The word for today is MODERATION...

If winning $700 isn't enough motivation to lose weight and get back to a healthy lifestyle, what is, right?  I have decided that my health, my self-esteem, my chidren, and my duty to lead by example is all the motivation I need.  

I was a college athlete, who worked out at least twice a day, had a personal trainer at my fingertips, and ate very healthy.  I was also a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 10 years.  During this time I did not consume animal flesh of any kind but I did consume select dairy and egg products.  I also nurtured and gave birth to three of our five babies while being a vegetarian so it isn't like I don't know how to properly care for my body.  Even with all of my knowledge about exercising and eating right, it is important to know that I also suffered from bulimia and exercise induced anorexia for a significant period of time throughout college.  It was my husbands constant affirmation and the threat of not being able to have kids that enabled me to walk away from the disease.  I am an emotional eater and binging and purging seemed to be a natural way for me to react to all of the changes I was experiencing that were beyond my control. 

How is it then that such a person can wake up one morning and find herself overweight and out of shape?  It's not like I didn't attempt to get back on track.  In fact, I organized and subsequently failed to win the biggest loser competition at work for three years in a row now!  To be honest, I don't think I cared that I was overweight and out of shape.  The threat of jumping back on the destructive, obsessive bandwagon of binging and purging outweighed the reality of me becoming fat.  Falling back in that trap was always in the back of my mind until just yesterday.  I realized that I am just as unhealthy now as I would've been if I was binging, purging and exercising to death.

Being overweight and out of shape goes way beyond body image for me.  Although, I have been blessed with some really good genes, I am also plagued with some not so good genes as well.  Have you heard of the "fat" genes... big hips, big belly?  No, I'm not talking about that Big Booty Judy song by Chris Brown!  Both of my parents and all four of my grandparents had high blood pressure.  My mom has diabetes and so did her mom.  Most importantly, my dad passed away at age 53 with an Aortic Dissection.  It is my goal to outsmart those "fat" genes.   

Sooooo, my answer is MODERATION.  I have found a moderate 11 week program with Dr. Oz, which includes the tools I need to succeed in a nutrition, exercise and coaching program.  I am done having babies and I have decided that enough is enough.  I am very organized and in control of almost every other aspect of my life except for eating right and taking time to exercise.  I rely on the excuse that I am just too busy as a working mom and I will get back on track when my kids are older.  That excuse just isn't going to cut it around here anymore.