Saturday, January 15, 2011

... And Here We Go...

I am a mother.  I am a wife.  I am soooooo many things, but the thing that I think about everyday is... that... I... am... overweight... "obese" to be technically precise (thanks, Doc!).  

Here is my story...

This is what I looked like when I was the "girlfriend" for my husband...
My senior high school Songleading photo... it was the 80's... be nice! ;-)
After we had 2 children and almost 10 years of marriage, my husband found another girlfriend... and left...

The kids and I packed up and moved in
with my Mom and Dad... (they are AWESOME!!!)

The new family of 3...  Jessica (8)... Chris (6)

...skip forward to 1998...

I had known Jeff for over 10 years... I managed an on-site homeowner association and he was the electrical contractor for my account.  After living with my parents for 1 1/2 years, a mutual friend suggested we go on a date... and my life changed...

My sister, Mary, her husband, John, Jeff and me... on a weekend cruise...

This is what I looked like when I was Jeff's girlfriend ("His Chicklet" as he called me)...

Ahhhhhh... the good 'ole days...
... and this is what I looked like on our wedding day,
2 1/2 years later...

This was seriously A PERFECT DAY!

Before we were married, I was running marathons and taking a "supplement" called Ephedrine.  Jeff made me promise that I would stop taking Ephedrine after we were married since we wanted to have more children.  "Sure," I said without having any idea what that was going to do to my body. 

I almost immediately started gaining weight and two years later, was blessed to be pregnant with our first biological child.  After Anna was born, I lost almost all of my pregnancy weight and all of a sudden, my weight skyrocketed.  After several months of working hard at the gym and my diet, I went to my doctor in tears. Several tests later, I was told that due to my "advance maternal age"... (come on... I was 34...) that my thyroid had taken a hit and I started taking medication.  I have been struggling with my weight ever since. 

ADOPTION DAY... Jeff ADOPTED Jessica and Christian and we celebrated with so many family and friends (both here at the courthouse and with many more back at the house.)  This was 2 years after the wedding and I had put on 25 pounds... and we didn't know yet, but I was pregnant with Anna in this photo... ;-)

Two years ago I had ENOUGH and joined the Weight Loss Challenge at our local YMCA.  Since then, I have completed two sprint triathlons and two metric centuries (65 mile bike rides.)  I work out 4-5 times a week and although my weight will fluctuate 10 pounds up or down, I am still considered obese by my doctor (and by me, too).

So, here we are.  I am sick and tired of my weight.  I am embarrassed about my size 18 body (hiding my cute size 9 frame).  I want to feel sexy.  I want my confidence back.  I want to be able to tie my tennis shoes without holding my breath because my belly is in the way.  AND, I WANT TO BE MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND AGAIN.  

There is so much that has brought me to this point that I could write for the next few days, but I want to jump into this social experiment of mine and tell you what I am up to.  I have spent the past two decades telling my kids that they can do ANYTHING they want... if they work hard enough!  It is time I show them I was right...

"Becoming my Husband's Girlfriend" is my definition of the ultimate weight loss peer pressure... my weight loss "Full Monty," if you will.  I will be posting my current weight photos and stats... stories about my weight loss and challenges... training that I am doing for 4 athletic events this year... I will be laughing... I will be frustrated... I will be sharing inspiration that I find around me and people whose stories inspire me... and so much more in my ultimate goal to lose weight, get healthy and bring the SEXY BACK to my life and my husband. 

I hope you will join me in this journey, because I think there are A TON OF YOU that are probably in a very similar point in your life.  You might not have a ton of weight to lose, but maybe you are looking for some confidence... maybe you need to get that happy spring back in your daily step... maybe you can't wait to see if this experiment of mine will be a train wreck (we all know how much we love a good train wreck) or if I can actually do it...

... so become a follower of this blog... share the story of this "fatty" with your friends... because I can promise you this... we are about to embark on an amazing journey!  Fasten your seat belts... the fun will start on Monday...

16 comments:

Shemaine Smith said...

1st poster Woot! Tracey I am SO with you. I am a size 18 too and I was a size 9/10 in HS. I'd really like to be a 13/14 by this time next year and then a new goal of a size 12. I make excuses about exercise since I provide private daycare in my home but after new years I decided I'd leave the house 40 mins earlier for our daily 3 block walk to the park and walk 2 miles pushing the kids in the jogging stroller. Well it started out great and I felt better almost immediately until I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade a week ago Friday. I nursed myself all last week and come Monday...it's ON. So I am happy to support you any way I can. Let's go girl!

Cindy S. said...

I will be following you and cheering you on, Lady! You CAN do this!!! :) :) :)

Christie said...

What an amazing idea! I'm so excited to see you progress - I know you can do it!!! :-)

Melanie Stanczyk said...

You go girl! You already have the determination and willpower (that's the hard part), the rest if just physical activity.

I'm actually doing something similar to this, I'm on week 2 right now.

Can't wait to follow your story and support you!

