Sharing My Story = More Healing

The first full week of September and it was going to be a busy one!  The previous week, the district wellness committee had asked for anyone who had a major transformation to share to send in their story to be featured in a weekly spotlight.  I decided to submit my story.  It's part of an Eat Well initiative - the first of 3 phases in the wellness plan for the year.  Turns out, I got picked to be first!  I sent in some tips on the food I eat and also other things I have started doing with my nutrition.  I also sent in a before and after picture (below)

The before picture was taken on our family vacation in July 2012.  I can't even believe that was me.  Looking at it now, I can see how unhappy and unhealthy I was.  It's not just about the weight - but that's definitely a part - it's about emotional health too.  Being happy and having confidence is an amazing feeling.  This is definitely the first time in a long time I've felt that way and I am loving every second of it!

My story was sent out to the entire district in an email and in a district newsletter.  I had a lot of people come up to me throughout the day saying they couldn't believe how much weight I had lost.  They were asking questions about how I did it, how I felt, etc.  It was fun.  Not only for people to acknowledge my hard work but also for people to ask me what they could do.  I've never been an expert on anything - and I'm still not - but to think that people are asking me for advice on living a healthier lifestyle is such a fun feeling.  After everything Renee' has done for me, I feel that I should definitely pay it forward in any way I can.

Of course, I sent it to Renee'.  And my whole family.  Their responses made me smile big time!  I love knowing that they are proud of me and having their support means the world to me.

I think another reason I've found so much success is because I've been honest with myself and everyone else.  Once I knew this process was going to work (and still is), I started sharing my achievements on facebook, with my coworkers, with my family and with my friends, along with my current weight.  Believe me, when you weigh over 200 pounds, that is not an easy thing to do.  But, again, a lot of this is about confronting fears and healing wounds.  One of those wounds is the embarrassment of how unhealthy I was.  I often felt like an outcast in so many aspects of my life because of my weight.  Although there were other things holding me back, my weight was such a huge issue for me.  As I've become more comfortable with myself, I am so much more willing to be in different situations.  It's still hard for me (and I think it will be for a long time) but every day it gets easier because I accept myself for who I am.  And I've discovered through all of this, I'm actually kind of a fun person :)  I never thought that way before.  So fun to see that now.