Today is our last day in Pennsylvania, as we head home early tomorrow morning. It's been wonderful spending time with my sister and her husband and we've managed to do a lot of fun things. Yesterday was a very full day, as we spent the day in Philadelphia (a 2-1/2 hour drive from my sister's house). We parked downtown and then spent the better part of 8 hours walking (or standing) as we went from one historical site to another. This was my first time in Philadelphia and it was amazing to stand where so much of our history took place.
What was also amazing to me was that I was able to be on my feet for almost 8 hours, and much of that walking. That is something that would have been almost impossible to do just 2-1/2 years ago. There were several times during the day when the realization washed over me that I probably wouldn't have been able to experience everything I did had I not lost weight. Even if I had somehow managed to keep going with 126 extra pounds on me, I would have been exhausted beyond belief at the end, and my feet and knee would have been throbbing. Instead, I felt energized by everything I saw and was able to do. I'll be honest and admit that the day caught up with me by the time I got back to my sister's house, but I had energy to spare for the day, and that's what mattered to me.
We packed lots of water and an assortment of Take Shape for Life/Medifast cheese puffs, pretzels and crunch bars, so once again I had the nutrition I needed to keep going all day long. When we finally stopped to eat at the end of our day, we chose to have one of the sandwiches Philadelphia is famous for. I did an internet search to find the best place to have the sandwich, and it was worth the search. Because I'd stuck with Medifast meals all day and walked several miles, and because I'm in maintenance, I knew I could afford the calories and carbs this time :-).
It was also great to pose with my husband for pictures along the way, including one of us in front of the Liberty Bell, and not have to cringe at the thought of having a camera pointed at me. It was also nice knowing that after both my husband and I losing weight, the camera was able to get both us AND the Liberty Bell in the same photo without needing a wide-angle lens!
One of the things that finally motivated me to get serious about losing weight was my trip 2-1/2 years ago to the Grand Canyon. I was very close to my top weight of 268, my size 24W jeans were so tight I could barely lift my legs high enough to get in and out of our rental SUV, and I was so out of shape that I had to stop twice going up the stairs to get to the rim of the canyon. I was out of breath and exhausted walking around that day, and I realized that I wasn't going to be able to do the traveling I wanted to do unless I could figure out how to stop eating and lose weight. That trip was the turning point for me, and after trying for three months to lose weight on my own when I returned home, I finally decided to give Take Shape for Life/Medifast a try.
I thought about that trip yesterday, and couldn't help but think about how much has changed in my life. I spent almost 11 months losing weight I had carried around for over 20 years, and in losing the weight I truly got my life back. In many ways, I actually got a new life, one I couldn't have imagined just a couple of years ago. I am SO thankful, and I never want to take it for granted.
Losing the weight and getting my life back happened by committing to the plan one day at a time. Are you committed to an on-plan day today? This is a short-term sacrifice, but the long-term benefits are amazing, perhaps even better than you can imagine. Go for it!
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