My weightloss journey:

A friend of mine asked me if I would write something for her weight loss because I had inspired her. I thought that was really nice and I appreciated the compliment. I decided to post it here on my blog too since it is a big part of my life. I really don't like sharing my weight with the world but I thought it was important in this case.

12 years ago after giving birth to my 1st child, I decided it was time to do something about my weight. I was at my heaviest(180) and felt miserable. I, at that time decided to join Weight Watchers and it worked. I lost about 50 pounds and felt great. I was finally where I wanted to be and then I got pregnant again. I was able to watch my weight during the pregnancy and start up Weight Watchers again soon after giving birth. The same thing happened with my 3rd and 4th child, always getting back on the wagon after giving birth. After my 4th and final child I was able to lose all the baby weight. But as the years went by, I slowly began to put on a few pounds here and there and before I knew it, I was 25 pounds overweight. I felt miserable and decided I needed to make a change. I have always exercised but my eating habits were awful. I decided against weight watchers this time around, thinking I needed to make a permanent lifestyle change. A friend of mine had great success with the Body Bugg(http://www.bodybugg.com/science_behind_bodybugg.php)and it sounded like something that would work for me. I am a numbers person and if I can see how many calories I am burning each day and I put in how many calories I'm eating, I can figure what is going to work best for me. So I spent the $200 to get one and after a week I knew it was going to work for me. In 3 months I went from 160 back to 135 where I feel the best and I have been able to keep it off. I am at the point now where I don't count my calories but I still wear the bodybugg to make sure I am atleast burning 3000 calories a day. That gives me room to have some treats and not deprive myself. I workout 6 days a week, doing a circuit class at the Y three days a week and running 20 miles a week. I had to work up to this and now this is what is comfortable for me. I am ok with exercising so much so I can eat a little more. It is worth it to me. 3 years ago if you would have told me I would be training for a full marathon, I would have told you, you were crazy! But after doing 5 half marathons, I am ready! I will run my first marathon June 5th along with great friends that have pushed me along the way. Anna, who is my friend and neighbor has always been my inspiration when it comes to running. She has taught me a lot and for that I am so grateful to her. I have many friends who like to run and it is a blessing to have someone by your side when you are trying to get in 10 miles. I feel like I have come full circle I finally feel like I am where I want to be. Even though I always say I want to lose 5 more lbs. I think that will always be in the back of my mind but I am happy and that is good enough for me!My best advice is to take one day at a time. Don't look at the big picture. Think about what you are going to do today to fulfill your goals and then go onto the next day. It is so important to exercise, even if you only get in 30 minutes a day. Not only for weight loss but for your health. Eating well balanced meals are equally as important. I wish I didn't have to choose between a cheese burger and a chicken breast but I do and that is the choice I choose to make it so I can be healthy.(don't get me wrong, I have cheeseburger on occasion!-it just needs to be done in moderation)