Maintenance: The REAL WORK Begins!

It has been almost a month since I've met my weight loss goal(finally!!!) of 150 pounds. So, I made it! Yaaay! Now, starts the real work: maintenance! Since, I know that one cannot possibly be exactly 150 pounds all the time, I have made it my mission to stay plus or minus 2 lbs of my goal weight. This allows for a little freedom to cheat if I really wanted to, for those "times of the month", and if I am sick. I am very thankful that I am getting good at this running thing, because I really credit running to keeping my weight down; When I look in the mirror, I feel healthy, strong and dare I say it, SEXY! It is good to know that no matter the weight loss, I've still been able to retain my curves, which was of great concern to my husband:). However, maintenance is not easy. It is like walking a tight rope. You want to make sure you don't lean too much to either side, or you just might tip over, and subsequently have to start over. Lord knows I do not want to go down that road again. It definitely helps to be apart of groups with like-minded individuals who are on the same journey as you are. I always welcome fresh ideas to keep me motivated, especially when it comes to food and exercise. I've even considered going vegetarian, but my extreme love for seafood and chicken won't allow me to do so. I do practice the occasional meatless day, which I've realized is not that hard to do and is actually cheap to do as well. I have a strong love for beans, avocado, sweet potato, and now butternut squash. I also cut out sweets a couple of days during the week, though for some reason, this task has not been so easy the last few weeks. I anticipate as the holidays come around, eliminating sweets will be even harder. Co-workers and patients' families will be bringing in all kinds of goodies, sit them smack dab at the nurses' station, and I have to pretend like I don't see them! It is torture, I tell you. Yet, I have proven to myself over and over again that I have the will power to resist, and for the most part I shall. I have found that deprivation is actually more detrimental than just allowing myself the freedom of moderation.

September was a great month! I participated in the first Black Girls Run sponsored 10K race in Atlanta, Georgia, which also benefited the homeless. In case you were wondering, a 10K is 6.2 miles. I finished in record time too(well, my records). My last 10K was in March, and it took me 1:17 to finish. This race only took me 1:05 to complete. Believe me, this last race was a challenge. I was born and raised part of my life in Atlanta, but I never knew it was so hilly! Maybe because I never tried to run them before :). The whole race weekend was fascinating. There were beautiful Black women from all over the country(even a few white women, wearing Black Girls Run t-shirts as a matter of fact, lol) coming together for a great purpose: to show the world we can be healthy too!. The guest speaker for our banquet, Mrs. Ernestine Shepherd, was phenomenal! She is dubbed the world's oldest body builder at the age of 75. However, when you look at her, you don't see old, you see FABULOUS! She was very gracious too, and to think she just started hard core training at the age of 71! The weekend was not overshadowed with any discord or drama, just wonderful ladies having a great time together in the name of health. My beautiful cousin, Shekita, got up early with her two little ones and came out to support me. She was so inspired to see all of us, women who looked like her, out there doing our thing. I think the take home message for me was that no matter what size you are or how old you are, you can always have a new beginning. By taking a step towards a healthier lifestyle, you can change the trajectory of the quality of your life. Below, me and Mrs. Ernestine. I am going to blow this up and put it on my wall. My shero!

Indria(in the picture),one of my roommates during the trip, recently asked me to speak about my journey at her church this month. I am no stranger to public speaking, but I have never really had to speak about myself in front of people. Although I am a little apprehensive, I am embracing this opportunity and I am ecstatic that she felt my experience was worth sharing with her church family. The opportunity couldn't come at a more appropriate time, as I am in the midst of completing a study of my pastor's book, GREATER. One of the central points of the book is to "think big, but start small". I have always wanted the opportunity to live and share a life that others can learn from. Maybe my blog and this speaking engagement are my opportunities. I can't tell you all enough how blessed and grateful I am. Though fear is always trying to creep through the back door of my mind, I keep pushing it back out. I feel like I am rising to the climax of my life story.... And so my next task begins. At the current time, I am training for two half marathons, one in December and one in February. I often joke to my running buddies that all I want is a bumper sticker to put on my car that says "13.1". Seems silly, but it is so symbolic of the significance of my quest for healthy living. Today, I am going to push myself to do 12 miles. We shall see. If you live in the Charlotte area and you see a girl in a hot pink shirt laid out on the side of the road, just keep passing her by. Don't worry, she just finished running 12 miles!