Losing weight and gaining a life

I used to be about a hundred pounds heavier. Now I'm not. I've been the not over 15 years now, and most of the people that knew me all along have forgotten how big big was, and the new friends cant imagine such a thing. Sometimes, when they find out, I see them sizing me up, wondering where it was, how I looked. I looked like me, except a little more scared, a little more restless, a little more hidden. It was my shell, or better yet, my cocoon. Because somewhere in learning that I like to move, eat nutritious foods, express how I feel, and try new things, I realized I was unfolding and sometimes, even flying. For the record, I'm officially out of the box, and I don't plan to go back.

So how did it happen? I get that a lot, and I don't usually know how to answer. The short answer is that I made a lot of changes, and kept them up. The long answer is just that. Long. Remember, I've spent last 15 or 16 years learning to live. In consideration of the very dear people that have asked me to share a bit more on that, here goes.

 Back in eighth grade, the adults around me got worried. Evidently, I was going through a chunky phase, and my mom, being helpful, took the car, mapped out a mile, and told me to run or ride my bike. She also bought me a thermos to bring diet shakes to school. Neither of those was as helpful as she was hoping. However, she was on to something. I did need to exercise, and I did need to think about nutrition.

Fast forward ten years, a couple of diets, and a big weight gain, something changed for real. This guy, Bill Phillips, used to run ads for supplements and fitness contests in fitness magazines. My husband used to buy these magazines, and being an avid reader, I used to read them. After several months of reading these magazines, I was inspired to make a few changes. I stopped eating foot long subs. I took the stairs a little more often. Somewhere in there, I joined a gym, and signed up for a few sessions with a personal trainer. You get the idea. I was about to undo, and relearn how to take care of myself. When I started to make these changes, it was scary, and I had no idea where to start. It went against every life pattern I'd learned growing up. There was no getting back to basics, because I was laying a foundation for the first time.

Then, I got a wild hair that I was going to do one of these competitions. Please understand how crazy this was. When I looked at the pictures, the winners were definitely fit. I was not; I was miles from fit. Never mind, I was hooked. I bought and read the book Body For Life by Bill Phillips. I thought about possible menu choices. I figured out preferred and back up times for exercise. Then came the very scary day I put on a two piece bathing suit, held my dated newspaper, and let someone take my picture. I had begun.

Life calls, and I must answer. Until next time...
I remain, as do you, a pilgrim on a journey. Let's walk together for a bit; it's better that way.