Acheived 2012 Goals!

In January of 2012, two of my brothers took me out for my December birthday. In the course of our conversation one of them asked me what my goals are for the year. My reply was prompt: lose thirty pounds.

I did. More than that.

Because I didn't want to do the hard thing, I didn't weigh myself before I started so I can only guess how much I lost. But I can tell you, I've been on this journey so often before, I can easily guess where I was. And I did measure certain places. Yep, that excuses me for not doing the hard thing (rolling my eyes)! :)

 Having said all of this, I was rewarded far beyond what I expected!

 In March, I joined a CPRS Wellness Center nearby. I'm a homebody so this was a stretch for me and I didn't know a soul. The most exercising I've ever done was walking in our township park for six years which is just across the road from us. A fall on my knees in 2010 put a stop to that. When I walked into the building that first time I felt like a fish out of the water, but Sue, the Wellness director/personal trainer to everyone, put me at ease. She walked me through the cardio and weight machines, then I was on my own!

However, I planned on waiting until fall and after the gardening season was finished.

Boy, am I glad I didn't! This has been/is the best thing that has happened to me! I started with doing a bike for thirty minutes and weights for upper and lower body for thirty minutes. I'd go home exhausted and did thirty minutes of recovery in a recliner...oh yeah, I was in terrible shape! But...I soon began feeling muscles I didn't know I had - literally. I'd be rubbing an arm or leg and I could feel the muscle - it was amazing!

- stationary bike and elliptical -

After doing the bike for two months I asked for the elliptical. Whoa...this was like going from the nursery to fifth grade stuff! I started out with seven minutes and worked my way up to thirty minutes, doing the weights, then another fifteen minutes on the elliptical. It was hard work...sweaty work! But did it ever whittle me down. I'll never be a skinny-minny but I sure like the new me!

- Sue and myself after a workout -

Doing something out of my comfort zone has given me a better body but more importantly, new friends. Sue cares, I mean really cares about us. Outside of family, she was the first one I told about Mr D's second cancer bout and continues to be a shoulder to cry on. I've met Mandy, a young single mother of a three year old who loves the Lord and we've become good friends. Evie, who teaches art in a private Christian school and has to care for her husband who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just as he retired. Beth, who has a brilliant autistic child and an ailing husband, is diabetic herself and has just retired from many years of supporting her family. I've met several former alcoholics and smokers who made the hard choice to stop years ago. John, a stand-offish kind of man and I, became friends after I blew him off pretty badly and apologized to him for it. Now we smile a good-morning at each other and occasionally pedal the elliptical side by side. Bill, who spends a lot of time writing a commentary/devotional along with a group of men on the New Testament. Pony-tailed Frank, an ex-alcoholic, loves the Lord, talking and antiquing, in that order. Cathy, mother of two adult sons, one of them studying to be a youth pastor, and a physically handicapped daughter, works nights while her husband stays home with their daughter so her family can care for her. Yes, this has been really, really good for me in more ways than bodily exercise!   

 I'm hoping to lose a bit more weight but more importantly, maintain the weight loss. I've had losses and gains ever since we're married and weight issues as long back as I can remember. I feel better than I've had in a long time and am grateful for the people God has brought into my life who have helped me be where I'm at today!

- before and after -

A 'before' that was taken in October 2010, before Mr D's illness...he's also lost weight since.

- taken sommer of 2012 -