Take ACTION: Jen

I have so much respect for Jen. She's one of those people that might ride the sideline longer than some but once she's in, she's ALL. IN. When she makes up her mind, she is unstoppable. She lives in the arena and gives 100%. 

To me, I think she perfectly embodies what it means to Take Action. You can't lose 156 pounds in a year without taking ownership and action. I can't wait to see where she goes from here. 

One year ago, when Jen started DBC

How did you feel before you started this journey?

It’s been a little over 365 days since I started my journey.  If I look back on a year ago, things were totally different and I was definitely a different person than who I am now.  I will never forget the person who I was because that is the person who got me to where I am now.  

Looking back on my 395.6 pound self, I see a person who was depressed, alone and someone who was not happy with the life I was leading.  I see a person who had to sit down every time I tried cleaning my house.  I couldn’t walk a mile or up a flight of stairs without getting winded.  I was not living; I was just watching the world go by while sitting on my couch.  Life sucked at 395.6 pounds and I was scared every day of the scale reaching that 400 mark.  Just before I started this journey, I knew that I needed to change my life or else I was not going to be around to watch my nephews and niece grow up.  I didn’t want to die because I wasn’t living my life to the fullest.  I WANTED TO LIVE!  

I wanted to live a life where I felt happy, excited to be around and not always depressed. I wanted a life where I felt confident and proud to be who I was.  I wanted to be able to get on a plane and not have to ask for a seatbelt extender or feel ashamed of myself if the plane was full and no one wanted to sit next to me.  I wanted to be able to do things with friends like going hiking, swimming, ice skating or an amusement park. In all actuality I really just wanted the friends.

One Year Later

Going into this, what were your expectations?

I chose to do Destination Boot Camp because it was a week-long program and I felt that this would be something to really jump start my weight loss journey.  I hoped I would leave after the first week motivated to continue with the program.  Plus, the program would last for an entire year and I was hoping that if I did the entire year I would meet other people in similar situations and I hoped that within that year we could become friends and we would be able to be a support to one another after the year was up. What I really wanted was to find a program that was going to help me lose the weight, but more importantly, a program to help me continue my journey and keep the weight off.  

You have to start somewhere

How does your weight loss journey now compare to what you thought going into it?

This journey has been more amazing to me than I could have ever expected it to be.  I am thankful every day for having had the opportunity to start.  This journey hasn’t been the easiest and I have had to overcome some obstacles but I have met some great super friends who have been there for me at the times where I have been struggling and who have celebrated with me when I have hit milestones.  

My super friends also inspire me daily by the way they live their lives and share their journey with me. It is what helps me to keep going.  These friends are more than just friends, they are my family and I know that we will remain on this journey together for the rest of our lives.  This journey has also given me a new found life where I enjoy getting out, doing things, not just sitting on the sidelines watching the world go by.

At the One Year DBC Reunion! Make Your Fat Cry!

What has been your biggest “Aha” or break through moment?

Having been overweight most of my life, there have been many things that I have tried to do but because of my weight those things were hindered.  I went through life with some people telling me because of my weight, I can’t do things. When someone tells me that I can’t do something I will do everything in my power to prove them wrong.  What I didn’t realize until now is that one of the main persons that will tell me that I can’t do something is really just me.   

Let me give you a little example. A few months ago, Dr. Holly signed me up for Chase the Moon, which was a 12 hour endurance trail relay run that was from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with her and 3 other friends. Now let me tell you that over the past year I have come to love running and have enjoyed trying out new runs.  But I have to say that this run scared the hell out of me and was definitely way out of my comfort zone one because it was being run at night and second it was on a trail.  When I first heard of this run, I had never run a trail run and in all honesty when I did the actual run I had only run once on a trail.  Now, getting out of my comfort zone has gotten a whole lot easier over the last year so I definitely was going to do the run, no question. 

