Throwing caution to the wind

I may regret putting some of this information out here for the world to see but we all have to come to a point where it just doesn't matter anymore.  I'm throwing "caution" to the wind, so to speak.  I don't know a whole lot of people that would post their weight on the internet.  Here goes!

At the beginning of the new year, I joined a 90-day weight loss challenge.  I didn't have to pay for anything.  I didn't have to take any pills (although a Skinny Fiber consultant DID start the group up for us), I didn't have to eat any certain foods.  I just had to be me.  If you know me at all, some days it's hard to be me. 

Anyway, before I had joined this weigh loss group, I had already made a pact with myself that this was the year I was going to lose some much needed weight and get my health back on track.  As most of you know, I'm a diabetic and never really held it very long in the forefront of my mind.  It never got the attention it was screaming out for and demanding.  After all, diabetes can't kill you; only the complications of it can!

My "yearly" goal was to lose 35 lbs.  The reason I chose 35 lbs. is because in my head, I weighed 235 lbs.  Guess what.  I couldn't have been wronger...or more wrong...or more off...ha, whatever.  I get on a scales the first "weigh in" day and it read 258 lbs.  I stepped off the scales, looked at myself in the mirror, wondered what more I could take off  (and there was nothing), get back on the scales and it reads 258 lbs. 

How the heck did I let myself get so out of control?  I have only been this heavy (and heavier than this) one time in my life.  I got on the scales once and it read 340 lbs, I cried for days.  I started walking like a mad woman; I started eating less and less each day until I was down to 1 meal a day; when that wasn't fast enough, I started making myself vomit after that one meal (that was a choice of ramen noodles or popcorn); and I did aerobics 3 times a day.  Yes...I went nuts.

I lost 170 lbs.  Half of my person, literally.  I lived in KC and when I would go back to Bedford to see my mom and my family, I would hear people whisper that I had turned to drinking from my (1st) divorce and then a classmate told me that she heard I was on drugs.  It's amazing what people will say to make themselves look better.  I will tell you this though.....I looked great.  On the other hand, I felt like complete crap!!  Not only was my body messed up but my mind didn't even make good decisions anymore.  Life was all about what I looked like.  And get this.....I had made my mind up that when I could pull the seat belt across me...and not have to pull any excess...and get it latched, I would be at my goal. 

Well...I drove a little itty bitty Toyota and the seatbelts didn't come down very far.  Maybe...just maybe, I could have gotten a baby doll strapped in without pulling excess down but I seriously doubt it.  I got to where I measured my weight, not in pounds or inches, but in how I looked next to things or how I felt next to things.  How stupid is that?

And I'm a pretty tall girl.  170lbs. may have been half of me at that point BUT I felt worse than I ever had in my life.  I remember mom telling me I went overboard and needed to put a little bit of weight back on.  I was so confused at that point.  The most important thing to me was to look good at that point.  I thought that was what would make me happy.  But it wasn't.  Visual skinny is not all it's cracked up to be.

Eventually the weight...some, not all...came back.  And then I would lose it again.  And put it back on.  Yada yada yada.  I was on the roller coaster of my life.   But enough is enough!!

Last year...late in the year...I decided it was more than past time to do something good with myself.  In more ways than one but my health HAD to be a priority!  My friend Sherry added me to this Healthy Start Weight Loss Group on Facebook.  I didn't know a soul in this group and that was okay too.  This group has a lot of great recipes that are good for you and even easy to make.  For example, sassy water, asparagus & chicken breasts, crock pot chicken noodle soup.  I could go on forever.

Becky, the site admin also posts a lot of health tips like what to eat/drink to help detoxify your body, helpful weight loss tips, the benefits of eating fruits and veggies.  Again, I could go on all day long.  Becky also is the consultant for Skinny Fiber, as I mentioned before.  I have yet to try Skinny Fiber but there seems to be a lot of positive things about it and am curious to try it.  And I probably will.  If it works, I will be singing it's praises.  If it doesn't, I will try something else. 

So...where was I going with this??? Let me scroll.............ok back to the challenge.  Every Tuesday we would weigh in.  We either went to the site and told Becky (and the rest of the group) what our weight was for that week, or we could send her a private message.  I think we had 6 ladies in our group this first time.  I figured it would do me more good to put my weight out there where everyone could see it so it would keep me focused.  It seemed to work.  Some of the gals took pictures of the scales to show their weight.  I never did that.  I don't want ANY MORE weight that I have to have!!!

So when I started this challenge, I changed from 35 lbs. being a yearly goal, to a 90 day goal.  I figured it was a long shot but hey, we all need something to look forward to, right?  So, like I said, I started in at 258.0 lbs.  At the end of the challenge, I can proudly say I weigh 229.7 lbs.  I had a loss of 28.3 lbs.  I will take it!  The winner got a month's supply of Skinny Fiber.  I wasn't the winner, sad to say (not this time) but I was in second place.  That's motivating for me.

In a couple of weeks, we are starting a new challenge.  Our goal is to get some more people to join us in our challenge.  I don't know if there will be a "prize" at the end of the 90 days this time but either way, it can only be good for us.  I would love to have at least one person join "under me" so I have someone to talk to about it outside of Facebook. 

We would even love to have some men join us if you are interested.  If someone wants to join that I live close to, let me know and we can set up walking dates or even go to a fitness center/YMCA close by.  I will be your motivation if you will be mine. 

Please think about it.  I have 29.7 lbs. yet to lose and then I will be satisfied.  I hope.  No really, I will be.  My blood sugars are back in "normal" range and I am feeling so much better.  I have even added vitamins to my life and that's something I have always fought hard against.  Let me know if you have any questions.  We would LOVE to have you join us!