Enough is Enough

So....it's been a while since my last post. Life got busy and I allowed the blog to take a back seat, but I'm bizzzack!

So much has happened over the past several weeks, including loosing five more pounds.  That makes a total of 30 pounds lost!  Yes folks, I have now shed the equivalent of a small child from my body. Woo hoo!

Like many people whose weight fluctuates, my closet is filled with a variety of sizes.  You know--the "fat" and "skinny" clothes.  Before I started getting serious about weight loss, I reached a point where the "fat" clothes were skin tight.  Talk about depressing.       

That brings me to a memory of a very humbling moment in my life.  As nothing I owned fit, I needed some new clothes.  I must have gone in ten stores in the mall and tried on hundreds of outfits to no avail. I looked terrible, and felt even worse.  Defeated, with tears in my eyes, I began to make my way back to my car.  On the way out, a store caught my eye and I reluctantly made one last stop.  

I walked in and was greeted by a very nice woman who asked me if I needed help.  I told her I was just looking.  Fifteen minutes later with a few shirts in hand, the clerk came over and asked if she could get me started in a fitting room. As I followed her to the back of the store, she uttered four words that I will never forget:  "When are you due?"   You guessed it-- I was in a maternity store.

How did I answer her?  I lied.  With a smile on my face, I told her I was four months preggers.  

Oh, and I was having a girl.

The clerk was so nice, telling me how I was "glowing" and that I was barely showing.  All the while I was dying inside.  Sure, I was dissapointed in myself for lying, but the truth is, I was too embarrassed to let her know that I wasn't pregnant---I was just fat. I thank God for that experience as it was a catalyst to change.  It wasn't too long after this day that I decided enough was enough and started to get my health and fitness in order.

To the right is a picture of me from last summer wearing one of the four maternity shirts I purchased that day.  My sister was the photographer and recently sent it as encouragement for how far I have come. The picture below was taken at the end of January of this year. Obviously there is a physical difference, but what you can't see is the story behind the pictures.  Sure I'm smiling in both photos, but the woman in the orange was sad and spiraling out of control. The woman on the right, still far from perfect, is stronger, more disciplined, joyful and working to better herself each day.  Praise God for progress!


We all experience valley's in life and I believe we must embrace those low moments. The key, however, is not to stay in that place--you must learn and grow. I hated the way I felt in that maternity store, decided that I never wanted to feel that again and took action, one step at a time, to move in a better direction.  

When will you decide enough is enough?