For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Holly is a planner and always has a plan and so I remember one night where she was planning the running order and calculating the times it would take all of us to do our loops and she told me that night in order for us to get all the loops in, I would have to run a 3.5 mile loop in under 52.5 minutes.   I remember first laughing at this and then freaking out because there was no way that I was going to run two 3.5 mile loops, in the dark and on a trail both under 52.5 minutes.  Add on to that, I would have no sleep because I would be running at 10:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. and my previous 4 mile run on a flat surface in the day was 55 minutes or so, which I told to Dr. Holly who of course told me, it’s not a problem and I’ve got this.  What I kept telling myself was there is no way in hell I was going to do these runs in less than 52.5 minutes.  I would say that this thought kept going on in my head even while I was running that first loop. 

I ran the first loop in 48:49 and the second loop in 51:05 (my best times yet for any race).  This surprised me more than anything. For the first few days after running these times I couldn’t fathom where they came from and my friends had to keep telling me that it was me.  I know that I was the one to run those races (because I definitely felt it the next day) but I realized it’s me who needs to stop telling me that I can’t do something because of course after I keep telling myself I can’t do something, I prove myself wrong.   

At Chase the Moon with her Super Friends!

What are you most proud of so far?

Well if I wasn’t proud of losing 156 pounds or 39% body weight loss, then there would definitely be something wrong with me.  But there are so many things I have to be proud of since starting this journey.  

I am proud of having been on this journey for over a year and I haven’t given up on myself even when it’s been hard.  I am proud of the fact that in the middle of February I had foot surgery and this didn’t keep me down and I was able to continue losing or maintain my weight while my exercise was literally non-existent for about 4-5 weeks. I am proud that when I have fallen off plan, I have chosen to get back on plan.  It may still be hard to get back on plan but it’s definitely gotten easier over the last year.  

I am proud of my group of super friends.  I am proud of all my mini milestones (no longer wearing a seatbelt extender on a plane, being able to put the arm rest down on my seat in the plane, going from a size 28 to a size 16 or an XXXL to a Large, moving the seat up in my car, running my first 5k without walking, all the times that I beat my previous time on my races).  I am proud of all the times I have gotten out of my comfort zone.

It's always fun when your clothes don't fit and you need a new wardrobe...

If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering losing weight or just starting out, what would it be?

Trust the process and while you are doing this, embrace the falls that you will have.  Yes, you will fall off plan and at times you will stall but if you trust the process you will get back on track and you will get over this stall.  There are going to be the days where you choose to get off plan and you choose to eat everything and anything you want or you choose not to do a workout. I know this because I too have days where I am struggling to make the right choices.  When I have those types of days is when I reach out to my super friends.  

I have learned to acknowledge these days, then I will confess that the choice was not a good one and then I look at why I chose that way and then I take the action (which is usually getting back in to my routines because when I am not following my routines this is when I struggle a lot more) to get me back on plan.  In the beginning of the year this was definitely a lot harder than it has been a year into the process.  The falls off plan will just make you a stronger person and it will be easier to reassess and recommit to the process.

Living Large!

How do you feel now?

I love my life.  I love who I was but more importantly I love who I have become.  I love that I no longer get winded cleaning my house or walking up a flight of stairs; in fact I love just being able to run up a flight of stairs.  I love that I feel athletic and enjoy getting workouts in and finding new workouts to challenge myself.  I love that I will just randomly start dancing or roll down a hill.  I really love my calves (my lower legs that is). But I can’t say it enough, I LOVE LIFE!

Living in the arena!

How has this journey changed your life?

I love this question because this journey has changed my life in so many ways that I will never realize how much it has changed my life until later on.  But for now I would say that this journey has made me HAPPY.  

In all honesty I can’t remember the last time before this journey started when I was extremely happy.   I know I had happy moments but to be constantly happy with my life and with myself was something that didn’t exist.   Before this journey I felt that I led a very boring life and in all honesty it was a depressing life.   I pretty much woke up, went to work and went home and sat around watching television.  Every once in a while I would throw in some quality family time but really it was a lonely life.  

