My body was not always mobile and flexible. There was a time in my early thirties when I could barely climb stairs, even as little as one step. There was a time I awoke with tremendous joint pains and no energy to even get up and do the basic every day chores. I felt like an elderly woman rather than a young woman in the prime of my life. My body was reaching the highest weight for me, 234 pounds, and I was not happy in anything I was doing. This was a very sad time in my life. I was married to an alcoholic and I was a foodaholic.

One day when my child was still in the bassinet I looked down at him and felt a great sadness. I feared that I would not be able to run and play with him. I feared he would be embarrassed when I took him to school. I feared my life would be shortened because my health would give out. It was this time frame that I began to see that I needed to do something quick. They say pain is a motivator. It is true. I gently began a slow journey into exercise, beginning with walking. I remember barely making it around the block before I was winded and depleted of all my energy. But I did not let this stop me. The next day I did a block again. Gradually my one block became two, then a mile, then 5 miles (Moving Through The Storm!). After a while, I began to add other kinds of exercise into my life, like: biking, swimming, skating and lifting weights.

Today I continue to do cardio exercises as well as lift weights. I have found I am more mobile in my mid forties than I was in my early thirties, twenties and even teens! I learned our bodies can improve no matter where our age is. I learned to be the best that I could be (Power Thoughts). And as for the alcoholic in my life, I learned I could not cure him, change him or control him...but that I could cure, change and control myself. And I did. I went off on my own to heal and sore to heights I never dreamt possible. I learned to fly!

One of the reasons I was able to heal and sore to unbelievable heights was because, for the first time in my life, my mind was clear! It was as though something or someone came into my head and lifted out all of the cobwebs and confusion. It was as though something or someone breathed energy back into me. I have no doubt that my new found exercise was the beginning of my evolution but that was not the only contributor. My eating had taken a drastic change for the better. I began to recognize which foods were real and which were fake and processed (Weight Loss By The Sea!). Before I took a bite out of food I would ask myself if this food was going to fuel my body and my mind or deplete it of something. I began to notice that each "real" food that I popped into my mouth gave me an instant lift and a lucidness I had no recollection of experiencing before.

I loved the way I was feeling and the way my body was beginning to transform. For the first time in my life, I felt that I was alive and that there was hope for me to be in the "thin" world. I was reborn! I began to prepare each of my meals with balance in mind. I found the winning combination. I made sure each of my meals included protein, vegetables and a "real" carbohydrate. I found I won my personal lotto! I felt a change in my mind and I saw a change in my body. I discovered that I could be "normal" and not have to live in a fog or be heavy.

I found a new sense of gratitude for each day that I have been given. Life has much to offer and I want to grab every bit of it that I can. Even though I have released 75 pounds and am successfully keeping it off, I never forget what I need to do to keep this weight off. I never forget where I came from. I thank God every day for my awakening and have devoted my life to helping people who are struggling with their weight as I once did. I never take my thinness for granted knowing I am always a stone throw away from finding my weight again. I know what I must do to stay successful in my recovery. I will continue to live my life as though each day could be my last. I will never take my mobility for granted nor will I assume I will always be clear in my mind (Love Thy Self!). I will take each day as it comes and my gratitude will continue a little bit more with each passing day. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but for today I am grateful.