Like many women, the scale just kept going up. I felt terrible about my ever increasing body so I ate more and moved less. I crashed dieted before my wedding to fit into my dress. I was constantly starving and irritable. I knew crash dieting wasn’t the answer but I wanted results fast and had tons of excuses to not exercise or dedicate time to proper nutrition. I wanted results fast.
I vowed to “do it the right way” after the wedding but got pregnant immediately.
My pregnancy gave me free range to eat whatever I wanted and not move. Pregnancy was the perfect excuse and I used the excuse to the fullest.
When I delivered my daughter in March of 2006, I weighed in at 206. Sadly, I only took off 10 pounds and kept telling myself that if I was under 200, it was fine. We planned on having a second child so why bother trimming down?
Sadly, I weighed 236 when I delivered my second in December of 2009. Between December 2009 and August 1, 2010, I made some small efforts and was able to lose 30 pounds but that still left me at delivery weight of my first.
My big moment came when meeting friends for a play date and I literally didn’t have any pants that fit. Not a single
pair. Most didn’t go up past my knees. I ended up wearing stretchy sweat pants to the park in August in Florida. I thought I was going to melt. At that moment, I decided it was time for a change. No more excuses. As a working mother, the excuses were so easy….not enough time, scheduling conflicts, fatigue, etc. No more. I needed to figure something out.
I joined the gym and purchased Cathe’s Intense and Body Fusion DVDs. I treated my gym time and DVD workouts as importantly as I would treat my kids swim lessons or play dates. Basically, I decided I was just as important as my children were.
At first, the intense cardio made me feel like I was either going to pass out or vomit, I actually enjoyed it and started to see my body transform. After gaining a little confidence in my transforming body, I ventured off to strength training.
I also changed my eating habits and truly began to look at food as the fuel my body needs to look and feel the way I want to. Healthy choices are so easy when you are proud of your body and feel good about the changes you are making.
By February 1, 2011, I weighed in at 135! 71 pounds in six months. My body fat decreased from 41% to 20%!!!! I went from a size 16 to a size 2. I literally look and feel like a new person. I am so much happier and have so much energy!
I feel wonderful and plan to begin teaching group fitness classes this fall. My husband has also started moving and toning up. He looks great! Most importantly, my children see the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. Last week when offered a treat at a street fair, my five year old replied, “I would rather have a banana. I want to be healthy like you.”. Who knew that making myself a priority would benefit my entire family?