Now with having been on this journey, I have a life.  I’m rarely home on the weekends and most of the time you will find me out at an organized race and getting out of my comfort zone.  I love talking about my life and the things that I have been doing with anyone who I come into contact.

With her family at her 1 year reunion!

What’s next? Where do you want to see yourself in a year from now?

Over the last year, I have come to realize that my weight is going to be an issue for the remainder of my life, but unlike other programs I have tried, I know this one is going to work.  I know that I will at times struggle and get off plan.  

I know that the scale will go up but I have the confidence in myself and I believe in myself and in my new life style that if I struggle or get off plan I can call on one of my super friends and I will be able to confess where I am at.  I will then be able to assess why I am struggling or how I got off plan and then I can get back into my routines and the actions needed to get myself back on plan.  

In a year from now, I see myself at goal weight and in maintenance.  I see myself continuing to run and finding new ways to challenge myself physically.   

  

I'm Perfection: Krista

     Meet Krista:

Krista with her husband before the Tinkerbell Half Marathon

      How did you hear about State of Slim?

My health insurance company had given me some different plans but none of it was helping me get to my goal weight or making me feel better.  One night I was searching the Internet and came across the program State of Slim.  I began researching the program.  I noticed Dr. Holly took consultations so I called and set one up.  Dr. Holly, my husband and I met months later at the consultation and she recommended the program.  I was trying to find every excuse in the book not to participate.

Before State of Slim

How did you feel before you started the program?

Before I started the program I hated talking about myself, looking at myself and didn’t want to do much of anything.  I was so nervous to start the 16 week program, but knew inside it was the right thing for me. In my mind I was trying to make every excuse in the book why 16 weeks of focusing on myself was too much. I listed my kid’s activities, things we had to do as a family. I have never missed anything my children were involved in.   I also knew I needed to challenge myself at the same time with getting out of my comfort zone.  I never knew how to take care of myself, so going to a class for me was super scary. 

      Remember when you started this Journey?  How does your weight loss journey now compare to what you thought going into it? 

I remember the first day of class and just sitting at the long table so nervous about having to face my challenges with strangers.  I remember thinking it was so awkward just sitting and listening about what is expected in the program. In a way it sounded so easy, though  I knew it was going to be hard.  I like my carbs and sweets!  The first day I  had an attitude I was going to do this and it in my mind was set up more like a “challenge” I needed to complete.  Starting day 1-3 I was excited and realized it was also a lot harder then I expect.  Eating 6 times a day was the most I had ever eaten.  I went on a vacation and almost froze in the plane not knowing what to eat, but I was starving.

My journey today has completely changed.  It is no longer a “challenge,” rather, it is a new lifestyle that I want to keep up.  The weight loss journey isn’t easy and I know each day following the program and having the mindset will get me to my goal. Having a different mindset and believing in the program has made such a difference.  My attitude and the way I view food/Life has changed so much since the first day of class. 

What has been your biggest “Aha” or breakthrough moment? 

My biggest “aha” was wearing the state of slim bracelets and feeling the support all the time.  Getting my first green apple was a huge breakthrough moment as well.  Just knowing I can do a program and believing in how State of Slim works and loosing that first 10% was so important to me.  Right now, bigger than the apple, the “aha” moment was finishing the Half Marathon in Disneyland.  I used to be completely out of breath walking down our driveway. 

What are you most proud of/grateful for so far?

I am so grateful for a lot of things.  Most of them are the friendships I have made through SOS.  I am grateful for Dr. Holly being a super friend and letting me know this is a program for me.  I am proud that I have lost weight in a year and kept it off.  I am super proud that I have changed my mindset and allowed my self to have positive talk and to be proud of just me.   I am proud that Dr. Holly asked me to be a co-captain in the next steps program. I am proud I get to share my weight loss journey to help others. 

     When did you decide to start running?

