Me, Myself, and I - a life changing journey

Ok, so I've been with MFP since May '12, but didn't really get into the community until a couple days ago.

I started my health and fitness journey May 7th after my wife had been using ViSalus for a week and had very good results. I kept stealing her shakes so she told me to get my own.

My "holy crap" moment came when I saw the scale tip 238.8 one morning. I was finishing up a 3 year stint in nursing school, and for the past 5 to 6 months was completely and utterly stressed out.

I am an admitted stress eater. When things are going south and the stress is coming on, the first thought is to find something sweet or salty or starchy to stick in my mouth.

Of course, that is completely and utterly unhealthy...both physically and mentally because after indulging that compulsion, you beat yourself up about doing that (and of course, swear to never do it again, which you break, and then add to the feelings of guilt with feelings of failure....).

To add to that stress, was the "convenience" factor. I was commuting 3 to 5 days to school, between 40 and 80 miles (round trip). After a stressful day, it was so easy to stop for a piece of convenience store pizza...or a DQ blizzard, or a Hardees burger...sometimes all 3 during a really bad day.

On top of all that.....my family health history is *not* a good one.

Nobody has lived past 62 yet.

Grandpa = cancer
Grandma = breast cancer
Aunt = breast cancer
Mom = lung cancer
Uncle = heart attack

My uncle was only 45 when he had his heart attack....and he was the healthiest of all my mom's family too!

So I decided that *I* was going to take charge of my health.

I was on my 4th blood pressure medication, which because of my part-time employment and full-time student status, I really couldn't afford.

I was on cholesterol medication. My triglycerides were still 200+. I was short of breath when active or moving things around the house...even trying to play with my kids sometimes tired me.

I decided that it was time "To get busy living, or get busy dying."

So I started on a 90 Day Challenge....albeit with a healthy dose of skepticism. "I'd love to lose 65 pounds, but that's not going to happen." I thought to myself while looking at pictures of people who were using the nutrition shakes.

I was self defeating even before I started!

But I committed myself to following the plan. I got busier and exercised...weights and cardio.

Even while the weight was coming off, I was skeptical. I couldn't believe that it was happening to me. I couldn't believe that I could be changing my body the way I was.

I had set a goal of 30 pounds in 90 days, and at the end of my first Challenge I had lost 29!

But along with the weight, I had lost my skepticism! I had come to believe not only in what I was using, but more importantly, IN MYSELF!

I floated around for a few weeks, without a clear goal in mind. I got down to -40 pounds lost and on September 24th, decided to start another 90 Day Challenge.

My goal is to lose another 25 pounds and get my muscles to finally come out of hibernation

I have until December 23rd to meet my goal.

I am currently, as of this posting, at 181.2 which is 57.6 pounds lost!

Even if I don't make my goal, I have already given myself the best Christmas Present that I have ever gotten: the gift of health!