I'm so excited to be a part of this community! This is a huge step for me -- hopefully in the right direction. I've finally realized that I just can't take this weight loss journey on my own (oh, no -- I'm NOT superwoman?
). To give you some background, I'm a widowed 43-year old mom of two teenage boys. I've been self-employed for 8 years as a legal transcriptionist, am a full-time college student (senior in psychology/sociology) and am dating a wonderful man. My family has been through some terribly trying times in the last 4 years -- the tragic death of my husband, my (now) 17-year old's rebellion (including drug use and school troubles), and significant financial difficulty. I'm a survivor, though, and we are slowly but surely rebuilding our lives and looking forward. No, things are not perfect, but they are better. My son and I have bridged the gap -- and work at our relationship on a daily basis -- it's a struggle, but it's so very worth it; I'm in college now, and I've learned to look for the positive in most situations. To most of my friends, I have my life completely together, and while I am trying to get there, I have one major issue that I cannot seem to get a handle on -- my weight. I've gained 30 pounds in the past 3 years, and when you add that to the 165 pounds (omg -- I've never admitted that!!) on a 5 foot frame -- well, you can only imagine how heavy I've become. I know everything I should do -- I've instilled healthy eating habits and the importance of exercise in my sons. They work out daily, don't even like junk food, and are the pictures of health. My issue is motivation. I recently bought a treadmill and only get on it about once a week (ugh!!). I gave up Dr. Pepper yesterday after a 30-year relationship with it, and I'm hoping that makes a huge difference. My boyfriend is the sweetest man you'd ever meet, and he tells me I'm beautiful no matter what my size. So very, very sweet, but it almost gives me "permission" to be overweight.
Wow, I've really put myself out there, and that's something I rarely, if ever, do. I think I've just come to a point where I know if I'm going to lose weight and become healthy, I need to face this head on and admit that I am FAT and no longer want to be.
So....that's my story, and I do apologize for the length. I'm looking forward to getting to know many of you and taking this journey with you. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I should probably post this before I lose my nerve!
