Living Healthfully: An Arrival of Sorts

Editor's Note: After taking my journey with calorie-restricted diets and and restrictive food diets, I no longer feel that either are healthy. You can read my hard-fought-for, hard-lesson-learned food philosophy here. 

Stunned doesn't begin to describe it.

But thankful does.

This past weekend, I met my final weight-loss goal when I weighed in at 136 and noticed a total body fat loss of more than 5 percent of my body weight since May.

When I met my last goal -- reaching 141 -- I shared that I couldn't even remember ever being at a healthy weight during my adult life; I'd always weighed into the category or overweight or obese. My lightest adult weight prior to Curves was 168 pounds during my college running stint.

Seven years and two babies birthed later, I'm within the parameters of a healthy weight for my frame and height.

It's been a really long haul, but it's been a worthy battle to wage.

It's been a lot of making the harder choice, but it's been rewarding at seeing how the harder choice, over time, actually becomes the easier one with which to live.

And it's been a total shift of attitude, habits and allegiances.

Changes, however, I'm so glad to have embraced by the grace and power of God.

Because inquiring minds wanted to know, here's my transformation in pictures.

That's me with the short dark hair in the middle at 200 pounds in 2004; I didn't readily pose for the camera then.

188 after college, pre-Curves, post running {June 2006}

Just a full-body shot at 188 {June 2006}

175 two months after G's birth, worked out at Curves during pregnancy {October 2007}

166 one year after G's birth, consistently working out at Curves {Sept. 2008}

156.8 1.5 years after E's birth, consistently working out at Curves {May 2011}

141.6 after Curves Complete {nutrition+exercise+motivation} {July 2011}

136 after Curves Complete {November 2011}

If you're thinking of changing your allegiances from satisfying food cravings to achieving health, can I just say one thing?

Don't wait. Do it now. Because a day from now, a week, a month, a year, you'll wish you had made the harder choice today. I know I sound like a motivational booklet ... but, you know, strength and encouragement is transferable and shareable.

Consider this an open invitation if you need to borrow some of mine right now; someone once did the same for me.

Living Healthfully: Feasts

Editor's Note: After taking my journey with calorie-restricted diets and and restrictive food diets, I no longer feel that either are healthy. You can read my hard-fought-for, hard-lesson-learned food philosophy here. 

Here's the thing about dieting and living healthfully that popular culture wouldn't have us believe: we don't have to starve or leave the table unsatisfied to shed pounds or maintain a healthy weight.




In fact, you can, and you should eat filling portions of tasty, colorful, seasonal foods.


So, today, at my Curves club, we did just that: we feasted on delicious, healthy, metabolism-revving foods while celebrating our members who have logged more than 1,000 workouts during the past decade {and may I add-- that is a lot of toning, sweating and just plain working it.}


The coaches and I made dishes to pass and served our super-dedicated, super-beautiful ladies a lunch they enjoyed and feel good about indulging in. Also, the lunch was a really awesome way to share with some of our most loyal members a smattering of the recipes from the Curves Complete 90-Day Challenge {and, you guys, we only have TWENTY THREE DAYS left!} -- all recipes with which the coaches have been nourishing their bodies while shedding fat and inches and pounds.


Between the delicious, filling food and the delicious, filling conversation, our celebration of their achievements was an absolute delight. It's so heart-filling to hear about what Curves has meant to our extremely dedicated ladies. And, I have to say -- I can relate. This place, it's meant so much to me -- the beautiful faces, the warmth, the support, the encouragement, the results.

Oh, and while I'm mentioning results, can I tell you something super exciting? Probably more exciting than fitting into single-digit shorts?? I met a second goal today: my BMI jumped into the fair category -- And it's just ONE POINT away from the good zone. {I am almost just speechless at the overwhelming gratitude I have for Curves International and its amazing research of the eating and exercise plans; I cannot even fully express.}

Goosebumps. I keep catching glimpses of myself in mirrors or photographs and blinkblinkblinking while asking is that girl really me? This whole health journey has been incredible.

So I am full -- in so many ways after today. Between the conversation and the sharing of our lives and having met another goal -- our feast-- for both the body and soul -- was the best way ever to begin my trek into year three as a Curves owner.