Shed and Shedding...

This morning I was reading  The Shed and Share stories on Peak313 Fitness  and was inspired to share my own Shed (and Shedding) story.  I have never ever posted publicly the picture that made me say "ENOUGH" and start my shedding journey.  But, you can't truly move forward without embracing your past, right? Plus we are all in this together, we need each other and we need our God.  Let's not forget Ecclesiastes 4:12, the threefold chord is not easily broken.  Here I go (deep breath!).......

After I had developed the Christmas pictures in January 2005, I had to stop a minute and wonder who was that girl in the sweatshirt?  The answer: me. I didn't recognize myself at all.  I had never had a problem with weight, I had always been petite and lost the weight from both babies very quickly.  But this weight was something different, it was the product of a marriage that was not Christ-centered, depression, years of emotional abuse and stress beyond anything I had ever experienced.  My 'wasband' (the man I was married to previously) and I had been married for 5 years and at the young age of 26 I was balancing two children ages 9 and 4, a full time job and finishing up my bachelor's program. Believe it or not, my wasband actually preferred me in this state as he had always been insecure that I would leave him for someone else.  But, this isn't about him...so back to my story.  Below is the picture that put a stop to my weight gain and encouraged me to enter Weight Watchers in January 2005,  I was successful and lost about 40 pounds by the following summer.

Christmas 2004

I was successful at weight loss, but was unsuccessful in marriage and we sadly divorced in July 2007. It was rough being a single mother again, I had been one as a teenager.   Eventually stress started to take its toll after I bought a house and was juggling kids, new house, work, finishing up my thesis for my grad degree, and on and on.  I was also in a new relationship with B (who is now my fiance) and trying to just figure out where everyone and everything fit in was a huge task.  I ended up gaining 30  pounds back, as you can see from the picture below.  It was the beginning of football season, 2010 and I was not feeling great (despite my best thumbs up effort) about being in a crowded football stadium around a bunch of skinny moms watching my daughter cheer.  

August 2010

Again, another picture spoke a thousand words and slapped me back in to reality.  Not long after this picture, I turned 32 on November 5th and decided it was time for me to lose 32 pounds.  I joined a gym for the first time in a decade, revamped my exercise and eating habits and with B by my side, I was successful by June 2011. Candace Cameron Bure's  Reshaping It All was my guidebook and taught me that my spiritual, physical and emotional well-being is the three legged stool I must balance on.  I thought it was kind of cool that it took me just over 32 weeks to lose the 32 pounds.  By the next football season, I had lost a bonus 5 pounds and I was ready with TWO thumbs up! 

August 2011

Since August 2011, I have gained back about 12 pounds. Kind of funny, another 12 pounds in 12 months.  I enjoyed LOSING the 32 in 32 weeks way better!!!  I can't blame anything else this time but my own slacking ways.  I know I have been eating a little more, exercising a little less.  Thanks to B challenging me two weeks ago to get back to our goal weights along with the challenge I started at Peak313 Fitness  on Monday, I am ready for life long success.  My weight loss remedy is pretty simple: Spiritual, Physical and Emotional  fitness are the keys to making the thumbs go up!  

Have a Blessed Day!

Calleen