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SI started the 6WBMO plan 3 years ago, on May 22, 2004. I remember declaring that this weight loss attempt was going to be the last frontier for me. And it was! I found the Hope I needed. I got my Success. It was a long and winding road...but I made it.
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I was fortunate in that I was able to make my weight loss journey a priority. I was able to spend the time I needed to learn what I needed to learn. Once I got it, all I had to really do was practice until doing all the right things became second nature to me. Today, I live such a different lifestyle.
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I used to talk about all the things that you all are talking about when I needed to lose weight. It's what's on your mind, and this forum is here to help support the 6WBMO plan. But, since being at goal for awhile now, I'm finding that I'm not interested in talking about it anymore.
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It's time for me to say goodbye. But, in my saying goodbye, what I'd like for you to understand is that I'm leaving you this message to let you know that there really can be an end to your struggles with the battle of the bulge! I did it, and so can you. But, you have to want it to be that way. You have to let go of all the excuses. You have to let go of the fear. You have to be willing for it to end so you can move on and live the life of your dreams. Start by believing you are worth the time it takes to learn how to get and stay at the finish line.
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I am grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know the people I have meet through this forum. Especially the Pacific babes back in 2004 and everyone who has posted on the New Normal thread this past year. My wish for you ALL is that you too, one day, find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and never look back.
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Look in the mirror, straight into your eyes and down to your heart. Clean up your act, apply what you have learned here and let your instincts kick in to point you in the right direction.
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SEE IT - BELIEVE IT - DO IT - BE IT!
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It is said that some people are with us for a reason. I've shared many seasons with you, but I just can't do the lifetime thaaang here!
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MY JOURNEY
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Growing up in an italian family that idolized food and also used food for comfort the way that mine did was a strong influence that played a significant role in my ability to become a fat woman.
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But, getting down to the nitty gritty as to how and why I honestly acquired my ability to be fat can be summed up in one adult word - CHOICE.
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Taking responsibility for myself I have to say that becoming and staying fat for over 30 years was a lifestyle choice I made every time I didn't eat right, didn't exercise right and didn't take good care of myself in a mulitude of other ways. Let's just cut to the chase here and say I got it wrong more times than I got it right. Just look at my starting weight, 294 pounds!
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I weighed 140 lbs on my wedding day, blossomed into the 200's during my first pregnancy and after 4 kids settled in at around 250 give or take 20. I prided myself on being Supermom. For some reason though, I could never seem to get the food thing right. Food confused me. Gaining weight confused me. It was like I had a mental block about food. I wasn't the typical milk and cookies mom. I was more of an open-a-can cook. I just didn't like being in the kitchen. If it wasn't for visits to grandma's house my kids wouldn't have known what a homecooked meal looked like.
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But one thing about food that I did acquaint myself with was what foods to use to calm the angry beast that dwelled inside of me. Certain foods eased my pain and soothe my hurt. However, there was no reason to be picky about using any special food for boredom. Only certain foods were classified as being good enough to be my "drug of choice" foods. And seriously, I thought I only ate them on occasion. hummmm.... But, I guess I must have "used" them more than I realized because I sure kept myself fat for a lot of years.
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I was not looking for another diet to go on when I saw the 6WBMO infomercial. On the infomercial I recognized Michael Thurman from the TV show Extreme Makeover. The "Eat more, exercise less to lose weight" part didn't WOW me. However, the part about "changing your metabolism," now that sparked my interest! Someone finally understood that you didn't have to have food-on-the-brain to be fat. I needed to find out what the secret to stoking my metabolism was. Guarantee or no guarantee I didn't care. I was only going to order the kit if I could be certain that once I lost the weight it would stay off.
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I went to the Provida.com website and read success story after success story. I also went into several threads within the forum and read about people who were still doing the plan. People were saying that this plan was different than any diet they had ever been on before. Infact, many said they didn't feel like they were on a diet at all. They talked about how they were changing their lifestyle.
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So, I ordered the kit and when it arrived, I literally tore open the packaging like a kid opening the best Christmas present ever! It was May 22, 2004, but by Christmas I was almost in onderland and January 1, 2005 was the first New Year's that I celebrated without making a New Year's resolution to lose weight. 4 months later I was sporting a 100 pound avatar. My weight loss progress slowed down quite a bit after losing that initial 100 pounds but I just kept workin' at it along with coming to terms with the kind of lifestyle I want!
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I admire those that have stayed 100% POP (Perfectly On Plan). It just wasn't always in the cards for me. My journey turned out to be a little more like my long and winding road on the straight and narrow path. As best as I could, I tried not to blame others or make excuses. I've concentrated my efforts on learning to take responsibility for my actions, own up to my weaknesses, and recognize as well as acknowledge with a big ole "OH YEAH" my strengths.
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Once I was on the cusp of starting to feel as though NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS I found myself being willing to go to any lengths to keep feeling this way. Flying high on energy, seeing bones I never knew I had emerge, receiving so much support from the true friends I have met on here, learning about nutrition and cooking are all things that I was introduced to via this plan.
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As a certfied personal trainer now, I honestly STILL believe that the 6WBMO is the best foundation to start to build an active, healthy lifestyle on. The kit, along with the support received through the member's forum, is second to none.
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I learned how beneficial it was for me to put my oxygen mask on first. Taking care of my needs is not selfish. It actually allows me to care for others better. I also learned how to stick up for myself and I gained the respect that I deserve by doing so. I had to learn how to make choices that weren't always easy to make. The plan is doable but you have to be willing to learn how to make it fit into your life.
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It truly takes a mountain of people to help you accomplish things beyond your wildest dreams. This is one of those things. You ALL are one of those people
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