Waist: 6"
Hips: 4"
I was lucky to grow up in a home where my self-esteem was fed, more than my belly. Home was my safe haven, a place where only positive feedback was given. People and experiences help define who we are in both negative and positive ways. There are three things in particular, that I allowed to affect me in a negative way. They all created FEAR. #1: Society/Hollywood, and others, condition us. They tell us we have to look a certain way in order to be accepted, to "fit in". Who doesn't want to fit in? I did! I was tall and lanky as a teenager. I was teased because of my height; I was called a giraffe. I had no shape. So, I focused on keeping my weight in check, but for the wrong reasons; out of fear that I wouldn't fit in or be accepted. #2: My family has a history of heart disease. My Dad died at the young age of 40. His Dad and a brother died young as well. One of my brothers has a heart condition. This has caused me to live in fear for YEARS. While I have no control over my family history, I CAN control how I eat and what kind of fitness plan I adopt into my life. With proper nutrition and exercise, I can improve my quality of life. #3: I turned 50 earlier this year and that scared me. I felt my life was rushing past me and would be over all too quickly. I had put on a LOT of weight FAST and all the Dr. could tell me was that with age, our metabolism slows down and I just needed to watch what I ate. That was NO help to me at all. I have been exercising regularly for over 20 years, and I thought I was eating healthy, but obviously, I was doing something wrong. My budget couldn't handle my constant wardrobe change in size this past year. I had to do something. I was desperate, but what would work for a 50 year old? I've seen younger girls succeed at weight loss, but was there really something out there that would work for ME? I wanted something healthy though. I have read enough about nutrition to know that fad diets do not work.
Then I was introduced to Live The Life. I was skeptical at first, but the plan sounded good and made sense to me. I figured I might as well give it a shot. What did I have to lose? Trish said something that that has stuck with me. She said that this plan works for all ages, and that our bodies are very forgiving. She gave me a life-line; I had hope again. I took it as a personal challenge to prove that a 50 year old woman, with all kinds of hormonal changes happening, could really do this and see results. I LOVE the meal plans. Counting calories does not work for me. It's too time consuming and overwhelming. I love having the menu and grocery list all made out for me. All I have to do is shop (which I would have to do anyway) and EAT (who doesn't love THAT part?). It can't get any easier than that. AND the food is GOOD!!!
Not only have I seen physical results, but there have been far greater rewards that can not be measured in pounds or inches. I FEEL GREAT!!! I have more confidence; my cholesterol is down in a normal range now; my knees do not hurt like they used to; I sleep better; I am free of fear and no longer feel the need to meet someone else's expectations. I am now free to truly live my life and focus on things of greater importance. I have learned that I can do hard things. The plan itself isn't hard, but breaking bad habits and changing our thinking, is! Having conquered my fears, and mastered what this plan teaches, the success found, spills over into other areas of life. THIS IS THE LIFE!!!