In SOS next steps class we had to make a vision board. I have never made a vision board before this class. At first I wasn’t sure about what to put on there, but I wanted it to truly represent what I want in my life.  I have always wanted to run a race yet never imagining I could.  When I put the Disney race on my board I envisioned being at my goal weight and I was going to run the entire thing!  October 2015 my husband and I talked about wanting to do something completely different for our 10 year anniversary.  We both are not runners and never have been.  Within a week of talking about the anniversary we were signing up for the Disney Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2016. We decided to get through the holidays and start training in January.  

      What has the training process been like for you? 

The training process was a learning adventure.  At first we thought we could make our own schedule and just run!  That became weeks of only running 1 mile and working out at our other gym.  After talking to others who run and our gym trainers we realized we needed a lot more help in order to make it through this run.  One of the trainers at Manic offered to be our running coach/trainer.  She made a schedule for both Travis and I an offered to go on runs with us.  If we didn’t speak up and let people know the goal we wanted to achieve we wouldn’t be doing the Tinkerbell race.

      How do you handle the ups and downs of weight loss?

The ups and down are real and its reality you are going to have them.  A year ago I probably would have quit the program when the scale didn’t go down the way I wanted it to or if I cheated one meal I would have quit.  Realizing the scale doesn’t control me as much as my mindset controls everything has taught me so much.  There have been several days/weeks of ups and downs and I just tell myself I will accomplish what I want to accomplish.  I know I will get to my goal weight, and it won’t be over night.  It won’t be within a week of wanting it.   There have been days I am following the plan and I didn’t drop anything.   I still felt good inside and know I have to keep moving forward. 

What does I’m perfection mean to you? What imperfections are you learning to celebrate?

By nature, I am a competitive person.  Before doing State of Slim I wouldn’t have shared my imperfections.   In the past, if I haven’t hit specific goals I thought I would be letting others down.  I was hard on myself and started thinking I better stop what I started, why workout when I can’t complete the task, and one cheat day isn’t going to make a difference.  I can honestly say now I am ok with showing my imperfections.  I am now OK being more real to people rather than feeling like I have to tell them what I think they want to hear.  I am starting to feel like when I share my imperfections and struggles with friends, they have been encouraging to keep me going.  I am OK not playing the victim role.  I am currently not at my goal weight and my past mindset would have given me reasons to blame everything and everyone.  I can honestly tell you that I am not discouraged by my weight and I now take responsibility for it.  

Finishing the Tinkerbell Half Marathon!

How has this Journey changed you?

I am so proud to be part of this program.  At the very start, I used to feel embarrassed to wear the green bracelets.  Honestly, now I wear them with pride and I love to tell other people what they represent.  I love to tell people about my weight loss journey and I love to tell them about SOS because I never thought that there was a solution for me.  One of the biggest changes that I am most proud of has been my mindset.  I am no longer doubtful instead I am able to look at my journey as one step at a time.

How do you feel now?

I feel better than I have felt in a really long time.  I feel so encouraged.  I now look forward to working out again.  It feels good to be motivated again!

I'M PERFECTION: Alice

Meet Alice!

Starting DBC in Sept 2015

 How did you hear about State of Slim/Destination Boot Camp?

My best friend, Debbie Trujillo, joined State of Slim as part of the CU Campus Challenge.  Within weeks, I could see her successes and I called to join SOS in March 2014. I had success but fell back into bad habits and started to regain some of the weight that I had lost during the 16 week SOS program.  So in the fall of 2015, I made an appointment with Dr. Holly Wyatt to discuss what I should do.  I signed up for Destination Boot Camp for September 2015. BEST DECISION EVER!

How did you feel before you started the program?

I was feeling lost and out of options.  It just seemed like I couldn’t stop slowly gaining weight.  I was sad because I couldn’t do things with my family.  My most horrible moment was when I was in Florida with my family.  I was too fat to go on the new Harry Potter ride.  It was one of the most embarrassing and heart-breaking moments of my life.  I tried to smile and not let my family see my horror.  I hid and cried the whole time they were on the ride. 

