went to bed ready for 9/21!
I’ve regained my desire to be fit but to help keep me on track, I’ve decided to put it all out there – blog about my journey too – I thought if Ben can do it, so can I. Why else would I be crazy enough to put my weight out there for the entire world to see? Hopefully along the way, I’ll inspire someone else to make life changes too. Am I terrified? Hell yeah. Will I stumble? For sure, but I’ll get back up and keep moving because not only am I worth it but so is my son, my future and the friends and family that surround me.
Here we go…
Okay enough of the pep talk. If you follow my blog you’ll know suffered a stroke five years ago so you’d think my health was paramount and in my mind and heart it truly was. For some reason, eating and eating unhealthily was simply easier. I feed my emotions, my pain, my successes, my failures, everything. Because of my stroke I could no longer get additional life insurance. Because I’m a single parent, I needed it. Just last week I qualified for it! The last step was to complete the blood, urine, height and oh yes the weight – stepping on the scale for the first time in a long while, I cried when the medical assistant moved the slider to 250 then 265, 275…277 – there I was in all my glory, less than 3 sacks of potatoes from 300 – ashamed, I drove to work in silence and tears. How can I have a 120/80 blood pressure and be morbidly obese??? I wasn’t overweight as a kid. I’ve been in healthcare for 17 years, I know what’s right – I teach my son healthy choices everyday. I’m astonished by the childhood obesity plaguing our country but yet I stand before you a hypocrite. Easy to give advice but poor to receive it. Those days are over.
The day before the biggest loser premier, a friend posted a YouTube video about a man and his journey; www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU. I was touched by Ben’s story so much that I went to www.bendoeslife.com to read more. PUMPED, I wanted to get off the couch and instantly go for a run, but I had a sleeping 7 year old upstairs, so I cleaned out my cabinets of junk. Anything Jillian Michaels wouldn’t have approved of was gone. I wrote down my goals, my why and went to bed ready for 9/21!
I’ve regained my desire to be fit but to help keep me on track, I’ve decided to put it all out there – blog about my journey too – I thought if Ben can do it, so can I. Why else would I be crazy enough to put my weight out there for the entire world to see? Hopefully along the way, I’ll inspire someone else to make life changes too. Am I terrified? Hell yeah. Will I stumble? For sure, but I’ll get back up and keep moving because not only am I worth it but so is my son, my future and the friends and family that surround me.
Here we go…
Joleen,
ReplyDeleteI know you can do it just keep believing in the power of you and do it. There will be road blocks and stumbles along the way but with any challenge we give ourselves that happens. If you trip along the way pick yourself back up and brush yourself off and continue on your path of a life change. Hang in there and keep on a smilin'
Rhonda