Inspiration And Motivation

My Story:

"I have lost a total of 197 pounds by eating healthy, exercising and making permanent changes to my lifestyle. I will have had two total hip replacements by November and next year I will compete in a triathlon and hopefully in a marathon in Austin, Texas. My husband of 25 years will be competing in the marathon also.

My Accomplishments:

State Wellness Committee Board Member at the State Office
Taking Off Pounds Sensibly Texas State Queen 2010
Taking Off Pounds Sensibly International Queen Competition in July 2010
2010 Fit Texan and Photo with Governor of Texas, Rick Perry
Will compete in a Triathlon and Marathon in 2011 with 2 total hip replacements in 2010

My Turning Point:

I faced some hard truths with the help of LIVESTRONG.COM. I came to the realization that my excess weight was slowly killing me and robbing me of living.

I was trapped in a body weighing in over 340 pounds and was ashamed of the fact that I had not been able to reach my feet for 15 years. I felt that God did not give me bones and joints to carry that amount of weight as a person 5'5" with a small frame. My lifelong relationship with food, lifestyle choices and decisions dealing with life, heartache and disappointment brought me to where I was in January of 2008.

My excess weight taxed my body to it's limits (merely moving and doing the things others take for granted was a struggle). My legs went to sleep if I sat too long. If I walked too far, the pain increased to the point that my legs would buckle on me. My life had become too painful for me to keep living the way I was.

I used a CPAP machine to breathe at night. My cholesterol totals were over 360. I had high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic. I was becoming more uncomfortable in my own skin with each pound I put on.

How I Did It:

The weight didn't come off magically or quickly. It took effort, but as it came off, I physically began feeling better and started simply MOVING MORE AS I WENT THROUGH EACH DAY.

TOPS and LIVESTRONG.COM taught me how to change my eating habits but they didn't stop there. I took TEENY TINY baby steps and then I started to notice I could move farther and stand longer and bend over. Soon enough, I COULD ACTUALLY REACH MY FEET AND TIE MY OWN SHOES! THIS MEANT I COULD ACTUALLY WEAR TENNIS SHOES.

After being unable to reach my feet for 15 years, I remember what it felt like to look down at my feet with my brand spanking new little white tennis shoes on that I tied myself with pretty double bows like I used to do back when I was a little girl in school. I will never forget the feeling of walking around in my tennis shoes feeling like I could jump higher and run faster than anyone on earth! Now I knew that at 250 pounds and being over 40 years old with severe arthritis, there was no way I could even jump or run at all. Still, the motivation that wearing my tennis shoes brought me was empowering, to say the least.

I walked every day. I watched my white tennis shoes in the reflection of each window I passed–there are 38 of them around my building where I work. Don't get the wrong idea–I was unstoppable, but very slow at first. Incredibly slow. In fact, at first I could only walk one time around my building. It's ½ mile, and there are many people who regularly run ½ mile in less than two minutes. It took me my whole lunch hour.

More About My Journey:

My biggest challenges included changing my attitude to be more positive, forgiving myself when I slipped up and "fell off the wagon" and realizing I was in it for the long haul.

There is more to each of us than we know. If we can just get a glimpse of it, maybe for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less. I reached my TOPS ideal weight goal on November 9, 2009. It’s true what they say–all you need to do is watch what you eat, and expend more energy than you consume. It’s really that simple.

I realized that I have the power inside of me to change myself. I learned that being willing to do what it takes is not enough. We have to actually do, act and follow through. Exercise is essential so run, jog, dance your socks off. Find something that you enjoy and just do it! Otherwise, you won’t stick to it.

Start reading labels. If you don’t know what you’re putting in your mouth, you’re flying blind. You can’t eat poorly and be healthy. Educate yourself and don’t assume anything. You must rely on yourself for this; nobody else is going to be able to lose the weight for you. It’s not that complicated a task, but it will require effort.

My Secret to Success and New Life:

Without inspiration our minds remain dormant. There is a fuel inside each and every one of us that needs to be ignited with sparks. The most powerful force we have within us is “our soul on fire with inspiration and motivation." And it’s contagious. The harder you work at something, the harder it is to surrender.

I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustrations were actually laying the foundation for the life I am enjoying now. I now admire myself for what I have achieved and think of myself as a well-rounded, successful and healthy person who has learned to make better choices and decisions. It is the hardest and greatest thing I have ever achieved.

I have lost almost 200 pounds and am feeling great about myself. I have to be in charge of this body. I go to the gym four times a week for a mixture of cardiovascular, jazzercise and strength training. The body is composed of over six hundred muscles and the two I used the most to lose weight were my brain and my heart.

Today I think of food as a way to survive–fuel for the body and the mind–so it’s important what kind of fuel I choose. And I think of exercise as a way to relieve stress, increase endorphins, get strong and live the long, happy life that is intended for me. It's working.

My most recent blood work shows: LDL cholesterol in the below normal range, HDL in the above normal range, Total Blood Serum Cholesterol below normal, normal liver function, normal everything else. But the blood tests only confirmed what I already knew: I feel great, inside and outside.

April 10, 2010, I was crowned TOPS State Queen of Texas in Corpus Christi. I was also named a Fit Texan Winner for the Texas Round Up 2010, a health program started seven years ago by Gov. Rick Perry to combat obesity. A healthy lifestyle and exercise has changed my body, mind and attitude.

I am doing serious artwork again for the first time in 20 years. I am going back to college. I learned to scuba dive, got my certification and have gone on several trips with my husband. I've learned how to canoe and have been on several canoe trips with my husband. I've also taken ballroom dancing lessons.

I damaged my body because I waited so long to lose weight. You pay a price and I am paying it now. I refuse to let this stop me from accomplishing my dream of competing in a triathlon and in a marathon in 2011.

I have undergone one successful total hip replacement surgery and am preparing for a second total hip replacement surgery to alleviate what is at times debilitating pain. The surgery will allow me to compete in my first triathlon in 2011 and first marathon".

Posted by SarahMetzger | September 27, 2010

For more information regarding the Lance Armstrong Foundation and how LiveSTRONG can assist you in achieving your own Weight Loss Success Story go to www.livestrong.com