 We had a trip planned to Costa Rica in November 2015 where ZipLine was one of the group planned activities.  My husband and I had always wanted to ZipLine on vacation. I was going to be too fat to do it!  Again, my weight would cause me to have another awful experience.  So, that is why I went to Dr. Holly so I could lose as much as possible before I went to Costa Rica.  I was full of fear and self doubt.  But I also had a huge sense of urgency.

Now! In May 2016

Remember when you started this journey? How does your weight loss journey now compare to what you thought going into it? 

When I joined DBC 8, I knew it would be difficult.  I was super excited to go to the bootcamp because I was so ready to change my lifestyle. I was terrified by the amount of workouts,  especially the Fight or Flight workout and the hike.   

Comparing what I thought prior to DBC and what has happened since DBC… I am more successful than I thought I could be. I am more focused on the process.  I have become bonded with my team and I seek out other DBC and SOS community members.  I live outside of my comfort zone which is a whole new way to live for me.  I am able to crush my workouts and I have become a runner. Eating clean and staying on the SOS plan has been much easier than I thought.  It’s not without some struggle and temptation but I have changed the way I think about eating. 

What is different about this time than other weight loss attempts or other weight loss plans?  

State of Slim and Destination Boot Camp are made more powerful and life altering because of the relationships created with my teammates, coaches and Dr. Holly’s motivational leadership.  The nutrition and exercise plan are simple to follow.  The Mindset transformation work is key to making it happen.  My relationships with my DBC and SOS friends are crucial to my accountability.  

By following the homework week by week, State of Slim and Destination Boot Camp builds this new healthy lifestyle that I am living.  This is it.  It is working for me like no other program ever has.  I’m not just talking about the weight loss because there are lots of programs that will result in weight loss but this is about weight maintenance.  "Begin With The End In Mind" is one of my favorite expressions.  It helped me complete my long runs and it is working to help me lose weight. I know this time is different and I will keep it off.

What has been your biggest "Aha" or breakthrough moment? 

My biggest “Aha” moment, was starting a 10 mile race with my 23 year old daughter, Mikayla, my best friend, Debbie, and my husband, Scott.  Looking at the four of us, I realized that I am living the life that I wanted to achieve.  I am an active participant in rigorous physical activity with my loved ones.  I am actually doing it now.  I am not at my goal and have a lot of weight yet to lose, but I am living my life the way I want to live it.

Finishing her first 10 mile race in April with her State of Slim friend, Debbie, on the left, and husband Scott, on right.

What are you most proud of/grateful for so far? 

I am most proud of my integrity.  I set goals and then I do what I need to do in order to accomplish each goal along the way.  I complete my workouts without cutting it short. 

I am most grateful for the love and support of my husband Scott, my children Mikayla and Jimmie, my niece Chantal, my best friend and running partner Debbie, and my DBC 8 team. 

When did you decide to start running?

While at DBC in September 2015, my daughter, Mikayla, called me to ask if I would run the Tinkerbell Half Marathon on May 8, 2016.  May 8th was my Mom’s birthday and May 2016 will be five years since her passing.  My Mom loved Tinkerbell and Disneyland.  

Running a half marathon with my family was exactly what I want my new life to be.  I think I was exhausted from DBC, yet I had this new hunger within me and felt completely powerful, so I said YES.  I couldn’t believe it.  I never wanted to be a runner.  I have close friends who are ultra athletes and I have never felt a desire to run, maybe because I thought I could not become a runner.  But I was wrong.  I am a runner now.

What has the training process been like for you?

I hired a running coach, Beth Tennant.  I hired a personal trainer, Phil Davis.  I hired a personal chef, Elisa Hindes. I enlisted my niece and my best friend to train with me and my daughter.  I scheduled my massages with my massage therapist, Patty McMurray.  I started off unsure of what to expect.  How was it possible that I would be able to run 13.1 miles?  I asked so many questions but the answer was the same, “You can do it.  You will train and you will do it.” 

