Sexy Back by Victoria Witherell Tarsa

I cannot tell you enough how great I feel.

Seriously, I feel great. Like Sing and Snore Ernie, who says it over and over and over again, every time you take off his sleep mask. ” I feel grreeeaat!!” Like Tony the Tiger great! Okay, you get the picture..

I have not had the need to eat a single ibuprofen in 2 weeks. Not even one. I have had no headaches, neck aches, or any true aches at all. This exercise thing is pretty darn cool. Apparently you not only look better, but you feel better….you feel healthy! What a concept!

I am gonna tell you the story about what initially fired me to lose some weight. Last summer, I went to the doctor. Yuck. I hate doctors. My sister-in-law, Natalie, worked for my doctor, and was also the person who puts you on the scale. How utterly mortifying, I know….

I himmed. I hawwed. I basically flat out refused to get on. She stood there, laughing, waiting for me to step on the blasted thing. So I finally caved, let out a sigh of defeat, and on I went. And I weighed one hundred and eighty three goddamn pounds. Unbelievable…..I thought there had to be some mistake. Truly….I was less than 20lbs away from weighing 200lbs!

I waited for the doctor to come and see me. He examines me, and tells me that my blood pressure is high and so is my cholesterol. Well no shit Sherlock, did you SEE what a total heffer I am??? Sheesh!! Who WOULDN’T have high blood pressure after that weigh in! He wanted me to consider starting meds. I flat out refused, and decided to try changing my life instead.

That evening, Dave got the treadmill out of the garage for me. Yes, it lived in the garage. Obviously, at 183lbs, I was certainly NOT using it….duhhhhh…..

I started dabbling in exercise. I walked a few days a week on the treadmill, and figured that was good enough. By October, I had lost a whopping 7lbs. And that’s where it stayed…for months…at a whopping 7lbs. When I started this mission, really started it, I weighed 178lbs. I am 5′ 7 and 3/4″. While I am quite tall, and quite overweight, my friends were shocked to discover what I really weighed. Apparently they thought I carried this weight well. I certainly did carry it well….right through my middle, and a little bit in the shoulders, and then the rest in my face. Really….I carried the weight well??? Is that supposed to make me feel better??? It certainly did not. At that point, I resigned myself to the fact that I was a sloth…It’s ok if you want to say it, cause I did.

Last Wednesday, I weighed in at 167.7lbs. I gave away all my size 14 pants several weeks ago, when they no longer fit and were falling down. I hadn’t lost a lot of weight at that point, but apparently had tightened up a bit. Now, my size 12 pants are also too big. Not falling off big, but big none the less. Natalie and Kim were all over me Saturday night, telling me to get a smaller size, because the pants I am wearing are too big for me. I beamed brighter than the sun…hee hee….

What I have done these past 6 weeks has been a life change. This is not an experiment, as I once thought it was. This is not a hobby. This is a commitment. There is no going back to lazy days off, no sitting around, eating Doritos and watching tv. This is forever. Because even when I hit my goal weight, I need to keep it. Which means work.

This is total dedication, in all aspects of your life. What you eat, what you do, what you drink….and the exercise is a constant. It never goes away, you can never quit. No, you will never FIND the time to do it, you need to MAKE the time. Trust me, I am a mother and a wife, working a full-time job too. And I now get up when it is still dark, to work out every morning, and then walk for my breaks, and then walk again at night. The dishes WILL get done, they just won’t get done until 9pm. Will anyone die?? Most certainly not. I would rather do the dishes at 9 and go to bed feeling good, than go to bed at 9 with a clean house, and regretting not taking a walk. Because regrets don’t let you sleep, they keep you awake, gnawing at your brain until 2 am, which then signals you to over sleep, and miss your morning workout too….do you see where I am going with this?? One big snowball effect.

So it’s on now my friends! I feel like the incredibly shrinking woman!!! HA! As the Polish say “dla zdrowiay!” (nad strovia!) or ” To your health!”

You can find more of Vikki’s blog posts at OPERATION: Kill FatChick

I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.  ~Marsha Doble

Commit to be fit.  ~Author Unknown

2 miles is 2 miles is 2 miles. ~Home Fitness for Women

Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise. ~Carrie Latet

Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. ~Earl of Derby

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Ryun

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley

One step at a time is good walking. ~Chinese Proverb

Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there. ~Bo Jackson

Just Do It. ~Nike