"The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment"

My weight loss seems so simple to me. Not that it was easy, but the concept was easy. Calories in, calories out. I had my first baby when I was 20. I gained 50 lbs. during the pregnancy. When I got pregnant with my 2nd baby I weighed the same as I did when I was 9 mos. pregnant with the first. Four babies later, I was 25 lbs. over that. For a few years, I didn't really care to do anything about it. I had just decided that being bigger was who I was, and that I needed to buy clothes that actually fit me and just love who I was now. I really had no interest in dieting. In my mind, nursing was making me gain weight and I was having babies so close together that I used the "I don't have time to lose weight" excuse. One day I just realized how miserable I was. I couldn't be a good mom because I was so fat! I couldn't play with them and run around with them. I didn't even like to go on walks because I hated how I felt when I was walking and breathing so hard. I knew that something had to change. I joined weight watchers in Sept. '08. I had a pretty bad attitude at the beginning. I was still nursing and I had convinced myself that I couldn't lose weight when I was nursing. Well, a week later I proved that thought wrong. I lost 7 lbs. the very first week. I went to my meetings and weighed in EVERY SINGLE WEEK. I think I have only missed 4 or 5 since that first meeting. After about 20 lbs. I remember telling my husband that I wanted to quit and that it was just too hard. But I didn't. I remember telling my mom one day as we were shopping in the mall that I just couldn't picture myself skinny. I can now. Weight Watchers is what kept me going. Their plan is simple and easy and once you get going on it, you don't have to think very hard. After about 40 lbs. I knew that I felt different. I had to buy all new clothes. I was starting to feel pretty good. It wasn't until I hit 50 lbs. that I decided that I wanted to start working out. I got really mad at my kids one day and just wanted to get out. My husband had done the "Couch to 5K" program before, so I decided to try it out. I ran a 5K on the 8th week of the 9-week program. At first, that's all I wanted to do...run a 5K. I ran a few more and then little by little I would start tacking on more miles. Before I knew it, I was training for a half-marathon. And this was me...a girl who had never exercised a day in her life!!!!! I was running about 25 miles a week for a few months and I loved it. Something that I never thought I would love. I also started loving my body. I had muscles and bones under all that fat that I had carried around for so long. I could see my hip bones and my collar bones. It was an incredible feeling. I believe I accomplished all of this because I was consistent. I went to my meeting and I set running goals. Without goal setting, there's no way I would have made it. On days when I didn't want to run, I did it anyway. On days when I didn't eat good, I reminded myself that it wasn't one day that got me fat and I got up and did better the next day. When I hit maintenance, I found myself wondering what to do next. I was a little lost because I had accomplished my goal that I had been working on for so long. That is one of the reasons that I decided to do a marathon this May. I have proved to myself that I can do hard things. Yes, a marathon is going to be hard. So was losing weight. I wouldn't trade it for anything. So really it's that quote that was my key to weight loss. "The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment". If you're not going to commit and be consistent....then what are you going to be?????