I didn’t believe them for months.  But I trained according to my schedule.  I walked my miles and did my strength training and followed my SOS nutrition plan and worked A LOT on my mindset.  I relaxed into the process.  I didn’t fight it or doubt the plan but when I doubted myself, I repeated mantras like “Trust the Process” and self affirmations every day like “You can do this.  You are doing great.” The simple repeating of the same things every day helped calm me and after a few months, I really started to believe it. Finding inspiration when the newness wears off is difficult. Dealing with exercise induced asthma was another point where previously in life I would have stumbled.  But I kept moving forward.

I don't tell myself to run faster, I tell myself "Push." It's simple and it reminds me to reach my fullest potential on each run. I'm proving to myself that I can achieve the goals that I set. My pace is my own. It's perfect for me today. It happens to be the same pace as my very fit husband walks, but that doesn't matter because I am doing the best me that I can. And next week, I will an even better 'me.' Some days I struggle, so on those runs I literally concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Most days, I can think of what I have to do to finish today. On very powerful days, I think of the half marathon while I run. 

I worry and wonder if I'm running correctly. I don't like to make mistakes. But I do make mistakes so the trick is to pay attention to the mistake and learn from it. 

 I learned to run slowly.   Then I would run intervals as fast as I could for 1 minute then walk for 2 or 3 minutes.  I signed up for many 5k events even, even doing four in December in the snow and cold. I completed a 7k and a 4 mile run race.  Finishing the 10 mile Cherry Creek Sneak was exhilarating!  Training session after training session, I improved my endurance.  

I had to deal with pain in my feet, my legs, my hips, but I went to my chiropractor and my medical doctor and my massage therapist to figure it out.  I got new shoes, then I got assessed again for different shoes.  I am not giving up.  I just keep asking for help until I solve a problem.  Learning to ask for help is a huge part of my success.  I have always been someone who would just push through and do it myself.  But help and support are powerful tools. 

I had some setbacks along the way. In March, just 10 weeks before my half marathon, I accidentally overtrained.  A hike in the mountains turned into an all day workout.  Overtraining was scary. I just couldn’t stay awake, I couldn’t stop crying for no reason, I had a headache and I couldn’t think things out the way I normally can.  So, I had to take a few days off.  Hydrate, eat good food and rest. 

Then I started in again with a renewed sense of urgency but careful to follow my training schedule.  In April, just 5 weeks before my half marathon, I got the flu and couldn’t get out of bed for almost a week.  I thought this might be it, the thing that ruins my chances of finishing.  But again, I got back on my training schedule.  I needed to hear the reassurance of my coaches and my DBC teammates.  My daily mantra became “Trust your training” and I continued to improve my mindset but my running speed and endurance took a big hit from the flu. 

As I head out the door for one more training run before my rest week before the half marathon, I am amazed at how far I have come.  I have done the work to the best of my ability and I have succeeded in becoming a runner. 

Training... with trains!!

How do you handle the ups and downs of weight loss?

At DBC we learned that our journey would be full of ups and downs.  I had to really convince myself that the number on the scale was “just data." I weigh every day to use that information in my assessment of how I am doing, along with my food journal and what foods affect my weight loss.  I am no longer afraid of the scale because even if it is up that day, I know what I need to do to get it to go down.  I have to do the work but I can achieve any weight goal that I put my mind to and focus towards achieving. The first few months were almost easy.  The motivational experience of DBC and of my DBC teammates were a wonderful wave of support.  

