How I got here.

I spent my childhood, and a good portion of my adult life for that matter, in good health and good shape without having to work too hard at it. Having babies changed everything, though. I went from a size six pre-children, to a size ten after number two was born. I was upset for a while, then I just accepted it and moved on. I would work out off and on, but I never stuck with any routine. I was a total Coca-cola addict. My diet was terrible. I would eat fast food several times a week in addition to take out for dinners a few times a week. I'm actually surprised that I hadn't gained more weight than I did.

My wake-up call came in two phases. Phase one occurred on January 23, 2010. I took my older daughter (four years old) to a diving competition at my alma mater- UGA. For some reason she is obsessed with platform diving. She says that she will be a diver some day, but she also wants to have a career at Pet Supplies Plus, so only time will tell. I sat in the stands at the swim and dive meet and watched in awe as these talented athletes showed off their amazing work. I had a wonderful time, but there was a nagging feeling that I couldn't shake after the meet. Watching all the girls walk around so confident in their swimsuits in front of thousands of people made me jealous. I realized that I would rather stab knives in my ears than appear anywhere in public in a swimsuit. I decided that I had to do something, but I didn't just want to half-ass it like I had done countless times before.

I looked up my local YMCA where I had canceled my membership 1.5 years before. I felt like it was meant to be! They where running a special through the end of January where they would waive the initiation fee, which was one of the things preventing me from re-joining. I didn't want to put money into something if I wasn't going to follow through with it. I joined and worked out that same day. I managed 30 minutes on the elliptical, after which I felt like I would puke. I know that I must have been seriously out of shape then because I was using zero resistance, and I almost didn't make it. I got up the next morning and went again, and again, and again. I made myself do it. It was so hard! I really wanted to stay in bed every morning, but I felt too guilty to not go.

I slowly worked my way up to 40 minutes on the elliptical, then at the one month mark, I hit 50 minutes with a little resistance added here and there. The pounds started coming off slowly but surely. I started out in January at 179 pounds, 35 inches in my waist and 39 inches around my hips. As of today, I weigh 153 pounds, 27 inches in my waist, and 35 inches in my hips. The transformation has been amazing, but I have a ways to go still.

Tomorrow I will post phase two of my wake-up call.