A Year Ago Today....

A year ago today, I was in the hospital for a chronic health condition. That experience was the impetus for making better decisions and taking control of my life. With the support of my (incredibly caring and committed) physician, I took steps to make my life better. An entire year has passed and my life has been transformed.

Then: I was overweight and out of shape. :sad: :sad: I walked my dog a few times a week - that was the extent of my exercise. Nutrition meant nothing to me. I blamed my inertia and lethargic state on my job, which was crazy and highly stressful. :explode: My preferred coping mechanism was to vent and gripe while drinking beer after beer,:drinker: pounding a bag of cheetos and a pan of brownies. Really stressful days = shots AND beer AND candy AND burgers. You get the picture. Day in, day out: go to work, get pissed off, internalize it, eat a bunch of crap, come home (or go out with friends), ***** and drink. I was tired, and miserable, and on top of it, trying to appear perfectly fine and happy. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

Now: I'm about 35 pounds lighter. MFP has taught me about nutrition and understand so much more how what I'm eating affects my body. MFP has also been an amazing support community for fitness. And this is how I learned to truly manage stress. The stress didn't disappear, but my dysfunctional coping skills did. In September, I ran for 30 minutes straight, thanks to the Couch to 5K program. In May, I reached my personal best - ran 5.5 hilly miles without stopping. :bigsmile: I've shredded with Jillian, I've Banished my Fat and Boosted my Metabolism, Carved away those Trouble Zones and kicked the crap out of Cardio Kickboxing (still Jillian, all the way). I've played with Pilates and dabbled in yoga. My most recent adventures include Zumba, hiking, snorkeling and swimming- each of which I LOVE. A year ago, I didn't have the confidence to give these things a try. Now you can't keep me on the couch.

I will be eternally grateful to the good doctor for shining a light and taking the time to care and really help, and to MFP for being such a great source of information and support.:flowerforyou: And... to myself. For deciding I was worth it. I am absolutely amazed. :happy: