A year ago on Mother's Day I had what I lovingly refer to as "The Intervention". I had reached an all time low. The events over the past 17 years had taken their toll on me and between that and recent happenings at my job I was on antidepressants and addicted to food. I had reached an all time high in my weight and and all time low in my depression.
My health was a mess, I was on two different pills to try and keep my blood pressure under control and even then it was still high. I was feeling like if I never showed up anywhere again I wouldn't even be missed, not suicidal, I just become reclusive when I'm depressed. I figured I was just going to always be fat and alone.
My family was worried about me, especially my girls. So on Mother's day they sat me down and we talked. It started out kinda shaky at first but it ended up okay. They said things I needed to hear and I left it with a promise to them to look into some programs.
My friend at work, Connie had joined Weight Watchers that last February and was having great success in losing weight and she really liked the program so I went and checked it out. The result...On May 26, 2010 I joined Weight Watchers to help me change my life.
I was (embarrassed to say) 303.4 pounds (and I had lost 14 before I started). Here is a VERY rare picture of me that was actually taken a year before "the intervention". The smile is fake because I was anything but happy. I was drowning and didn't know how to make it stop.
I keep this picture on my phone and look at it to remind me of where I have come from.
So a year later I have had great success in changing my lifestyle. I am no longer on antidepressants or high blood pressure medications. I have lost 116.8 pounds with Weight Watchers plus the 14 I had lost the month before for a grand total of 130 pounds. My doctor is thrilled.
Weight Watchers is a lifestyle not a diet. It has taught me to eat correctly and take better care of myself through proper diet and exercise. It has helped me to learn how to handle my emotions without food. Do I still slip once in a while? Yes, but I just get back up and get myself back on track. I am genuinely happy now and I feel great!
Every spring Weight Watchers has a Walk It Challenge with a 5k. Last year at this time it took me over 10 minutes just to walk around my block and I was winded. This year I walked/jogged the 5k!
Here is a picture of myself and my dear friend Fran before the walk. She is also a WW member and works for them.
This is Lorrie and LeAnn.....
The 5k was around the Mantua Reservoir. It was the first sunny day we had had in weeks. The reservoir is nestled in the mountain and it is a beautiful walk. My time for my first 5k......48.10. Not going to break any speed records with that but I was proud of it non the less. That time was actually 5 minutes faster than the Saturday before when LeAnn and I had come up to give the route a trial run.
We could order Walk It shirts from WW and you could have one of their sayings on the back or put one of your own. On the back of mine I put "Because I Can!". One thing I have learned through this journey to get my life back is that I can do anything I put my mind to! It is never to late to change your life around, just look at me. I have a blog on the WW site here if you want to read about my journey more.
I still have a ways to go to get to my goal, but I will get there. I have made a lot of changes in how I eat and live and deal with life in general, but like all projects it is a work in progress and it is something that I will always have to be aware of. I'm not proud of where I've been but I'm proud of where I am and where I'm going. I don't ever want to be that person I was a year ago again.
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