The Long Version

In 1967 I came into this world skinny, and then I ate. LOL Okay, so I wasn't fat as a kid. I was a string bean. I could eat anything and never gain an inch. When we had pizza, I got a medium one all to myself. When we had spaghetti, you couldn't see the flowers on the rim of the CorrelleWare for the pile of noodles. Then, puberty hit and with it came curves.
I was a bit obsessive compulsive as a teenie-bopper so my solution was to binge and starve. I waited tables as my high school job, and my daily diet consisted of either milk shakes, ice cream, french fries, and hot ham & cheeses (in that order), or salad. There was no in between for me -I looked to my uniforms to tell me what the menu of the day would be. Back then, I was a size 3/5. Then I went off to college and learned how to eat healthy (or at least the America way), and exercise. Despite my rigorous workout routines, I gained the freshman 15 my first quarter! My wardrobe had to expand with me, and when I got married a year later, I was finding that a size 6 was snug, and 8's were required if I wanted to bend at the waist.
We were in college, and living on a $35 per week grocery budget (think lots of pasta and potatoes.) We kept such a busy schedule that exercise was a luxury. Two years into the marriage our family of two grew. From there life accelerated in warp speed fashion, and birthing babies became a bi-annual event. In between times, I was nursing so 'dieting' according to my method of thinking wasn't allowed. I managed to get my figure back pretty quickly, until baby number 4. I actually GAINED weight after he was born. I had exercised religiously during the pregnancy, and was very careful with my food choice (in a healthy way). He was born skinny just like me, but my body wasn't making enough to satisfy him. In hindsight, I probably should have just upped my water intake. Instead, I used it as an excuse to eat everything but the kitchen sink, to borrow a worn-out phrase. And that started the beginning of my matronly figure. With each subsequent baby (remember I have given birth to 12) I gained a few more pounds, and lost a few less before beginning the cycle again.
During this time, I had health challenges that sent me searching for answers. I became a health nut. We grind our own wheat, make our own bread, you get the picture. Sugar is very limited, and we have some general rules - no sodas, no artificial sweeteners, no MSG, no nitrates, no food dyes, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils... so by all accounts we should all be skinny. With a no-purchase list like that, there really isn't much else to choose from! Don't laugh though, through diet changes and nutritional supplementation I got my life back, and restored my health. I became a wellness consultant, and started sharing what I learned. Even still, the fat clung to me with the tenacity of a pit bull. I gave up, and consoled myself that at least I didn't fall into the category of 'obese', just overweight.
Then something happened. It was subtle, but it hit me like a locamotive. Subtle in that, I can't pinpoint when my attitude changed. I had been reading lots of different personal development books to help me improve my business skills. I also turned 40. Approaching the top of the hill was a defining moment for me. I remember moving beyond the 'want to' and stepping across the threshold of 'have to'. I wouldn't say I had a mid life crisis. Forty was the best year of my life - thus far. I will say I made a midlife re-evaluation. What I decided was that it was possible to find the Perfect Body Shape that was buried under the years of accumulated blubber.
I became a certified Perfect Body Shape coach, and began the journey along with my clients. If you have ever tried dieting and found that it didn't work, or that it didn't 'stick' (meaning the weight returned later), then I have good news! You didn't fail, your diet failed you!
What do I mean by that? Do some research... look at the statistics, particularly the steady gain in the nation's weight problems while we've been fed propoganda about low fat, low carb, low calorie diets. Heart disease has gone up since we swapped out our saturated fats and replaced them with 'better for you' hydrogenated oils. Diabetes has sky rocketed while all the 'low fat' dieters wonder why they aren't losing weight. Low cal folks might lose it right along with the low carb folks, but the fat will return... and usually with a vengenance. My problem was that I wasn't eating the right things, or that I was eating too much. I wasn't eating enough, or often enough, to satisfy my thrifty gene that had been in overdrive since high school.
So, I implemented low glycemic healthy meals 5-6 times per day. I supported my body with the proper nutrition designed to help support weight loss. And I lost weight, along with a few dress sizes. I still had some problem areas though, and I was frustrated (but not enough to find time to exercise.) Then I added in a patented peptide product that targets fat loss. The inches literally melted away. I achieved my goal, and then some. I started out my journey forcing myself into size 14 pants. Now my size 6 clothes fit loosely. I have blogged on the Lean for Life group at Fabulously40. I posted my baseline, and where I am now. I am only one inch off my goal in the waist and hip area.
The only area where I have failed is exercise, which leaves me with flab. This year, it has to go! Exercise can no longer be avoided. So, I started an Oh So Lean Challenge at Fabulously40 to help me stay focused, and I joined the ModernMom Challenge for back up support. Please leave a comment and let me know I have folks in my corner (or watching over my shoulder) to help me with my exercise goals. Let me know if you need some encouragement. I was born to be a cheerleader!