Getting My Life Back

Good morning! My day got reordered a bit from original plans because my friend had to postpone her visit until early November (her dog got sick and needed surgery). I had kept my schedule open to maximize my time with her, so my husband and I are taking advantage of a free morning and heading to Grand Rapids (30 minutes from our home) to spend some time with our oldest daughter and almost-3 yr. old twins. I love the fact that losing 126 pounds not only means that I can run around and chase Olivia and Zachary - AND get down on the floor with them :-) - but losing the weight also gave me the opportunity to leave the corporate world and go into business for myself, allowing me to spend a Thursday morning playing with my youngest grandchildren.

It's amazing to see how much balance has been brought into my life, and I'm so thankful! Just a little over two years ago, my weight was out of control, I was sick, I had very little energy, and I worked at a job that I enjoyed, but one that took up a lot of my time and had very little opportunity for advancement. I came home exhausted almost every day and had very little time to do the things I wanted to do. My future didn't look particularly bright, and I only hoped that I'd somehow have the health and stamina to continue working another 10-12 years so I could draw full Social Security. It wasn't that my life was bad, because it wasn't, but I lacked the time and the energy to really enjoy it. I also viewed my future with a fair amount of uncertainty because I knew my obesity had already resulted in diabetes and I feared future health issues were looming.

People who have known me for a long time tell me that I've changed a lot since losing 126 pounds. My core values are rock-solid and unchanged, but I now wake up full of energy and enthusiasm every day, and I look at the future with anticipation for what's next. My energy is no longer compromised by obesity and poor nutrition, and I no longer waste mental energy trying to figure out how to negotiate space (i.e., will I fit or not fit in any given spot) or comparing myself to all of my smaller friends.

I love the fact that all of these changes happened AFTER I reached the age of 55, an age when so many people think it's too late to make any significant changes in their lives. I'm always excited when I see younger people on this plan, because I know they are making changes that will positively impact their lives for many decades to come. I'm also excited when I see older people on this plan, because I know that their success will fuel a level of optimism that many didn't think possible to reclaim.

This plan is about so much more than losing weight, as important as that is. It's about getting your life back, then getting on with it! So many of us have invested a lot of energy chasing the elusive dream of losing weight, and when that dream is realized, we find there's a lot of energy left over for a lot more interesting (and fun!) things. The fastest way to get on with the rest of your life is to get to goal as quickly as possible, and you'll do that one on-plan day at a time :-).