The Search for a Magic Solution
When we find ourselves with extra pounds there is not one of us who would not like to wave a magic wand over our body and “Voila”, in moments discover the extra weight would be gone. For years Americans have reached for that magic pill, magic foods, and even magic operations. Yes, these can all have results, but in the long run most of them fail and yes, some of them fail miserably ending up in more weight gain.
Yesterday I attended a travel trade show. I had several people come up to me and tell me how good I looked. In fact, one person told me that over and over. I do feel great but that has not always been the case.
At the show I saw several people struggling to walk because of the weight they had gained. My mind flashed back to when I weighed 326 pounds. I repeatedly started a weight loss program and then I would fall off the wagon. For me that cycle went on for years.
The Turning Point: A Wake-Up Call
I remember going to a funeral and sitting next to Floss Waltman who I had worked with at the Brighton Girls Camp. In the middle of one of the talks she leaned over to me and whispered, “If you don’t lose weight we will be coming to your funeral soon.” That was a bold statement but if I had kept going in the direction I was going she would probably be right on the mark.
Finding the Spark: Meeting a Mentor
Several years ago after giving a keynote speech in Santa Monica, California, a woman named Jackie Keller came up to me and said, “I can help you lose weight.” Her words touched that spark of hope I had always had of losing weight and having an active life. I took her card home with me. At that time my mother had recently passed away after I had lived with her for three years, nursing her in her last years. That was a stressful time for me. I was to help her gain weight since she only weighed 95 pounds, but I was the one who gained the weight.
The Decision to Change
That Christmas, I went to New York City with a friend for the holidays. My knee was so weak I could hardly walk in a city that is designed for walking. I had so much pain and sadness. How could I, a disciplined and hard working person, let myself get into this shape? Even back in Salt Lake I had brought my mother’s walker to my home to help me get around the house when my knee was so weak and pained. I was sure that a knee replacement was in my near future. I was already sleeping on an elevated pillow to stop acid reflex at night. I was also plagued with heel spurs and my blood pressure was climbing.
The Journey to Health
As I flew home I had a lot of quiet time to think and ponder what I should do. That little spark that had been kindled when I met Jackie Keller, Founder of Nutrifit, in California was still there. There had to be a way for me to change my life. I said to myself, “you do not have to live a life of pain, inactivity and desperation.” I got off that plane resolved to do whatever it would take to lose weight. I went right home and found Jackie’s card and called her. That was the beginning of a new life. It took me years to put it on and years to take it off but it is a journey that has been worth every step; a journey back to health, weight loss and happiness.
The blessing in weight gain is that it is reversible. Kindle that spark of hope in your heart today that you too can change. Never let it die.
Celebrating Success
I love my newfound freedom of movement, health and happiness. I love to ride my bike and have the wind blow though my hair as I did as kid. I love traveling to China and seeing the commitment that the Chinese people have made to their health. My favorite place in China is not the Great Wall. It is the Temple of Heaven where 60,000 people a day go to play, exercise and socialize. I am grateful everyday for the newfound freedom I have now that I have lost 125 pound and kept it off. Begin today on this amazing journey to greater freedom and joy.
