1. What did life look like before you focused consistently on nutrition and fitness?

My health journey started back in 1999 when my dad said to me- “Myra, I think you’ve gained a lot of weight and maybe you should do something about it!” I was crushed, hurt and angry (how dare my own father tell me I’m fat!). I took a look at who I was and, boy was he right! I started Weight Watchers, changed my eating and really learned what it was like to live healthy and happy. From 2000 to 2004 I had three babies, and a failed marriage, and was raising three kids on my own. I lost track of who I was and my focus was on my children. It was more important to take care of them than to take care of myself- not realizing that I needed to be healthy in order for them to be healthy. Over the years I would be on a diet, off a diet, it would matter today, but not tomorrow. I would do really good for a couple of months and then go back to my old habits.
Fast forward to 2011 – I decided in January that I was finally going to take care of me! What did that mean? I was going to go back to college full-time, while working full-time, raise three very active (sports) kids, continue all my volunteer work in the community, and get healthy; it was ME time! But getting healthy was my lowest priority and felt like the most challenging thing on the list. The weight continued to come on year after year. I had every excuse in the book to not take care of myself; I had finals to study for, kids to get to sporting events, my daughter being diagnosed with a bowel disease in 2014 and then scoliosis in 2015. My oldest son was entering high school and was now addicted to drugs. I spent an entire year battling trying to keep him alive and trying to get him help while he was in and out of hospitals and treatment centers. My weight kept increasing and I was at a loss. I wanted this all to end. I had yet another failed marriage- I wasn’t “good enough”; I couldn’t “fix” my daughter; I couldn’t “save” my son; I couldn’t handle any more pain and heartache. All my focus was on my oldest two kids and none on my youngest son (good Lord, what have I done), or on myself, but what were my options? I had options, but non of them were healthy or positive!
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2. What made you decide to make a change?
In March of 2015 I graduated from college. I couldn’t believe that I actually completed something so fulfilling but, when I put my cap and gown on,  I was disgusted by my size and I was not at all proud of that. I realized that I couldn’t “fix” my son. I did everything to get him the help he needed – HE had to make the change. I couldn’t “fix” my daughter’s medical diagnosis and quit feeling guilty that it was beyond my control- all I could do is support her and help her through the rough patches. I was tired of being miserable, tired of complaining to myself about how overweight I was, tired of having a negative attitude about life. I was just plain TIRED! I wasn’t getting any younger, I was tired of making excuses and I knew that there was this wonderful, happy, positive person somewhere under all that weight. It was time to take care of me! I went back to Weight Watchers. I didn’t want to be there- I already knew what my problem was. I was miserable and crabby at the first meeting I went to. I started seeing results week after week and became more and more confident. The real Myra was starting to come out and I liked it. I knew I had to do more- fitness! I like food and if I wanted to maintain this lifestyle and not feel deprived, I needed to add exercise to my regimen. It was then that I reached out to Nickie and said “I need to come back, I’m ready!” I knew I needed something sustainable, something that worked with my work schedule, kid schedule, volunteer schedule and The Warehouse offered that. I was full force on and with each workout I feel better, stronger, happier, and proud of who I have become. Yes, it is hard work. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! I look forward to every scheduled work out and push myself at every work out. I can’t say enough about all the trainers at The Warehouse that share their positive attitude, push us to our limits, give us the option to either ramp it up or tone it down. It’s your workout, do what your body is capable of.
 
3. What has changed (race times, blood work, attitude, etc.)?   
There are so many motivating quotes I can add here to describe what has changed!
•            I no longer live to eat, I eat to live! I had no idea how freeing of a statement that is!
•            When I lost all of my excuses I found my results
•            It’s hard to get fit, but it’s harder to look at the mirror and dislike what you see
•            Losing weight is hard. Being overweight is hard. Choose your hard.
 
 
I could either work hard at becoming the person I wanted to be or work harder at making excuses.
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