Moving Forward in 2017

When our daughter Jessica was born, Dave and I lived in Ohio.  For the first 18 months-2 years of her life, she was sick about every 6 weeks.  We went to multiple doctors and no one knew what was up.  It was always respiratory and she was given antibiotics just about every 8-10 weeks.  It was maddening.

One day the doctor finally said, I think you should go to Children’s Hospital in Dayton.  We made an appointment there.  The doctor talked to us, listened to Jessica’s chest, checked her ear, nose, and throat and said, “She has asthma.”  No question whatsoever, no months of trying to figure it out.  The specialist knew exactly what was up.  She started doing daily breathing treatments and we were able to get off of the constant antibiotics.   I have never forgotten how the “specialist” knew exactly what was wrong with her.

Jessica could play "doctor" perfectly when she
was this little.

 When Joe was having the constant back pain and the xrays were done to confirm scoliosis, once again we saw a specialist at Children’s Hospital (in Denver this time).  This man had been doing two surgeries a day for years and we felt at ease (or as at ease as one can feel when their child is being operated on) with this surgeon.  Again, success was realized in Joe’s life.

Joe's before and after x-rays.

Well for years, I have been to all the weight loss programs out there.  Over and over and over again with no success whatsoever.  Weight Watchers, Curves, Jenny Craig, The Metabolic Center, Atkins, Juicing, Vegetarian, Protein Power, Body for Life, and many more.  One day last year, a recent college graduate stepped into my life and began helping me with my nutrition and fitness and BAM results followed!  As sure as Jessica’s asthma diagnosis and treatment and as sure as Joe’s surgeons’ detailed work, I was following direction and seeing results.

We eventually moved from Ohio to Colorado and the dry air aided Jessica’s full recovery from asthma.  We still visit Joe’s specialist once a year in Denver for follow up visits.  AND since Ryan is still in Grand Junction and so am I, that is who I will be moving forward with in 2017.  When you find the combination that works and it gets you results, you stay with that combination (if both parties are able.)

Year 1 (-60 pounds), Year 2 (tbd)

His head is so big, it won't fit in the picture!   Ha Ha!!!!

Challenge the status quo - Go get em 12 Week Challenge Participants

The 12 Week Challenge posts on Facebook and pictures at the gym bring up all kinds of thoughts for me.  I participated in the Gold’s Gym 12-week challenge last year and it was without a doubt the catalyst for a tremendous year for me.  It was also one of the lowest points in the year for me when I found out I had been voted in 1^st place by the local gym, but not by corporate.  Corporate’s decision overruled all of those at our local gym and I was given 2^nd place. 

This steered me towards being a huge advocate of the body positive movement going on.  I came across it on Instagram.  It’s the hashtag #bopo.  There are some wonderful ladies speaking out on this subject on Instagram,  @omgkenzieee, @nourishandeat, and @selfloveclubb.  While staying in shape, eating a well-balanced diet and being healthy are important, they shouldn’t define us.  Nor should that extra slice of pizza be the end of the world.  Be willing to flaunt your outer beauty as well as your inner beauty.  Don’t allow a corporation to make you feel less than you really are.

Many of the images we see in women’s magazines and on the Internet have been doctored; just like I was able to do with my image.  “However fake or real the image, take a step back and realize you don’t need to look or act like anybody else.  You don’t need muscle tone, restriction or unrealistically hard abs to feel worth.  Don’t waste your life chasing an image.  Don’t wake up one day at 70 and think “I never did look like those women and I wish I’d have made memories and smiles with the time I spent comparing.”” @selfloveclubb      I am working on this with myself and getting stronger in this area.

What “gets to me” about the 12-week challenge is that Corporate decides which images are used to “promote” the challenge.  They are looking for the most “marketable” winners when selecting the final 15.  Your numbers (weight loss, inches lost, fat lost could be higher than the winner, but if your picture is not as marketable – you lose.)    How could a fitness giant be so shallow? (is the question I ask.)  Do you know how many women are over 200 pounds and “not marketable” and want to make a change?  Are we excluding them in our unrealistic posters (pictures) of women?  It’s just a question.  You need to answer that for yourself. 

I know that I offered to our local Gold’s gym to do a side by side picture of me – day 1 of the 12 week challenge versus almost a year later.  I said I’d be willing for them to post that and promote the 12-week challenge for our local gym.  The answer I received back was they would love to do the side-by-side but it could NOT be used to promote the 12-week challenge.  ONLY corporate photos could be used.  (Again a Corporate decision.)  Are you catching on to my displeasure?     We did come up with the following and it is posted in the NLP room, but it is not promoting the 12 week challenge.  It is promoting the NLP program.

Thankfully you can find trainers at the local gym that truly want to help you no matter your size.  The 12-week challenge can be a GREAT starting point for your future success.  So if that’s what you want to do to motivate yourself to get started and be accountable, I say absolutely GO FOR IT!  Go for it for yourself!  Do it for you!  Hopefully your trainer will encourage and inspire you every step of the way as mine did for me.  But just know if you do not win or place, YOU ARE ENOUGH!  You are a winner.  And don’t stop at 12 weeks!  Keep it going.  Don’t diet – find a nutrition plan that works for you.

If you are on Instagram, check out the hashtag bopo (#bopo).  I think you’ll really enjoy seeing that the young women of today are trying to change the narrative of what a “real” woman looks like.  I wish I had believed this when I was their age – then I wouldn’t be 55 years old still wondering why anyone would want to train me.  I AM ENOUGH.  (There’s another one of my 2017 goals- believe I am enough.)