Maybe in another life I had it "EASY"

This was me 4 years ago. I had just had my daughter four months prior and we took a family vacation to the beach. I was around 140 lbs. and the biggest I have ever been. I was out of shape, and pretty unhappy with myself. What you're thinking right now is, "But you just had a kid...that shouldn't count." And you're right. It doesn't count. So why show you the picture? Because what does count is my attitude. A few months after I had her, I got down in the dumps about being "fat" and I became very insecure about myself and my body. I kicked myself over and over. I cried, I complained, and then I finally decided to take control and do something about it. I started going to the YMCA at least three days a week and was consistent about it. And it wasn't some miraculous change that happened automatically. In fact, it took almost a full year for me to start seeing the results I wanted to see. But I kept at it. I set a goal. My goal was to get to 125 lbs. However long it was going to take, I was going to get there! Almost a full year went by, and I finally made my goal. Nothing was going to stop me. Nobody was going to tell me I couldn't do it. My mind was made up and I did it.

Why do I write this? Because I know that there are so many excuses that you can make for yourself. You can say that I have it easy because I have a "small frame" or I've always been small. I've heard it all and the truth is, I didn't have easy. Let me tell you what I think EASY is. Easy is not caring about your health. Easy is  saying, "Screw it! I'll never be in shape." So you quit. Easy is quitting. Easy is comparing yourself to others and thinking you're not good enough. That's what easy is and QUITTING IS EASY.

 Here I am with two of my three children almost four years later. I stuck to my goal, and then some. I didn't allow myself to quit, I didn't allow myself to think that I wasn't good enough. The important thing to me is that you see yourself as worth something. Is being fit--is being healthy worth it to you? The ability to go on a hike with my family and not have to stop every ten minutes is awesome. Being able to encourage someone on the same path and give my testimony is priceless. So many people take the easy way out and forget about themselves or they just don't care and then they end up on a hopeless journey of self remorse. If you decide to not care, you are the one who has it easy. Getting fit is hard. It's harder after you have one or two or three kids. I know, because I've been there, done that. But I didn't allow that to stop me.

I decided not to take the easy way out. I was not a quitter.