Tiny, Like YOU!

Well that was a first.  I know for a fact I have never once been called "Tiny!"

Until now that is! 

4 years ago where I am now was only a dream, but it was a dream that was ATTAINABLE because I set a STRATEGY in motion that INCLUDED "Today".

Yes, 4 years ago was my first real "Today" with Take Shape For Life.  It was August 1st, 2010.  I was 272 pounds, walked with a cane, had plantar fasciitis and became winded when walking from my kitchen table to the car in the driveway.  I was OVER 50% Body Fat (I have a hand-held body-fat analyzer) and was OVER 47 on the BMI chart which clinically classified me as "Class IV Super-Obese" which is WORSE than "Class III Morbidly-Obese".  Whoever came up with those classifications I'd like to have a discussion with them by the way.  I don't think MORBID should be considered LESS serious than SUPER.  Just sayin'.  I digress.

Today I re-discovered an old book I bought in August of 2010, (picture attached) which has a record of my daily weights near the end of August of that year.  The book is has the Eiffel Tower on the front and says "Paris" on it, because it was THAT MONTH when the idea of someday participating in the Paris Marathon entered my mind.  I began to make that dream a reality one day at a time.

Fast-forward 4 years.  I've lost 144 pounds, I've kept a majority of that off for over 2 years, I am a healthy BMI and am living the life I ENVISIONED for myself 4 years ago.  This didn't happen by accident.

I didn't just think "I have to lose some weight NOW, I feel like a big fatty fat tub!"  NO.  I didn't think that.  I wasn't hard on myself, I was KIND to myself.  I didn't DEVALUE myself, I VALUED myself.  I valued myself enough to realize that I was a WORTH THE EFFORT it was going to take to CREATE THE LIFE that I wanted.

Two things about that. 

Firstly, I VALUED MYSELF.  I forgave myself and my body and I made ME my ally instead of my nemesis. 

Secondly, I began to envision WHAT I COULD CREATE with the process of getting healthy. 

This journal proves that.  It is a small testimony to the power of a dream.

What is YOUR dream of being healthy?  And do YOU value yourself?

If we hate ourselves, we won't want to do kind things for ourselves or take care of ourselves. 

I'll tell you what, you are stuck with YOU!  So get to know you, get to LIKE you, because you will still be YOU at "goal".  So which YOU do you want to be?  Choose and begin acting like it.

Back in August 2010 I began to ACT like a fit and healthy person.  I made the same CHOICES that a fit and healthy person would consistenly make, on a DAILY basis.  Eventually my outsides caught up with my insides.

What are YOUR insides like?  Is your OUTSIDE a reflection of who you ARE inside? 

If I ALLOWED myself to continue that kind of self-talk, that kind of self-talk that told me I was a big fatty fat tub, THAT would be ALWAYS be how I would ACT because it is ALL I would EXPECT of myself.  And my outsides would ALWAYS reflect those thoughts, and I would have stayed 272 pounds class IV Super Obese.

Change inside.  Change your self-talk.  Change your mind.  Change your strategy.  Find a dream.  Love yourself.

Rinse and repeat.