I want to share my story with you about how I transformed from an exhausted, overweight, middle-aged widow to a competitive athlete, dancer, and fitness motivator in less than a year. As a friend mentioned, how I transformed from fifty, fat and flabby to fit, firm and fabulous at 59 years old.
It has been a very difficult decision for me to publish this information for the whole world to see. To do this, I had to face the reality of where I was just a couple of years ago. But after years of coaching and mentoring others to achieve important goals, I realized that it was necessary for me to do so in order to serve others through my own biggest challenge, my weight problem. We have to know where we are before we can move on to another place in life and I had to do this to help others.
In March 2009, my husband died of kidney cancer. By the time he died, I had shot myself to an incredible 220 pounds. I always say Plus, because I had stopped weighing myself, so I was not sure of my exact weight. By April 1, I had faced the reality of where I was. She was 57 years old, she was a widow, she was sick, tired, sick and fat. Yes, I use the word fat, because I had fooled myself for too long that I was just a little overweight.
I also admitted to myself that if I didn’t want to end up in the same place as my husband, I had to take care of myself. I had to lose weight, recover, and move on. Looking back, I am now well aware of the role this understanding played in my healing process. I know too many widows who could never move on, but I did. Focusing on my health and fitness was an excellent distraction from my pain. By not sitting at home thinking about the past, I was able to get outside, focus, and be healthy.
The main factor underlying my success was simply deciding to take action and deciding not to fail.
As a personal trainer, I often emphasize to others the importance of making decisions at a level that removes failure from the table. For me, failure was not an option that would entertain me. I know it sounds too simple for most people to understand that I just decided to succeed. But the level of this decision changed my life and I was sure it saved my life as well.
It saves my life because I faced my own reality. If he didn’t lose weight, he would die from it. Once I faced reality, I knew what I had to do. I didn’t stop at it, didn’t think about it, didn’t even plan it. I just did it. Yet surprisingly, in hindsight, I realized that the level of decision prevented me from failing. It kept me focused and in action.
Anyone can have the body, self-confidence and health that result in an Active and Abundant Lifestyle. It starts with a vision of having it and a wish that you will not be denied the success of your dreams.
For your unstoppable success …