A BIRTHDAY Letter To Me

Dear Krista
Happy 45th Birthday!


What a wonderful surprise to wake up to this:

Who would have thought the first FULL day of Spring would have brought this kind of weather.

But one of the best surprises was a visit to the scale. I told the kids, as I went to weigh in, that I was hoping for a total gone of 40. The scale showed 276.6 so the total gone since January 3rd is...
.4

Krista, 2012 has been a great year for you and your 45th year is going to be awesome too!!! WHY? Because you are making it so.

You still have huge financial struggles, you still have a crazy life with a large family, you still have two kids with ADHD that make things harder, you still are obese, you still have troubles with disorganization, you still have a shyness that makes social situations (and new things) hard and painful, you still have physical attributes that you HATE (the large feet, large thighs, bad vericose veins).

These things, and more, have kept you, in the past, from truly finding happiness and joy. Oh, you are a happy person but you found the happiness from other people and events. Weddings, births of children, watching children succeed, vacations, etc... You've never truly allowed yourself to find JOY because of you!

I can see and feel it changing.
In the past you'd fulfill your daily responsibilities for others first and if there was time (or energy) left over then you'd do something for yourself.
In the past you would use the excuse of little kids,daycare kids and being too busy get in the way of getting out of your own four walls and truly experiencing life.
In the past you've set so many weight loss goals. By the time I'm 18. By the time I'm 21. Before I get married. After the birth of my first baby. By the time I'm 30,35, 40 and even 45. Those goals have never been obtained!

Here you are at 45. Are you at the goal you set last year? NO! But you know what you're healthier physically and mentally now! You're making the changes! You've found your self worth. You're realizing that you truly have nothing to give to others unless you give to yourself first.

I'm liking you! You're becoming the person I knew was deep inside wanting out. I enjoy being able to smile when I see you in the mirror AND at times I even seek out those mirrors just so I can.

You're living life more! You're seeking out social situations instead of avoiding them. You've signed up for a 5k, a Sprint Tri and contemplating half marathon too.

As of today you are only 106.6lbs away from goal. You've lost a total of 48.4 from your high of 325. Of course, with today being your birthday, reflection is taking place and setting goals for the future. I know you can set the goal of being at goal weight by next year's 46th birthday.

Will you see 170lbs on the scale on March 21st, 2013? Maybe, I hope so. But if not I know you'll be close. But more importantly than the number on the scale you'll be stronger and healthier, both physically and mentally. You'll have had more adventure in your own life instead of living through your kids. You will have found the ability to truly be happy because of WHO you ARE and who you are still striving in becoming.

Have a GREAT snowy birthday! Have a FANTASTIC year! I can't wait to catch up with you in a year to see ALL the amazing successes you'll have achieved!