Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sharing Our Stories


*Preface*: I am really nervous that this post will be a flop! I almost deleted the entire thing! I know that there are many of you who read my blog and do not post which is okay. I am just asking that today you consider participating in this blog activity...just this once. Here goes nothing.

Did you take some time to go before the Lord yesterday? I did and I am so thankful that I was able to set aside some time to lay my heart out before the Lord. If you have not done this yet, I highly recommend it!

This week is all about encouragement!! Are you feeling encouraged yet?

I find other people’s weight loss stories very encouraging! Normally, this would be the time when I write about whatever I have to share with you, however today I want to hear from you!

Will you share your story with me?

Simply, leave me a comment about your weight loss story. It can be as long or short as you want it to be. Even if you are off track right now, tell me about some of the struggles you are having and how you are overcoming them.

Thank you in advance to those of you who take the time to share your story with us.

If you want to read some encouraging stories can check out the comments section.

9 comments:

Cindy Matejka said...

Ah, you already know me from visiting my blog. I had a little boy 3 years ago, nursed for a year, and lost the baby weight quickly. Plus, I've always been a die-hard runner. When I quit nursing, I continued eating like I was, gained 30 lbs very easily. I have been on Weight Watchers (strictly online) for over almost 3 years now, have run my first half marathon, and have now signed up for #2. I visit your blog frequently for recipes, and your motivation. I love WW and I love the Lord too :) Have a blessed day.

Anonymous said...

My name is Michelle I'am 42 years old I joined weight waychers on December 29 2010.Ive lost 63.8 pounds and only 11.2 pounds away from my goal of 156.I could be done now Iam at the top of my weight range but I want to go all the way and be the weight I want.ongrats on youre sucess.

-J.D. Humenay said...

My blog talks about my weight loss struggles over the years. I'm J and I've been overweight since about the 3rd grade. And it came with massive depression. I've always been 'different' from other kids - highly creative, a published poet by the time I was 12 with over 300 poems to my name by the time I was 16. I'm a singer and a stage actress, and tend to be very passionate about those things. However, in my youth, I went to a Lutheran school that, while grounded me spiritually, was the darkest time in my life. By 4th and 5th grade, I was contemplating suicide on a daily basis. The only things that kept me from it was the fact that I didn't want to make my parents sad. (What can I say? When you're a kid, you learn things by repetion, and when you're told every day that you're completely worthless by your peers, for years, you start to believe it.) I didn't realize it, but I was using food (sneaking it) to medicate the pain I was feeling. I didn't want counseling because "only crazy people do that". I had very few friends, despite trying very hard to make them.

Add that to the natural sense of abandonment that many adoptees experience (since that's pretty much the first emotion we experience, it gets deeply engrained in many of us), and you have a recipe for deep depression.

At my highest weight, I was about 255lbs, and I'm about 5'8". I also had the challenge of PCOS (nothing like growing dark hairs from your chin to make you feel even WORSE about yourself).

In 2001, I got married. I figured "I finally got someone other than my family to love me." Can you tell my mind wasn't in the right place? Well, by 2004, adultry had invaded, and deep down I kept waiting every day for him to wake up and see that I wasn't what he wanted, even though I had lost nearly 80lbs I was down to 175 by 2005 thanks to Medifast.

However, I didn't follow their matinence program and during the divorce, I finally got some much needed counseling. I reclaimed my self-worth and embarked on single life. I highly recommend everyone spend at least 1 year living ALONE. It was a great time for introspection.

Anyway, when I finally realized that I am WORTH taking care of, I finally started looking into ways to do that better. I started following my passions I'd put aside in order to meet other's expectations. I'm currently in community theater and do about 2 shows/year, sometimes more. I foster HEALTHY friendships and relationships now. I can stand up for myself now. And part of standing up for myself.

Since my heaviest days, I've kept off a good 40-50lbs. I'm at 207 currently and aiming for Onederland soon!

