This is only the beginning!

Hey all!

My name is Kimberly and I have made the commitment to get in shape and make a better life for myself. My life has been nothing but easy the past few years. I've experienced a lot of loss and heartache which in turn caused me to put on almost 40 pounds. The things that made me most happy in life started to shut me down as well and make me feel like a failure and worthless. I'm dedicating my weight loss to those who didn't believe in me, those who gave up on me, and those who made me feel bad and insecure.

I have been on my journey now for about 3 weeks. It's interesting how it all happened. I was sitting in a favorite restaurant of my husband and I's called Leatherby's (delicious, not so nutritious, and lots of ice cream and cheese fries). It was right after I finished my dinner and right before I ordered ice cream when I heard my dad's voice in my head 'Don't get ice cream, take care of yourself'. My dad passed away almost a year and a half ago from heart attack. I knew I really needed to do it this time. No excuses, no giving up, no more putting it off. This is my time, right now!

The first couple of weeks were very discouraging. I was counting my calories, exercising every day, and trying to stay as active as possible. But the pounds just weren't coming off! I told myself not to give up. Well guess what? It has finally started to pay off. When I first started I weighed in at 185, then I shot up to 188 (what's up with that?). Frustrated I decided to keep going, I was going to show that scale who's boss! And now I'm down to 184! Woot! I seriously consider that 4 pounds lost in my book!

My weapon of choice is Zumba! I fell in love before I even did it, I saw it on TV and said to myself "I can do that!". The classes are so fun and make you SWEAT! Best part is you feel like you are at a party, not at the gym! I also do water aerobics on the days there is no Zumba class at my gym. That is fun too and a good work out. If I'm s.o.l. and there is no classes, it's the elliptical machine.

The hardest adjustment I've had to make is sacrificing the food I love. But I've really discovered I can eat pretty much whatever I want! Just have to portion it out just right and guess what? There are healthy ways to make some of my favs (aka french fries). The cravings still annoy me at times, but it's really not so bad anymore.

Something else that's been helping my is my oils from doTERRA. It has been helping me cleanse my body and keep it feeling good after a workout that makes me sore. I also use the iPhone app MyNetDiary to log my excercise and diet. It has really helped me keep on track A TON!

My goal for this blog is to document my journey, inspire others, and share some helpful foods, tips, and other things that have helped me. I'm excited to make some good progress!

Kimberly