Denise's Journey (rough draft)

I began my weight loss journey by going to the gym that was connected to my current place of employment. We get a discount in the membership when we join the gym and when I started at the gym it was 2 blocks away and I could walk there to and from work easily. For a long time I didn’t lose weight, I wasn’t even thinking about losing weight. I was just taking advantage of one of the perks of working at the company. One of the memories I have of the gym is going to the gym and walking on the treadmill, reading a book or watching TV and sometimes doing both. I wasn’t thinking of trying to lose weight or becoming healthy. Some members that still belong to the gym I go to remember that about also, they are the ones that reminded on how I started out. I remember going downstairs where they had a gymnasium and had classes. I was too afraid to even try the classes. Now I take a couple of them throughout the week.

As time progressed I learned there was a group called Tops (take off pounds sensibly). My growing up years I was never a thin or skinny child, I always had some extra weight on me. So I grew up with the term diet, so when I found out about Tops and what it was all about. I knew it was for me because it didn’t stress about a particular program, plan or talk about diet. I started going to the weekly meetings and found out that I could go there without judgment and with support, get weekly accountability and lose weight. I found a lifestyle that I could live with instead of a program, diet or plan that could help lose weight and then become lost after I lost the weight. I found a lifestyle that I could use to lose wiehgt and keep it off sensieble. When I began losing weight I was like some of the articles I read in tops magazine, I lost and gained before learning how to slowly lose and learning the lifestyle that I use, that I now use to keep me within leeway and a Kop.

I began weighing in at 264 and size 28 clothes, about 4 years later little over 100lbs and now a size 8/10. I recently became a Kop and enjoy the fact that i can help others that are on their journey to their goals to become healthier, lighter people. It also helps me to keep in check to help me stay in leeway. I have learned that just because I am a Kop I can’t just sit back and relax, it has become a lifestyle and now I have the responsibility of encouraging others. I will always have to balance wise eating and healthy exercise. I will always be a member of TOPS as long as it exists, because I need the support and accountability. I found out that I tend to slack when I don’t consistently weigh in and receive the support that is needed to stay healthy.

I have a sweet tooth and I allow myself a piece of chocolate each day. It is small but it satisfies the sweet tooth but keeps within portion control, and helps me from going overboard and overeating, getting on the wrong road.

Currently I workout 6 days at week, with one day of rest. I do 3 days of cardio (elliptical, cycling, step class) and some strength training. The other three days I do some cardio and weight training. I do something that I enjoy doing that keeps me wanting to do it. I found out if it is a chore you don’t always do it. The buddy system helps also because if you know someone is there that expects you, you don’t want to disappoint and not show up. So both work well for me, I get social interaction and a good workout at the same time. I am currently training to become a step instructor, participate in 5k walks/runs. I am planning to do my first 5k run this year. I have dreams to become a leader in healthy lifestyle groups, cycling instructor, and personal trainer. I have learned that is good to have dreams and to have goals. But with goals it is good to have attainable goals to the big goals. Then you can achieve one small step at a time.