Hard Work Pays Off

Over the last 2 years, as some of you know, I have been working my butt off (literally) to get into better shape and lose some weight.  We had Gardner family pictures taken the beginning of June in 2011.  Looking over those, I had a very very hard time looking at what I was seeing.  There is no way that the fat girl in the pictures was me.  I just couldn't believe it.  What a sad realization to come to.  I decided then and there that I needed to change something in my life.  I couldn't keep going like I had been.  I had put of 50ish pounds since the day I got married.  That's 50 pounds in just over 2 years.  The sad part is that the majority of it was put on in the first year.  I didn't realize that I had gained so much weight.  I knew I had gotten a little soft, but I didn't realize how pillowy I actually was.  After seeing our family pictures, I was devastated and horrified that I had let myself go so much.  August 1, 2011 was the beginning for me. 

 

My friend Raelle said that she wanted to try Zumba at this place called Sweaty Chix in Springville.  I decided that it sounded like a lot of fun, and it has always been easier for me to have a work out buddy, so I chose to go with her.  In the first month of working out with some serious cardio I lost almost 15 pounds.  Raelle helped kick start my weight loss goal.  I am forever thankful to her for that.  She was my work out buddy and stuck it out with me for a long time.  We did different workouts together as well.  We tried Zumba, Hot Hula, and Hip Hop at Sweaty Chix, Zumba at home, kickboxing (which we both loved), and even Just Dance on the Wii.  Yes, we are that cool.  If you haven't ever tried it though, it really is a pretty good work out.  Over the 2 or so months, I lost another 15 pounds.  I couldn't believe the results I was getting.  Once we stopped paying for our membership at Sweaty Chix we kind of drifted off of working out together.  Life got busy, and we couldn't find a time when we could both go.  But I never stopped working out.  I did P90X at home a lot.  The motivation to work out with Tony Horton 4 or 5 days a week always pretty non existent, but I knew I wouldn't get thin by wishing for it and wanting it.  (Although that would be nice).  I had to get off of my butt and start working.

 

People always ask me, 'What did you do to lose all of that weight?'   'How did you do it?'  They thought that I had found some special secret to weight loss and was keeping it all to myself.  So they are always taken back when I tell them diet and exercise.  That is all that I did, and guess what?  It worked!  2 years is a long time.  It was a lot of work, and I wanted to give up a lot.  I knew that giving up wasn't an option though.  Some people are blessed with the genetics to lose weight and keep it off really easily.  Just like a lot of you, I am not one of those people.  I have to work extra hard in order to fight my genetic code, but that just means the rewards are so much sweeter.  I know a lot of you are thinking, 'I have tried everything.  Diet.  Exercise.  Fad diets.  And nothing works for me.  I can't seem to lose weight.'  My response. . .  You didn't try hard enough.  You didn't stick with it.  1 week of "trying" is not going to fix your 30-90 pounds of weight you want to lose.  You have to want it.  You have to fight for it.  And if you do, I promise you are going to like what you see on the other side. 

 

In a way, I am grateful to have had the struggle of losing 50 pounds. I know now that it is possible.  Even when I have been dealt a crappy hand of Genetic Blackjack I fought back and won.  I am walking proof that anything is possible.  It has been a long challenging road, and I am still trying to lose the last 5 or so pounds, but I can finally look at myself in a mirror and like what I see.  I have NEVER been able to do that before.




Goodbye Katie 2009-2011.  Welcome Katie 2013.