• Having been born in 1979, there was a time in my life that I CAN remember not using a personal computer on a daily basis. However, computers were still prevalent in my life as far as companies using computers for our everyday shopping and such. So truly, I cannot imagine a world without computers of

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  • This is the actual quote on my daily cat shaming calendar today. How fitting that today’s prompt is on focusing on the important details in life. For me, the thing I need to focus on is my own personal self-care. I put everyone else before me and don’t even stop and think about what I

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  • Making time for priorities

    My #1 priority for tomorrow, as it is every day since January, is to practice positive affirmations in my mind. I am not an innately self-confident person and I often put myself down. I never push myself towards my dreams and goals because I am too afraid of failure. I start my day listening to

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  • The type of “hard work” that is fulfilling to me is when I get out and exercise to better my health. I go out in the mornings as the sun is coming up and I live in a campground right now that is on a creek and the beauty of that in the early morning

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  • Perseverance

    This is a tough prompt for me. I am not one to talk about myself in a positive way (something I am working on!). I had to think for a while to come up with something that fits me well. After a bit of consideration, I came up with perserverance. I have not had the

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  • All kidding aside, I would love to have a job that makes me feel fulfilled AND takes care of my financial needs. I am now 46 and definitely having the “mid-life crisis” feeling of dissatisfaction with my career. My job is not bad, and I like the people I work with, but it fills me

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  • Growing up, I was skinny and tall like a beanpole. It wasn’t until I turned 17 or so and went on the depo provera shot that made me gain about 50 pounds – and fast! Since then, I have struggled with yoyo weight loss. At 17 I was 105, then 155 after the shot. For

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  • Cultural Heritage

    Unfortunately for me, my cultural heritage wasn’t really talked about growing up (or not that I really remember anyways-another story for another blog as to why I don’t have many childhood memories). I know there is Native American and Scottish on my maternal grandfather’s side. On my father’s side, I have traced family history back

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  • Planet Fitness

    The brand I most associate with going right off the top of my head would be Planet Fitness. I am not the greatest at going as often as I should, but it is always there for me when I want to! LOL The monthly membership is reasonable and I love the amenities. Massage chairs, tanning

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Growing up, I was skinny and tall like a beanpole. It wasn’t until I turned 17 or so and went on the depo provera shot that made me gain about 50 pounds – and fast! Since then, I have struggled with yoyo weight loss.

At 17 I was 105, then 155 after the shot. For the next 4 years I would go up and down about 25-30 pounds, give or take a few. I got pregnant at 22 and I was 177 (Damn, wish I was that now!! LOL). I gained 57 pounds with the pregnancy, but lost all but 10 pounds fairly quickly. Until I turned 30, I fluctuated between 185-220 pounds. At that time, I went through a rough divorce and lost 25 pounds and hovered around 160-170.

I gained all that back and then some, clear up to 250. I again had a rough life situation, lost 20 pounds down to 230 and got a job working at Wendy’s. In the 3 years I worked there I lost almost 80 pounds from my 10-12 hour active days and not eating enough during the course of the day. As a GM at Wendy’s you have no time to eat!

Then, I hurt my back. I ended up leaving the job because I couldn’t handle it physically anymore. I moved in with my now-fiancée and her two boys and you know what they say about love making you fat and happy? Yeah that happened LOL. Also, as I aged, the weight was harder to come off and I started going through perimenopause. I ballooned up to 280 pounds. I couldn’t stand looking at myself in mirrors and in pictures.

In January of this year, I got my shit together and went to see a doctor for the first time in, oh, about 12 years. Needless to say, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Talk about wake up call. My doctor told me if I didn’t change my habits I was headed straight for a heart attack and/or a stroke. This is the beginning of my current weight loss journey, so please come along and we can all support each other!

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