Hey y'all!

Been lurking since joining on Monday, checking out the personalities and finally coming around to say hi.

My name is Shonna (pronounced like Shawna, but my parents named me after some chick in Penthouse who obviously couldn't spell). I'm 36, married and a full-time stepmom to three kick *kitten* teenagers. I never wanted kids, but the three I get to help raise are pretty awesome and definitely keep me young.

I weighed 140 when I met my husband 8+ years ago and about died when I got on the scale last weekend and saw 166. Definitely the heaviest I have ever been. My body really liked to be at 150 and I felt pretty comfortable at that weight. Didn't have to work to maintain it and ate and drank whatever I wanted. Then, I hit my mid-30's and that all went out the window. So, here I am trying to figure out how I can lose some weight, get back in the 140 range and stay there for life.

I've been on meds for hypothyroid since age 16. Three years ago I was also put on blood pressure meds after passing out at my stepson's football game (I got a little too excited). I would LOVE to get off of the blood pressure meds and be truly healthy for the first time in my life. I really want to increase my cardiovascular strength and I know that losing weight and being fit will do that for me. As I get older, the heart issues get a little more scary.

I work 32 hours a week at my "real job" and own my own super successful airbrush tanning business that I operate in the evenings and on Fridays. Because I have two jobs, I have worked 13+ hour days for over two years. I made excuses for a long time that I couldn't eat well or exercise because I "didn't have time". Done with that. My business is sure to fail if I'm not at my best running it. I've also started meditating over the last few weeks as a way to shut down my entrepreneurial brain (I have MILLIONS of ideas). Anyone else meditate?

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell. I'm a great cheerleader and would love to connect with anyone else who needs (or gives) some motivation. I train women to start their own airbrush tanning businesses and one thing they all tell me...I'm a great motivator and really good at giving them a swift kick when they need it. Now, I need to turn some of that motivation inward and kick my own *kitten*!