The "new" me.

January 2013 brought me to a new place in my life.  I wanted to get fit and healthy.  I want to be active.

In 2012, I was having knee pain...had an MRI on both knees and yes, there was an issue, but the doctor told me that PT was the only way to get better.  The physical therapist made great strides toward helping me feel better and after a couple of months, I could do stairs again and my knees were stronger, so I graduated out of PT. And did like most PT graduates do: I quit doing the exercises that the physical therapist had given me.  Because I was all better.  Except I wasn't.

In December of 2012, we were at my parents house for Christmas and were getting ready to leave to go to yet another party when my 6 year old dropped some coins on the ground.  I bent over to help him pick them up and SPLIT MY PANTS WIDE OPEN.  I laughed it off, but inside I was dying.  I was 33 years old, couldn't fit into my size 18 jeans, knees hurt, back hurt, and I was tired. Always tired.  I have 4 kids to keep up with; I don't have time to be tired.  Honestly, when they were at school, I would do a little housework and then crawl in bed for a nap nearly everyday.  In the winter, I would curl up under the covers with a book and some hot cocoa and wonder why the pounds kept creeping on.

If you've been around here for a while, you know that I lost a crap-ton of weight when we moved to the other side of the state.  I put it all back on. And then some.  I quit running. I quit eating decent. I quit watching portions. I quit doing everything I was doing that was making me healthy and strong.  I made excuses...I was great with those!

But, that cold December night when my pants split open, I knew in my heart something had to give and that I couldn't continue to live like I was.  That wasn't really living; I was only surviving.

New Years Eve 2012 brought us a houseful of guests for dinner....a dinner I do nearly every year.  Something indulgent to celebrate.  I stepped on the scale after they all left and it read 214.5.  Aside from the times I've been pregnant, that's the biggest I've been.  And I was done.  I knew the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans was having a New Years weight loss challenge, so I started it.  I had an awesome partner, Kari, that I started texting with almost daily.  My chiropractor's office had a Biggest Loser challenge with a cash prize, so I entered.  And then my friend, Angie, told me about a free spin class offered at the fitness center at our school.  It was at 5:15 every Friday morning.  I am SO not a morning person. Ever. But, I thought it would help me with the two challenges that I was in and it did!  My husband and my brother-in-law were taking bets that this wouldn't last long.  They knew I loved sleeping in and weather in Wisconsin is less than inviting in February....especially at 5:15am so they figured that I'd give it up after a few weeks.  Well, I fell in love with spinning.  And then they told me they offered a free spin video class on Monday's, so I started going to that.  Then, they had yoga on Wednesday's and I thought, "I can do that." So I did.

And when the Sisterhood contest ended Kari and I were in the Top 10.  There were over 100 people in that challenge and we were in the Top 10!  Then the contest ended at the Chiropractor's office and I finished 3rd of 20(ish).  I felt so good that I had made it that far!  I dropped some weight, felt great, then it was time for school to end and my new friend teaching the spin class graduated her program to be a personal trainer and needed some people to "practice" on and offered me 3 months of free personal training.  This brought me to 5 days a week at the gym.  And the more I go, the more I love me.  The more I love seeing the weight shrink, but more than that I love seeing me get stronger.  I can see the muscles in my quads and calves.  I can see biceps.  My muffin top is (oh so very slowly) shrinking.  I went from a size 18 jean to a size 10 and I'm not done yet.  I'm learning so much about myself, fitness and nutrition.  I am learning that I am ok....just how I am and that I need to keep working out if I'm going to prevent the backslide.  I don't want to be the mom who can't keep up to her kids, but I really, really like being able to outlast the boys!  :)

I'm on a mission now.