Eileen said...

You're ROCKIN' AWESOME, Tracey! I swear you can do anything...and it seems like you do! I'm signing up for Team Tracey!

Gloria Stengel said...

I cried because our stories are similar. I weighed 120 lbs when I met my dh at age 20. I was a size 5. I am 5' 9" tall so you know how skinny I was! I'll be 46 in a few weeks, and I now weigh (yep, I'm gonna tell ya) 207, down from 211 a week ago! I wear a size 16 and can sqeeze into a 14 sometimes. I'm still 5' 9" thankfully! LOL I am sick of this weight and sick of being obese! Yep, thanks doc! I put the weight back on after losing it all when Jonah was born. Enough. I'm looking 50 in the face, people! Hugs - and lets ride!

Unknown said...

I KNEW I wasn't alone! You guys have NO IDEA how pumped your comments have made me today! What is amazing is just HOW SIMILAR our stories are!!! We CAN do this... We WILL do this... and our husbands aren't even going to know what to do with all the SEXY we are BRINGING BACK!!! One day at a time... one goal at a time...

Unknown said...

Tracey - I am so proud of you!! Boy are you strong...and brave! I know you can do it! Here's to you and everyone who will lose weight along with you on this journey of yours!

Heidi E. said...

You go Girl.... Im with you all the way and can't wait to cheer on your success.. xoxo

Jocelyn said...

Let me just say that sexy has never left! But I understand the health issues, and generally just not feeling great physically and/or emotionally! Thank you so much for doing this! I'm getting ready to deploy again soon and was looking for something to keep me physically motivated since my "fun" options will be limited. Last year I set my mind to completing a marathon before age 40 (Checked the marathon box on May 15, 40 on May 19th - Woo hoo!) and trained while deployed. So, you tell me what events you're training for and I'll train with you in whatever capacity I can... on the other side of the world. Game on! :)

Laurajean said...

OMG Tracey...YOu are so NOT alone girl. I'm going to do my first 5k with my bff and this is just my start...you know that my doctor told me three months ago that I had 3 months to get my diabetes under control or he was putting me on insulin...i was like "hells NO". My A1C was an "11" and of course my weight was up, so I started taking my diabetes medicine and watching what I eat...its NOT easy at all...baby steps right. While three months later, I just got ALL of my results back and my A1C is down to a "6.9", everything is where its suppose to be and I've lost almost 15lbs...of course, I have to start on the exercise more(I got sidetracked with the holidays) but I'm starting back up...So I have to keep my diabetes in check, start exercising more, eat healthy and of course,I'm anemic, so I'm on iron pills, but its coming...slowly, but its happening. I'm excited to follow this journey with you girl :)
xoxo,
Laura

Abby and Brenda said...

You will do amazing, Tracey! You are such an inspiration!

Amy said...

Tracey, your story brought tears to my eyes. You are an inspiration and very brave...and more than anything you CAN do it!

I am also a mother and have gained more weight than I want after the births of my 3 babies. I too, am striving to make a change in my life and get the 'old me' back.

I will be following your blog, and relating inevitably, to your trials and tribulations, frustrations, joys and successes. Just know that I, like many others, am rooting for you, because through your journey our strength will grow.

Thank you Tracey!

~Amy

jeff randall said...

Thanks for your story. I heard about this from Laura Velasco- who was an inspiration as a runner 25 years ago. You are helping me to be inspired now. I now have a goal to be my "wife's boyfriend" and am going to do what I can to make that a reality. She deserves the hot guy she married. I am going to get there- just as I know you will.

Vicki said...

Wow you don't know me but wow those pictures could be describing me.. 95 lbs when I married my hubby 28 years ago.. yup hs sweethearts--and now I'm hoovering at 170!! theres nothing sexy going on here and it makes me sick!! I started dieting Monday after realizing my fat clothes don't fit anymore! I will be cheering you on!! and hopefully we can all become our husbands girlfriends together

Kristi said...

OMG Tracey!! I just found this additional blog of yours. I am sooooooo with you. As I read your words, they were like a knife in my stomach. I have been completely disgusted with "who" I am lately.
I miss being my husbands girlfriend. My first husband left me and my daughter too when she was two, he also found a girlfriend. urgh!!
Anyway, looking back now, I'm glad he did. We have a much better life with my most supportive husband.
I want to be that someone I once was for me. I am tired of walking around in my couple pairs of jeans I have and don't forget the black shirts that you rotate.
I used to run cross country in HS, and then taught aerobics in college. Got married and then poof...babies, fat, and a person that I no longer know.

My joints hurt, my back hurts, I'm tired and am sick of it. These descriptive words DO NOT belong to me.
I have always wanted to run some marathons. I am 40 and it's time to start moving this junk in my trunk.
I am soooo following your progress and am jumping on board.
Your words are real life to me and I'm sure others too.
Thank you for doing this, for the inspiration. I am afraid I will quit! There I said it!!

Thanks again for me, my husband and my children.