Strong

I've lost a lot of weight, and I've noticed a lot of changes in my body along the way.

I'm not as tired as I used to be. I get more done around the house, and, when I get enough sleep, I don't drift in and out of sleep every time I sit down during the day. Before I lost the weight, I used to get so sleepy throughout the day. It didn't make a difference if I had plenty of sleep at night, I was still tired. But now, as long as I've had a good night's sleep, I don't get sleepy during the day.

My memory is better. It's not perfect, because I am a mom and thus subject to mommy-brain. But before embarking on my healthy lifestyle, I was always forgetting things and finding it difficult to concentrate. Now, I have a much improved memory and ability to concentrate.

I'm more active with my kids. Just last weekend, Robert and I took our six year old daughter Gabriella with us for a long walk with the dog. I ran and played with both her and the dog, and it was a joy to see her smile and to hear her laughter. But, when I first started running with the two of them, the first thing she said was, "Mommy! You're running! I've never seen you run before!" And the sad thing is that she was right. I had never run with her before.

I'm physically stronger. I used to struggle to carry my children when they were babies. I'd get exhausted and my back and arms would ache after holding one of my babies for just minutes. Now that I exercise, eat healthy and even lift weights on occasion, I lift my two year old Connor (who will be three in August) without too much difficulty. We play "airplane" where I will lift him by one arm and one leg and spin him around until we're both too dizzy to go on. (Like most kids though, when I put him down, he starts asking me to spin him "again" even while he's still stumbling with dizziness.)

The other day, I took him walking with me to go and pick up his sister Isabella (who will be four in August) from preschool. On the way back, I asked him if he wanted me to pick him up. (Neither of them ask me to pick them up anymore, because they "know" from past experience that the answer will be "no.") He did, so I picked him up and carried him for a couple of blocks. I even ran on and off while carrying him just to hear his laughter Just as I had decided I should put him down and give my arms a rest, Isabella fell over and scraped her knee. So then I had to pick her up and carry her just after I put Connor down. And I had to do some running and bouncing of her in my arms to turn her tears into giggles. About a block later, she was ready to be put down, and then Connor wanted back up in my arms. It was only one block more before we got home. I would never have had the strength to have carried either of them a year ago, before working on my fitness and losing so much weight. (I would never have even offered to carry either one of them.

I'm stronger mentally. I have more confidence now. I believe in myself more. I have a more positive outlook on life. I'm less afraid to try new things or meet new people.

I just know now that I am stronger, more energetic and happier. The only question I have now that I ask myself is why did I take so long to decide to get fit in the first place? Why would anyone rather live their life feeling sluggish, unfocused, weak and unable to do something as simple as play with their children?

What are you doing today to make yourself stronger?