Several years ago I used to play tennis; two and sometimes three times a week and lost almost 20 pounds. I was serious about the sport because it did not feel like exercise to me. More importantly there were cute little outfits that made me look like I really knew how to play. I even went as far as volunteering during the U.S. Open. I had the right tennis bag, sneakers and even two tennis racquets. I seriously thought I was Venus or Serena . . . they were my friends in my head when I was on the court.
After a few health issues, tennis was placed on the back burner along with any other exercise. I became straight up lazy! Even worse, I have access to a FREE gym at my office and all I have to do is walk 50 feet or less to get there. But in the several years that I have been employed, I can honestly say I have probably only utilized the facility about 30-40 times. Why? Because I had every excuse in the book as to why I could not workout in the morning, during lunch or after work. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Can anyone relate to me here?
Fast forward to my 39th birthday when my 20 pounds decided to return . . . During my annual check-up I informed my doctor that I was not going to turn 40 and be as heavy as I was . . . nope not gonna happen. I did my best to avoid McDonald’s and those darn fries and some days it was a challenge. Eventually I lost some weight but not enough to make me feel comfortable. My 40th came and went, so did 41st and 42nd and then it hit me that I needed to stop complaining and seriously do something about it.
So I joined a gym outside of my place of business and hired a personal trainer to whip me into shape. That was short lived because I traveled too much and had not really changed my eating habits. I actually paid my hard earned money to be tortured for an hour and have the scale remain the same. Don’t get me wrong, I acquired a few good exercises that I continue to use; however, I am still kicking myself for not really giving it my all. I only can blame the person in the mirror. I know someone has been here with me too . . . right?
Eventually, I started doing a variety of activities to keep my body moving (which I will share in a blog about exercise). These activities assisted me in decreasing my weight and improving my health. Then in mid 2010 I met three beautiful women who would eventually inspire me in many ways (I will get back to them also).
For me, the normal way of losing weight and improving my health was not working. I am the kind of person who likes to see immediate results for all of my efforts. Yes, I am a straight up impatient person. I am not lying, as a child I would open my presents as soon as my mom put them under the tree and then re-tape them. No need to jump up early on Christmas morning, I knew what I had.
Anyway, the ladies shared with me a program that worked for them and now I am going to share the information with you. Before I let you in on the best kept secret, I will be perfectly honest and tell you that the program has worked for me and many others who were committed to following regimen. However, it is a program that is not for everyone. Therefore I encourage you to make an informed decision before embarking on this journey. It will challenge your every being as it pertains to food.
I will close with a quote from the Black Girls Guide to Weight Loss, “Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow, no matter how successful the endeavor is or is not.”
Be inspired and inspire someone!
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