AND SO IT BEGINS.............

I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but I think it will help me to just write it all down and maybe it will help someone else.  I think if I had a blog like this to read and relate to, it might have helped me when I started this journey.

And that's what this first post is about - the beginning..............of this journey actually began shortly after 9/11.  I, like so many people, lost someone very special on that day.  It became so obvious how precious life is and how important it is to live life to the fullest and one of the most important parts of "living life" is "living healthy".  Well I decided then (with the encouragement of two friends) to join Weight Watchers.  I will never EVER forget the terror of stepping on that scale for the first time.  How bad could it be?  I mean I knew I was overweight - that was the whole point of being here, but how bad could it be?  Well it could be as bad as 240 lbs. (I'm 5'5")  It literally knocked the wind out of me.  How did this happen?  I was 41 and the mother of two great girls and the wife of a wonderful man - how did I let this happen to myself?  It was time to start taking care of me and so it began.  I worked very hard and after 15 months, I had lost 97 lbs.  It felt amazing - I felt amazing.  I managed to keep the weight off or most of it for a number of years but when I turned 50 this past September, I had put nearly 50lbs. back on.  sigh.............  Again, I asked - what happened?  Well clearly I let myself relax too much and got completely off track.  I guess I actually believed that all I had to do was lose the weight - and then it would magically stay off.  :)  if only.  Of course throw menopause into the mix and there I was with nearly 50 lbs. to lose AGAIN!!

Okay so I picked myself up, dusted myself off and began the journey again.  Except this time it was completely different.  Hormones are a terrible thing, aren't they?  jeez - they make you act nuts, cry at the drop of a hat, and one of the worst things they do is take away your metabolism.  I mean like it's completely gone.  For a few years leading up to my 50th birthday, I made a half ass attempt to lose the weight, but kept giving up.  It usually went something like lose 2 lbs. one week and gain 1.5 lbs. the next - over and over. 

I finally decided I was worth fighting for and realized that "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" so I really REALLY began the journey again but this time I was going to succeed.

So, on my 50th birthday the gift I gave myself was good health.  I joined Weight Watchers online and started.  I am the type of person that when I get my mind set - get out of my way because I was going to succeed and nothing was going to stop me.  Thank God I was able to get into that mindset.

So that is how it all started - as I continue to blog I will catch you all up to where I am today and share tips and recipes that help me.

Until the next time - remember to never give up