Compelled to Share this Experience.

My top weight was 310 lbs. in 2002.  I am survivor of childhood abuse, youthful drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, mid-life PTSD & chronic major depression. After 10 years by God's grace, and my willingness to follow where I have been lead, and figuratively chopping wood and carrying water, Its taken me 10 years to weigh 251 lbs. be 17 years clean and sober, 3 years smoke free, off all psychiatric medicine, to have a successful career, and create a beautiful family and have enough self-esteem to find happiness but most importantly to be at peace and partnership with our Creator.

But there has become a point now, where I can't blame the 251 lbs on my pathology.  Now I've been restored to face the same issue that we all face.  Am I willing to do the work and have the discipline when it comes to diet & exercise to no longer weigh 251 lbs.  On February 6, 2012. I joined TeamBeachBody.com and said "YES!"

By no coincidence I was invited here by my Coach Bobbie Jo Weber just out of the blue on February 5, 2012.  SAME DATE as my anniversary of quitting smoking.  I started simple.  I wanted to win her Facebook Challenge.  She gave five points for the following.  30 mins of exercise daily, replacing breakfast with Shakeology, drinking 64 oz of water a day minimum, staying in my calorie range, and not eating within 3 hours of dinner.  For the first time my focus shifted from being goal oriented about losing weight and the numbers on the scale to process oriented.  I wanted to win the challenge.  And guess what?  I DID!!!!

On or about March 6, 2012, I joined her 2nd challenge group.  One of the other ladies in the group is my role model.  She has lost a tremendous amount of weight AND is going to compete in a marathon.  We are very close in age.  I'm soooo proud of her for showing me what I can do.  So I hope she wins the challenge.  As for me, I so far have lost 7.5 inches all over my body and 6 lbs.

So today I felt inspired to start logging my food daily and start studying it.  I am willing to share this experience so that people like me don't think that you need something as extreme as Biggest Loser, or eating only Subway Sandwiches like Jared did, or you need Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Lap Band Surgery or your mouth wired shut in order to lose 100 lbs and save your own life.  You don't need expensive coaches either.  You are your greatest coach if you will just educate yourself.

So my hope and dream and where my inspiration comes is in the fact that I realize it doesn't take a preacher to know that it is much better to teach someone how to fish, rather than to give them fish.  So with that maybe by my example I can show how I got from weighing 310lbs down to my right size, whatever that may be.  As of today it is 249 lbs.  So come along for the ride as this becomes my own documentary and testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and the ability that faith in action has to transform your life!