I set off on my weight loss journey in January of 2013.
Back then, I looked like this:
And I began my journey on a single quest.
To get back as close to this picture as possible.
Now even back then, I wasn’t (totally) delusional.
I realized that the body in that (super cute) polka dot bikini was 10 years younger than the one I have now, and that I had not yet given birth to any children.
Nonetheless, I had a single goal.
To have a “better” body.
Actually, that’s not true.
My goal was to have a “perfect” body.
Or at least to achieve as close to a perfect body as was possible, all things (mainly time, gravity, and children) considered.
And so began the journey.
I entered a competition.
And being a competitor, I kicked some ass in it.
I lost a lot of weight.
And by the end of last summer, I looked like this:
Although I hadn’t achieved polka dot bikini status (PDBS), I looked pretty good.
But I still wasn’t ready to wear a white tank top.
The quest for that perfect body continued.
And then, a few months later,
I burned out.
For about 10 months I was focused, obsessed even, with achieving the perfect body.
It was too much to maintain.
And I gained back almost 20 pounds.
And then I had a mini nervous breakdown.
Which, in hindsight, was the best thing that could have happened to me, because it forced me to really take a look at my life.
To reevaluate.
Prioritize.
Find moderation.
Balance.
And health.
And that’s where I am now.
I am healthy.
My body is healthy.
But more importantly, my brain is healthy.
My brain and my body are in sync.
My body listens to my brain.
Which is a good thing, because my brain is the healthiest it’s ever been.
The healthier my body gets, the healthier my brain gets.
The healthier my brain gets, the healthier my body gets.
It’s a nice cycle to (finally) be in.
So, no, I have not achieved PDBS.
I have achieved much, much more.
I recognize the power of my body.
I appreciate where it has been, where it is now, and where it is going to take me.
I wear a bikini comfortably.
No, I don’t have a six-pack.
Yes, I do I have cellulite.
My boobs aren’t where they used to be.
I have wrinkles.
From some angles my body looks tight.
And from some, it looks loose.
If I stand up totally straight, my stomach looks fairly flat.
But bending over, it’s a whole different story.
And still,
I wear a bikini.
Comfortably.
Proudly, even.
Because my body is pretty amazing.
It has completed triathlons.
It has run the NYC Marathon.
It has given birth to some really awesome children.
I have finally reached the stage of body acceptance.
But it hasn’t stopped there.
In becoming fit, my brain has changed.
I realize I’m a pretty good person for a lot of reasons, just as I am a flawed person for many reasons.
But my percentage of body fat is not a factor in either of those aspects of my character.
You know, once that finally clicks, once you stop worrying about what your stomach, or arms, or legs, or ass or chin(s) look like from every angle, you have much more energy to focus on other things.
Like your health.
Your sanity.
Your family.
Yourself.
I am not 100% shredded, but I feel hot and sexy and strong and beautiful.
Mentally, I am the strongest I have ever been.
And I have made lifestyle changes, gradually, that have made not only me, but my entire family healthier, stronger and happier.
If, eighteen months ago, you would have told me that by the summer of 2014 I would no longer drink Diet Coke or use sugar in my coffee, that I would have willingly cancelled my cable subscription, that I’d be sleeping in the same bed as my husband, that I would wear a bikini with confidence (even with a muffin top), that I’d be having sex on a regular basis (yes, regular basis), that running a half marathon would be no big deal, and that I would have not just one, or two, but three jobs and businesses running simultaneously,
well,
I would have asked you what you were smoking.
But I’m doing all of that.
And I’m just getting started.
And I have put everything that I have learned into a series of three e-courses.
It has taken me eighteen months of literal blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point.
To figure out what has worked for me and to be able to offer what I have learned to you in a way that you can adapt it to meet whatever your goals and needs are.
The first step in the process to achieving overall fitness — physical, mental, and emotional fitness — is exercise.
Not to hit a specific number on a scale.
The perfect body is the one that is healthy.
And strong.
Because with health and strength, comes confidence.
And with confidence, comes the ability to handle not just physical challenges, but the emotional challenges we all face… financial, marital, psychological. Anything, really.
And ultimately, with confidence, you become comfortable in your own skin.
However wrinkled or stretched it may be.
So sure, you can bleed, sweat, and cry your way through the journey alone.
Or, you can invest in some help along the way.
All you have to do is click here.
It might just be the best investment you ever make.
The life you are dreaming of awaits you!
Number 1! Please keep me there!
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