The beginning!

Okay, I have started in the middle of my journey, so this particular post, is to get you all up to date. You know, the "who, what, where, when why" and I will even toss in more than a few, "whys!"

Let's start at the very beginning. It was a cold, December night in 1984! Wait, okay, I'll skip up a few years!  My trouble with my weight has been something that I've been struggling with since I realized how much pressure there was to look a certain way.  So, elementary school! I was always the fat kid.  I never passed a Presidential Fitness Test. I was the first target in dodge ball, and I would be damned if I would EVER climb that stupid rope!

So, I went along in school, deciding, I was always going to be the fat friend that just made ya laugh! And I was okay with that, until one day, I could not find a pair of jeans under a 20 that would fit.  So, with the help of my sister and my mom, I did weight watchers, and did very well....for a while!

Then, college came! Freshman 15? Oh HELL no! Let's try 20 or 30.   So, after MANY failed attempts in college to lose weight, and repeat, MANY, I graduated! I went to China, I got married, and again fell into the "I'm just residing to the fat life" again.  I didn't like my jobs, I didn't like many co-workers, I struggled finding me.

So, I did what any person would do, I got a new job! Little did I know, at this point, this job would change my view on life!  I got a job at the Fort Snelling Base Exchange. While it was a just a little hole in the wall store, I met some amazing people! Still, at my highest weight ever, I started to not feel like, well, the fat kid! It was amazing!

Then we got the news of Colin's deployment. In January of 2009, my husband of less than one year, would be shipping off to Iraq for his third deployment.  And here I am, little wifey, working at the BX, eating my way through.  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...I don't want to do this forever! I have a college degree and I want to do something with it!  While this economy sucked, my options as a PR person, were not one of, many!  So what can I do?

The summer previous, I had attempted to join the U.S. Army! That was a BIG fail! So I got to talking to some of the regular customers about my goals, about getting out of here, and possibly joining the army again! Tell a Marine you want to join the Army, and oh boy, hell is raised! 

So, the decision was made. I was not going to join the Air Force, I wasn't going to join the Navy and the Army was out, so what was left? The only option, of course, was to join the best of the best, the United States Marine Corps!!

My goal is in place! It took failure, after failure after criticism after rejection after tears, and after a WHOLE lot of frustration, but I got my dream.  Next step, getting to that dream!

So I joined a gym, Golds Gym to be a matter of fact! And that was the beginning of it all!  As I was sitting there, signing my papers, my fate walked up, and said "Welcome to our dysfunctional family!" I knew then, he was the trainer that I wanted! So I had my first session the following week with Norman and oh my GOD, pain is not even the right word to describe it.  Through the next few months however, I worked my butt off!!  Norman taught me SO many things, not just about fitness but I learned that I was able to push myself through anything! I had more fire in my soul than I ever though was there! I had determination and strength!! For diets: I wrote down everything that went in my mouth! I ate 1200 to 1500 calories and things were going great!!

Sure, I've hit a pleatu or two! While during them it's VERY discouraging, I just stuck with it!! The results?  So FAR, I have lost 51 pounds, and almost 21 inches!  I am going to admit it here people, because, it's like AA...I used to have a problem, but I'm taking steps. At my highest weight, I weighed 244 pounds! Yes...it was bad, and I was VERY unhealthy! I am now at 193 pounds, and am still losing!  I have 43 pounds to go before I go sign my papers for the Marine Corps, so I hope you all will come along on this next half of my Weight Loss Journey of a Lifetime!!!