Whoa...I've come a loooong way!

Hello Dear Reader,

I feel like I just had a 'whoa' moment. Do you know what I mean? Let me explain: Earlier this week, I was Skyping with my dad about saving and organizing pictures and videos into iPhotos. Since I was looking at photos anyway, I decided to look in the search section of my 'All Images" file and started browsing photos I had not seen in a while. One of those photos, or rather a series of them, stopped me in my tracks. It was a photo of me at my brother's wedding in 2009. OMG...how far I've come! My experience reminds me of the gazillions of 'before' and 'after' photos of someone who has completed some amazing new 6 week weight loss program and, as a result, dropped 97598375298 pounds. The stunning new hard body in the picture recounts how they saw a picture of their self at a company picnic/child's school play/sister's wedding/family vacation and realized that they were too big for their liking. This single image served as a catalyst for them to get off of the couch and shake a tail feather.

When I made the decision to run, it was more about doing something 'radical' for my 30th birthday (OMG...5 months until I'm 31!!!). "Getting my body right" was an added plus. Sure, I'd always joked with my friends that I was going to 'get it right, get it tight' this month, but 'this month' turned to 'that month' and then to 'another month'. Yes, I knew that I was gaining weight as time went on, but I was still comfortable with how I looked and figured I had a little more time until I reached epic proportions. Luckily for me, I didn't wait to reach that "catalyst photo" before I did something to get back on track (but whatever works for you...works for you...so if it's that photo...get moving!!!). I'm happy I can look back at that photo, and say that, 'I'm in a much better space."

It's funny, I never thought I'd ever be in a position to have one of those weight loss infomercial-type before and after photos, but now that I do...you know I have to share. I hope that in sharing, you won't have to wait to have your own 'before' and 'after' photo. You can do something to manage your weight, your health, and body image by finding ways to incorporate exercise and healthy eating into your life. No, I'm not saying that you have to run like a maniac or go full force in the gym. Make small, manageable, realistic changes that fit into your lifestyle so that you won't crash and burn after 2 months, but rather go for sustainability. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Go outside and play with the kids. Take a morning/lunchtime/evening stroll with your Boo. Whatever it is...put one foot in front of the other and keep it moving (yes, I'm going to say this one more time in this post).

So you ready for it? You sure? Ok.... Here we go:

Before: Me at 147 lbs/67 kg

After: Me at the Two Oceans Marathon in
April 2011 at 125 lbs/ 56 kg (and I'm still there)

Yeah, so do you see what I'm talking about now? Yep, I look different, huh? In case you didn't do the math, I've dropped about 11 kg or about 22 lbs. Exercise and a few changes to your diet work!

So to not belabor the point, I'll end it right here! Like I said before, you don't have to take the train to your destination like I did...heck, you might want to boogie board/skip/ankle express/'do the Dougie' to get there. It's not a matter of 'how' you get there (as long as it is in a healthy way), it's that you get there! Now get off of that well-worn couch and put one foot in front of the other...keep it movin'!!!!!

Yours in (still 'training' for Soweto) training,

Dani