Monday, November 26, 2007

And so it begins...

I decided to start this blog to allow for more friends & family to follow my continued fitness journey but mostly it's for myself. I want people to better understand this journey for me but I realize that it's not something that most fully get. But for me it's about having self control, determination & the sheer will to make my goals a reality. Ultimately, this journey is about me.

For those that may not know, my journey started over 5 years ago when I was pushing 300 pounds, unhappy (even though I convinced myself that I was) and in reality a walking time-bomb with my blood pressure. I was living in Las Vegas at that time and made the decision to hire a trainer & with her help started eating better as well as working out. It was Regina who got me headed down the right track. From there I went to the Body for Life program for continued motivation. Time passed & I found myself moving back to Indiana in 2003. I was still obese & as life continued on and with that I made little changes once again. I met my friend, Stephanie, who was running & doing Weight Watchers. I joined her in both activities and never looked back. Today, I sit here more than 100 pounds lighter.

Rewind to July 2006 when my Mom was going into the hospital for her second by-pass surgery. This time it was to be a quadruple. She never came home. My best friend died at the age of 55 from heart disease. It's hereditary & her Mom died at the age of 40 from the same fate. I promised my Dad as we sat waiting for her to pass that I would never allow myself to become unhealthy again. I became a bit obsessed with fitness at that time but eventually eased up to a more healthful plan. I myself have a history of a binge eating disorder that started when my brother died when I was 10 years old. Food was my comfort but when Mom died, I just did not eat. Neither option is healthy & I know that.

Back to the reality of today, I've been working with Cathy Savage since June 2007. I went to Camp Savage Chicago & was very encouraged by what Cathy had to say. She told me that I could be on an NPC stage in the spring. I thought she was nuts but I knew it would be possible if I put my mind to it. I hit a speedbump in September when I just got off-track during a vacation prep plan. But today finds me back on track minus the Thanksgiving festivities from this past week.

My biggest realization is that I cannot let food control me. I must be in control of it at all times. Fitness is the only thing in my life that I can control & I chose to own it.

So feel free to follow me along this journey as I prepare to grace the NPC stage to showcase all of my hardwork. It's going to be a bumpy road at times but I'm okay with that. I'm ready to face whatever comes. I'm not sure how often I'll update this blog..maybe just weekly for now but more often as contest draws closer.

I face each day with the the knowledge that......Failure is NOT an option!