The next few months brought the holidays and the struggle to not eat off plan outside of my indulgence meal was more difficult.  I would take a bite of something here or there and at first the scale wasn’t affected so I started thinking I was getting away with it.  But my weight loss slowed down and I had to really learn what integrity was.  I had to recommit myself to the SOS lifestyle, sometimes even daily.  I would reread my notes from my DBC classes and homework.  I would reach out to my teammates with 911 messages asking for that added encouragement.  There have been times when the scale doesn’t show very many pounds but my body definitely changed.  I have a long way to go.  I look at the graph showing the ups and downs but I celebrate the fact that overall the scale keeps going down.  

What does I'm Perfection mean to you? What imperfections are you learning to celebrate?

I’m Perfection means that where I am today is my reality.  I love myself now.  I love myself at my highest weight and I will love myself at my goal weight.  My self-worth cannot be measured by a number on the scale.  My lifestyle has improved, my satisfaction with life, and my ability to feel joy.  Living each day to it’s fullest is perfection.  I am achieving extraordinary things. I feel the joy of moving my body with my own two feet.

By embracing and loving my imperfections, I accept where I am and do the best that I can for today. I'm not waiting to start running until I have the body I think I need in order to run. I'm doing it now. I could have waited until I lost the weight.  Maybe it would be easier.  But I Choose My Hard.  So why not now?!  I have to keep pushing the doubtful voice away.  I focus on the positive when my body hurts, I remind myself how far I have come.  I am not perfect on my nutrition and my weight fluctuates but it keeps going down. 

I have incredibly high expectations for myself so when I fall short- which we all often will- I am learning to embrace the imperfections, find my happiness and experience joy along the journey.  I’m not perfect but I continue to Trust the Process and break through the barriers that try to stop me. 

I will complete the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in memory of my Mom and with my family and my best friend by my side.

I've raised my children with a "do your best" philosophy, but I have never applied it to myself until now. I've always thought I was falling short of perfection. As it turns out, I've been perfect all along. I'm Perfection. 

How has this journey changed your life? 

I am a happier person.  I am focusing on myself like never before in my life.  My husband and children are so proud of me.  We can be more active together instead of me making excuses why I can’t join them.  We are planning fun, challenging outdoor activities to do as a family this summer.  That is my biggest “Why” and I am already seeing the positive changes in our life.  I still have quite a bit of weight to lose but to me that just means it will even get better than it is now.  I don’t have to worry about whether I am going to fit in the airplane seat or the stadium seat.  I look forward to going to the amusement park after the race and knowing that I will fit on the ride! 

How do you feel now? 

A week before the Tinkerbell Half Marathon...

Wow.  I am amazed at myself, at what I have accomplished in the past 7 months since my week at DBC, at the fact that I am going to run a half marathon.  I am strong.  I am confident.  I am powerful.  I am amazing.  I have trained to the best of my ability and I am ready to complete a half marathon.  My body is sore and tired.  I hope this next week of taper before the race will restore my muscles.  But my mindset has overall stayed strong and focused. 

I know that the next 6 to 8 months will be challenging because as I feel better, there is a risk that I will lose focus and tell myself that I’ve done enough or that I’m better than I was so it’s okay.  But I will refuse that old mindset and I will stay focused on attaining my goal weight.  I will use challenges and motivational milestones as stepping blocks to get to my goal weight. 

After completing the Tinkerbell Half Marathon...

I am victorious!  The first few days after completing my first ever half marathon, I think I’ve kind of been in a state of shock.  I actually did it.  I followed my plan of 2 minute run and 2 minute walk.  My body did great.  There were some moments of pain or discomfort but not too bad.  I trusted my training.  The days before the race, I had a quiet resolve that whatever was going to happen was as it should be.  I had done everything that I needed to do to train and lose weight and get my mind right.  As I stood on the start line, I was happy.  Not nervous or fearful... HAPPY!  

That is the life I want to live.  I am victorious because I can set a goal that is out of my reach, make and follow a plan, work and push myself to new heights and actually exceed my own expectations.  I’m proud of myself and I am working on truly accepting my accomplishments and the praise from friends and family.  I can feel the progress that I have made on self esteem and self acceptance.  I’m not perfect but I’m perfection.