It began about 2 ½ years ago, when I left my position as a Regional Manager with the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). A 44 year old divorced mother with three children, I was a road warrior for 9 years sometimes traveling 50-60 percent of the time! Now if you have ever traveled for work you know how hard it can be to eat well and exercise, I did neither. Correction, I ate well, really, really well! I ate so well I moved from wearing single digit clothing to double digits, and was still climbing!
My reality check came when a friend emailed me a picture at my going away party; there I was, eating cake, overweight with an extra roll around my stomach and a double chin! Ouch! That’s not the person I envisioned myself to be!
The transition out of my job, into running my business was a perfect opportunity to also make a transition in my health. I scheduled an appointment with a doctor who specializes in weight loss, we did a full blood work up to check hormone levels and such, a analysis of my body mass index body fat percentage, and we discussed my diet and lifestyle. The stats were not good. I am a little over 5’4” and weighed in at almost 160 lbs, my body fat percentage was around 37.5% and the doctor said that I might be pre-diabetic if I kept this up! Ouch again!
The doctor introduced his recommendations for diet & exercise. He recommended a low carb diet, along with exercise. Additionally, I was to check in weekly for a weigh in. Then the doctor asked me the question that got my attention “are you ready to change your lifestyle?” He didn’t ask if I was willing to change, or if I wanted to lose weight, he asked me if was ready to change? This was my moment of truth, was I ready to change the way I LIVED? I reflected for a moment, and remembered the picture, if I don’t make a change now, when would I? Would I wait until I had serious medical problems as a result of my lifestyle? Or what?
I decided at that moment that it was time to make a change, that I was READY to make a change. And so it began. I immediately went home to share the news with my family, and begin my journey.
So join me on my journey, and learn what it takes to make change happen!
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