Happy 4th of July... a little late.

Hello everyone.  Hope you had a great 4th of July.  Mine was very fun filled with plenty of family, friends and fireworks.  We had some friends over on Friday night for a little get-together, which was a lot of fun.  We BBQ'd during a storm which was interesting to say the least. 

I am back at work this morning and I am sun burnt and feeling like a zombie.  We got home from being up North at my sisters cabin at about 10:00 after sitting in the sun all day and swimming, helping them pick up rocks from their beach, etc.  I was pooped.  I put aloe vera on, took some ibuprofin and passed out.

I apologize for being somewhat MIA last week, however I was working extra hours to make up some lost time and getting ready for the weekend.  I announced the winners of the Target cards and then forgot to contact them, so I am doing that this morning.  I also got an award from a fellow blogger, so I need to take time to talk about that.  Plus, I need to tell you all what the 5th of July (which is today) means to me.

Robin over at the blog For the Love of Me gave me a "You Inspire Me Award".  How sweet is that?  I love it when people take the time to recognize someone that has really made an impact on their healthy journey.  It is awesome! I will take some time to pay it forward soon!  Thanks again Robin!  I really appreciate it!



The 5th of July is the day after the 4th of July.  For many people it is pretty insignificant.  It means going back to work or the end of vacation for many people.  For the last five years today has been a day of reflection for me.  A day that reminds me of new beginnings and also of shortcomings.  It reminds me of how far I went, how I fell back, how far I have since come and most importantly where I am headed. 

On July 5th, 2006 I started a weight loss program that changed my life.  I lost nearly 75 pounds in about 6 months working with a dietician, behavior specialist and personal trainer.  It was hard, EXPENSIVE and worth every penny.  I went to Italy for 6 months that January and I felt healthier and happier and ready to take on the world.

While I was in Italy I only gained 10 more pounds back, which is good considering we ate our weight in bread, pizza and pasta.  I came home wearing the same clothes that I left in and that felt really good.  In a matter of a few months that would all start to change. It was the summer that I turned 21 and we spent a lot of nights at the bars drinking and eating fast food afterwards.  It was unhealthy and the pounds slowly started to creep back on. 

I am not going to spend too much time today thinking about how I wish that I would have kept the weight off and would have kept going with the journey that started on July 5th.  I have spent a lot of personal time dwelling on this and thinking long and hard about what worked and what didn't.  I spent the better part of 3 years knowing that I made mistakes and thinking, "if only I would have kept the weight off." or"if only I could lose the weight again, that would be great."  I am done with that.  I am moving forward never forgetting about July 5th, but also not spending anymore time feeling sorry for myself about my progress.  I am just moving forward and making new progress.

Struggles

Hello blog friends...  I have once again had an absence of longer than I would like.  I have been having a rough time lately with losing weight and with everything else going on in my life (parent's divorce, getting engaged, planning a wedding, buying a house, going on vacation, etc.)  I feel like I have just had a lot of things going on lately and a lot of stress.  I had been taking on too much, stretching myself too thin and not doing the right things for my mental or physical health.


I know that I need to just get back in the groove and make it my life.  I know that I need to worry less and work out more.  I know I need to be conscious of everything that I put in my body and I also know that I need to talk to someone not in my family, not a  friend and not my fiance about some of my life's stresses and finding a better way to manage them.  I know that I need to just work through these problems rather than to let them fester inside for so long.  I know that I am once again moving in the right direction.  I think the most important thing that I have learned is that it isn't enough to have a personal trainer and a dietician to lose weight if you're not in the right frame of mind and if you're not working through issues and stresses that arise.  So, I am going to work on my mental and physical health and be the best overall person that I can be.  I am a work in progress, but at least I am working on it.