I don't know if this will help or inspire you on your journey to optimal health, but I thought I would share my story with you.

I have always liked to think of myself as a person with an athletic frame.  I am five foot tall and almost forty (one of the reasons I wanted to get healthy).  My family consists of five very active children ages 14-4, a wonderful husband who feels blessed to have a great job, even though  it involves traveling about 4 days a week. Plus we recently rescued a basset hound named Ruby. 

We moved to the Atlanta area four years ago this Fourth of July.  We waved goodbye to both family and friends and came to a place where we knew no one.  We quickly decided that we wanted to get the children involved in sports since that was always a big part of our life in Indiana. We signed up everyone for football/cheerleading, Georgia style.  Since then, we have been very involved in football, travel basketball, travel baseball and competition cheerleading.  Needless to say, we were and continue to be, SUPER busy, and our children were happy, everyone was thriving, that is, except me.

With a full time job, a husband on the road and my evening gig as a nurse, tutor, chauffeur, cheerleader, an everyday jack of all trades, I let myself go.  Who had time to cook healthy?  Grab some fast food, or eat the left over Mac-n-cheese right out of the pot. I really didn't think about myself at all, unless I was wallowing in self pity. The first couple of years I just told myself I was doing what I needed to do, I was in survival mode.   I never realized until I began Take Shape for Life what an impact my weight and my overall health had on my life.  I had no self confidence, so it was difficult to reach out and meet people.  When my husband came home from a long week on the road I was certain he would prefer the cocktail parties and life on the road compared to the chaos at home.  Who would want to come home to ME.?

It got to the point that I began to visualize a new me.  Then one day I overheard a women sharing some information about food and I asked her what she did.  She mentioned Take Shape for Life and I asked her for more information.  I didn't know how to take care of myself at this point, it had been such a long time, but I told my husband about it and said I really wanted to try it.  I think I needed a reason to spend money on myself so I told him this could be my Christmas and birthday present.  I explained that I didn't want anything else.   No more fat clothes for me. 

So, I began this journey on January 3, 2011.  My husband decided that he wanted to start the program also, so we embarked on this journey together.  It was terribly embarrassing to measure ourselves, but I knew it was last time I would see a number that big.  We took a before picture with the goal that our after picture would look drastically different.  We began packing Medifast meals with us wherever we went and we began cooking together when he was home, because we loved our lean and green meals so much!!! 

In the first week I lost 9 pounds.  Of course he lost more than me- MEN, but I had to let that go.  We were on our way and nothing was going to stop us now.  There were times it was difficult, because I had to change the way I ate.  I was accustomed to popping  food in my mouth while cooking.  I had to be consuming a couple extra meals a day in my "taste tests."

Forty two pounds later, I am confident, happy and ready for anything.  I no longer feel like I am in survival mode, I am ready to take on the world.  I have begun exercising because I am now the athletic, active person I envisioned myself to be!!  I was regularly shopping for clothes in sizes 12-14 and I am now shopping in for clothes in size 2-6.   I am a better mom, wife and person!!!  Best of all, I feel great!!!

I have been maintaining my weight by continuing to eat 6 meals a day.  I still have a Medifast shake each morning because I love my Dark Chocolate with antioxidants shake and it is about all I have time to grab each morning.  I keep bars in my purse for emergency meals, but when I pack my cooler for the ball park I no longer pack chips, candy and sodas.  I now pack celery with peanut butter, pistachios, and I love snacking on tomatoes with mozzarella cheese.