What a difference a year makes!

This was me last July. I was not happy with how I looked or felt (or the fact that I tired out on a hike faster than my children). I knew I needed to make a change. So I signed up for a 3 week TERRAFit challenge. I did well on it and realized I had a lot more work to do, so I signed up for a 12 week challenge. Well, after 11 months, 38 weeks of which I have been on a TERRAFit challenge I am happy to say that I have lost 47 pounds!! And more than that, I feel great! TERRAFit isn't a fade diet, it isn't a quick fix, it's a program that helps you learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. I'm to the point where if I eat something unhealthy, I don't feel good, and some of it (Diet Coke) doesn't even taste good to me anymore! I'm so thankful for TERRAFit. I know there are other program like it, but this is the one that has helped me get my life back in order. I can now keep up with my four crazy, busy kids. I can keep up with my active husband (before I didn't enjoy hiking or biking because I couldn't do it very well). Going clothes shopping is fun again. :) And I know that I'm taking better care of the body the Lord has given me. Every day on there is a daily challenge and one of those challenges is what is a quote that motivates you. Something that always motivates me is the verse ""You were bought at a price, therefore honor God with your body" (I Corinthians 6:20). I used to figure that God gave us food to enjoy so I shouldn't have to worry so much about what I put in my body. But then I got gestational diabetes with my first two pregnancies and was told that I have a 50% chance of getting type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years and it's all to do with if I am overweight. I have four kids who need their mom to be able to take good care of them, so I had to come to realize I wasn't honoring God by not caring what I put into my body. Now I'm not saying you can never have anything that isn't healthy (have you seen the cupcakes I make? :)). But I was putting way more junk in than good food and I wasn't exercising. And do you know what I discovered along the way? Healthy food can be delicious too! That's what I love about TERRAFit, you don't eat weird, you just eat healthy. I still eat carbs, just the good kind. I still eat meat, just not ones so high in fat and not a lot. I still eat dairy, just not a ton. I've learned so much this past year about how to take good care of my body and in turn how to teach my kids to take care of their bodies. A lot of times when the twins are jumping on their knees or doing something else that could result in injuring themselves I will say to them "you only get this one body God gave you, you need to take care of it." Well, I needed to tell that to myself. And I'm so glad I did! So why do I share this? First off, I'll be honest, I get points for telling people about TERRAFit :). But secondly, I want to encourage anyone who is where I was 11 months ago. It seems like a daunting taste to overcome a weight problem. And let's get real, it is quite a task and doesn't happen overnight (11 months is a long time!). But it is possible to turn your life around and it starts by deciding to do something and then sticking with it until you reach your goal. Each challenge I did I got to the end and realized I hadn't reached my goal, so I signed up for another one. I'm excited to have reached my goal (even surpassed it) and now get to try to do life not on a challenge :). There are a couple of challenges coming up this summer (a 3 week one on July 17 and 12 week ones starting August 7 and 28). Let me know if you're interested or want more information. And here's a link to a blog I did going into great detail about how these challenges work.
They say a picture's worth a thousand words, so if me telling you I've lost 47 pounds and feel great isn't enough :), here's some pictures for you: