The story of Mom

My Story,
I never really thought of it as a “story”, so this will take some thought. I always felt “out of control huge” in high school. Looking back at my high school pics I was not heavy.

(This was actually just out of high school while I was at MCC.)

Nevertheless, like most teenagers I felt like a cow. I got married right out of high school, and began having babies by the time I was 20.

I loved being a mom and having my babies around me. Still do!! :)But 8 babies in 15 years can take a toll on a body. Especially when most of the time we were living hand to mouth and so I did not ever want to throw any food away, especially if it was still edible. So as many mothers do, I always cleaned up my children’s unfinished plates of food so it wouldn’t go to “waist”. The only problem was, it was going to mine. When Kevin was about 2 years old I decided that I didn’t want to be classified as this dowdy “Mormon mom of 8” so I decided to lose some weight. It took me about a year to lose 50 lbs and I felt great. But it didn’t stay off. About three years later. It was all back with a vengeance. So for the next 15 years I just kept thinking that someday I would do something about my weight. I was over 200 lbs for the first time in my life and I didn’t like it.

Then a couple of years ago, Christi was really getting going with weight watchers. She was losing weight and said how well it worked. I didn’t think it was for me but Kevin said he thought I could do it and he set me up with all my numbers. So I said I would give it a try. Well the rest is history. I was already walking the dog every day. So I just stepped up my pace and then I stepped up my duration and the weight came off. In about 9 months I lost about 60 lbs. I now weigh only about 15 pounds more than I did when I got married. (I can actually get into my wedding dress.) I feel great, and best of all, I can get down on the floor and play with my grandkids.

Then someone, I think it was Shannon, asked me why I didn’t start running. She thought we should enter a 2 mile fun run in town. I tried it and said that it was impossible, that I was too old to start running, and I just couldn’t do it. She encouraged me, and Coleen sent me a walk/run training plan. I started looking at Runner’s World Magazine for articles and tips for beginning runners. I started really slow. Really, really, slow, and built up gradually. We did the 2 mile run and I thought I would die, but I did it. Then there were some 5K’s and then a couple of 10K’s. I could actually run for 6 plus mile without stopping. When Shannon was putting together the Ragnar team and thought that I should be part of it, I was really skeptical. But with a lot of encouragement from everyone, I decided to give it a try. What an amazing experience that was. But that is for another story. At the age of 56, I don’t know if I will ever run another major run. But if I don’t, I still will always have the memory of this one. Thanks to all of you who helped or supported me in any way in my journey.

Now I am trying hard to maintain my weight. It is not easy and I have to keep exercising and watching my calories. But it is worth it to know that if I want, I can go water skiing, or hike Havasupai, or do the “hard” hike at camp Lo-Mia. Some of my grandkids call me the “Walking Grandma”. I love it. I always want them to remember me as the active grandma who took them on walks and shared my love of nature and the outdoors with them.

And so it goes.....

Love Mom