But I've learned that there is SO MUCH emotional stuff involved in eating! Sometimes I still have to talk myself out of eating junk food (like today! My husband is away on Duty and I'm going to be alone and sick for the next few days - so carbs were an instant craving!)

You can follow my blog and my latest progress at www.jsjourneybook.com

Would love to see some comments!

Sarah - Fat Little Legs said...

I had been overweight as long as I can remember. Nearly 4 years ago, I had my first child, and I got a very severe form of preeclampsia, called HELLP syndrome. My son spent 27 days in the nicu because of it. I vowed on his first birthday to change my life and my weight and started my journey at 281 pounds. Using weight watchers I lost 115 post over the course of nearly 2 years, and last summer I hit my goal weight and lifetime status. In between I also started running and last year ran 2 5ks. Right now I'm pregnant again, if baby number 2. I wish I could say it has been better this time around because of my weight loss, but I have had all sorts of complications related to the baby this time though, not because of my weight. My days are uncertain right now, but I am trying to trust in God's will. I miss my Weight Watchers group so much right now, and can't wait to get back there after this baby is born!

I love reading the other's stories. Bravo to everyone!

-J.D. Humenay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
-J.D. Humenay said...

Whoops! Forgot to add the good stuff currently happening!

I've been divorced from my first husband for about 6 years now, and have remarried. I eloped with my husband and best friend of about 14 years now. It's an awesome relationship. I'm so glad I went through what I went through though. I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't! :) My Sailor is completely supportive of my weight loss ventures and staying active and all that. He's a few inches taller than me but about the same weight.

A blog post from last week talked about my latest healthy adventure - we went rock climbing! AMAZING work out!

Oh yeah! And I don't use Weight Watchers. I use MyFitnessPal.com. It's free and I like using real calorie and nutritional information, rather than having to tweak it to figure out how many "points" things are worth. :) But whatever works!

Andrea said...

Love to follow your blog. I joined ww jan 2007 and lost 35 lbs before I got married. I kept it off until I got pregnant and was forced to quit ww. I actually didn't tell anyone at my meeting I was pregnant for 23 wks so I could continue to have the support to stay healthy while pregnant (with the ok from my dr to follow the plan to maintain). I rejoined about a month or so after my son was born then got pregnant again 7 months later. I quit earlier but then miscarried. Joined again 2 months later and now I'm pregnant again and had to quit again. Ww is such a practical thing for me and I plan on rejoining again after this baby (November). I love reading your blog for ideas and inspiration. I'll need it to get this 35 lbs off. Again.

Bridgette said...

I am currently down twenty-five pounds since starting WW in December of 2010. I started ate 254 and want to get down about 100 lbs total. I am not interested in losing fast. I want to take my time and mold my physical and spiritual bodies. I don't want to lose 100 lbs then gain 50-100% back, having learned nothing. I know I am an emotional eater. I hear people talking about being food addicts, but I don't know if I am that. Currently, I have gained four pounds and some spiritual insight with those pounds as well. I truly believe that every pounds lost was a blessing from God. And not a single one had to do with what I ate or the number of calories I burned, but rather with the choices I was able to make through Christ. I read this blog because it is motivation and insightful in more ways than just weightloss or WWs.

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog via a comment on Gina's recipe blog. My name is Meredith and I am 28. I didn't ever struggle with weight issues until I had kids. I got married four and a half years ago and became pregnant 6 months after we got married. I ended up having 3 kids in 3 years and wasn't able to loose all the weight I wanted between pregnancies. I just had my third child four months ago so once the doctor ok-ed diet and exercise I hit the gym and calorie counting hard. I lost 30 pounds really quickly but then I stopped loosing weight so I decided to join weight watchers. I have since lost another 20 pounds :) making it 50 pounds in four months. I feel really great and love the points plus system. Here are my before and after pics. http://neillarsonfamily.blogspot.com/2011/08/four-months-and-fifty-pounds-later.html

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