Monday, its like a punishment for having too much fun on the weekend!!
Good Monday morning everyone!!!
So I was looking at my profile and I realized that I have a lot more followers and many of you may not know me too well, so I am going to share some about me today!
I am 35 years old, I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Fayetteville, Ar when I was 21 with my family. I have been fat my whole life. I was taken to fat camps, doctors, weight loss clinics, all sorts of stuff, but I was a food addict and so none of it ever helped. I started gaining at a rapid pace after my dad died, I was about 6yrs old and we moved in with my grandparents, who hated me, so I ate to feel better. I had lost my daddy, my normal life, and all I knew was eating made me feel a little better.
My dad died on the road, he was a trucker, he had a heart attack in his sleep and died in Allentown PA, and by the time he was found, there was no way to transport his body home. He was only 46. He was 6'5" and probably 550lbs. He was a giant. A gentle giant, but a giant none the less.
When I turned 30, I felt like there was a timer on my life. My dad died young, I was overweight, I was having trouble moving, mobility was difficult, I was having trouble breathing, sleeping, but that didnt stop me from eating all the time. I had snacks in my room, I ate huge lunches at work (4000+ calories, daily) and I would eat 3 or 4 plates of dinner. I was a mess.
I had tried diets all my life, but nothing ever worked. Nothing ever stuck. I lost weight, gave up, gained it and then some back.
My turning point was when my sister asked me in December of 2017 if I would go on the Keto diet with her in January until her wedding, which was in March of this year. I said yes, thinking it would be just another fake attempt and I would quit and go back to my ways before January was over. What made me stick, honestly, was my boss telling me that he didnt think I could do it. I told him about what I was doing and he said "I give you a month, and youll be eating bread again" and it made me mad. How dare he assume I was that weak, how dare he tell me that I couldnt do it. I was strong, I could do it, and he would see. So I did it, I stuck with it. I found this site, and it woke me up to the fact that I wasnt a failure, I could do it because there were others who were struggling, we could all do it together.
I read info on Keto, I read about the ways your body processes carbs vs fats, I read success stories, I read and read and read and decided this was the way I would live. I got messages, people telling me that I should try different things, Keto wouldnt work, it was all based on CICO, but I wanted to see, for me, if I could do it.
And I started to lose....
I found my thing! I found what made me want to fight, what made me want to win...I found my reason. I want to live, I want to REALLY live life. I want to see things and do things, and be with people and I cannot do that at 500lbs. I had a time limit on my life, and slowly, that time is lengthening. Day by day, I struggle, but I fight. Day by day, my will gets stronger, I fight harder. I dont exercise, I know I should, but I am lazy, but I am losing weight.
As of this Friday, I have lost 100lbs since January 2nd. I was over 500lbs when I started this journey. Today, I sit at 399lbs, still obese, but getting better every day. I will post a picture below, I took on Saturday morning and another that was taken August 19th 2017, I am 100lbs smaller. Same shirt, very different girl...
This journey is a hard one, a long one, an uphill battle...but you are battling for your life. You are battling for another tomorrow, another smile, another sunrise, another sunset...another moment with someone you love.
And it is so worth it...
Keep fighting, never give up, never lose sight of whatever it is that makes you push yourself just one more moment...one more hour...one more day...KEEP PUSHING!!!
Today I pray for strength for all of us, another ounce of want to push forward. I pray for healing for bodies and minds. I praise you Lord for all the successes and strides we are making, I praise you for your endless love and grace, new for each day. I give thanks for all that we are given, all that we are shown, and all that we are. I pray for more success, more healing, more and more of You, Lord. In your wondrous name I pray, Amen!!
I fight this fight for my husband, for my nephew, for my nieces, for my love of roller coasters and the beach...I fight this fight for one more tomorrow, to make one more memory. What do you fight for?