Celebratory Thoughts

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
I have a few random thoughts to celebrate today.
First off, I showed my kids a picture of me from 4th of July last year and they said I should post a comparison photo on my blog.
July 2009 …30 lbs and many workouts later… July 2010

Secondly, I received this in an email and just had to share it with everyone for a good laugh in weight loss blogland:

I don’t want to brag or make anybody jealous or anything,
but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.


When all else fails, just tell someone this. It’s bound to brighten any “bad” weight loss day. *GIGGLE*

And finally, I created and sent out a 4th of July digital scrapbooked card with photos of usto our friends and family in email and got these two compliments back:

“And might I mention that Leah is looking a little thinner in the face? “

“You look RADIANT and thin too!”

Now, you know that just helped to make my weekend even more special! Oh, and my average weight for the last seven days…. 199 lbs. 🙂

Have a great week everyone!
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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 6 & Happy 4th!!

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding

free·dom : 1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another

in·de·pen·dence : the quality or state of being independent.

in·de·pen·dent : 1 : not dependent: as a (1) : not subject to control by others : b (1) : not requiring or relying on something else : (2) : not looking to others for one’s opinions or for guidance in conduct

Looking on the definitions offered by Merriam-Webster for these words I am more and more inspired by how these terms can be related to our weight loss journeys. Some of you agree and have shared your thoughts with us.

Steve said:

Freedom from a life shortened through unhealthy living.

Independence from those self-imposed limits I have lived with most of my life – self-imposed because they were my fault, limits because they truly limited me.



Losing weight will mean I will have the freedom from these insecurities that plague me. My weight is constantly on my mind, I think of my fat and my diet all the time. I can not wait for that freedom.


Christine said:
To me freedom in my weight loss journey is knowing that the power of the addiction has been broken by the power of the Lord Jesus and the only strength it has on me now is the strength I give it.


Nancy said:
I’ve found the biggest freedom in losing weight is the freedom in my head. I’m free from many of the negative voices that plagued me before. I’m happy when I eat. If I mess up, I know I’ll recover quickly. I’m even free from the tyranny of food. What tempted me before doesn’t even appeal any more. I can pass up almost anything.


And I’d like to finish it up by saying:
Among the above mentioned ideas, which all can be applied to my life as well, I have begun to find freedom from feelings of failure. Losing 30 pounds so far has shown me that I can make changes for the better. I am capable. I am not a failure. I can believe in myself to become the healthier Leah I’ve always wished I could be.
I can also reach these goals independently of what others think I should or should not be doing. I can adopt certain aspects of different plans and it’s okay. If they work together for the greater good of seeing my health improve, then that is alright.

Thank you everyone for coming with me on this patriotic journey this week. Even if you just came to humor me, I appreciate it. I’ve enjoyed every comment you’ve left. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! One more time….

LET FREEDOM RING!!!
Not only for our great United States of America, but for each one of us in our health as well.
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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 5

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Today I want to introduce you to the person who became my mentor, someone who gave me hope, even though she didn’t know me yet. About a year ago I came across Diane’s blog Fit to the Finish and when I read her story I was so encouraged that she had not only lost 150 pounds, but kept it off for 12 years. It gave me hope.

Soon after that we began to correspond and she has been there with me through many ups and downs of this past year of my weight loss journey. I know she has found a freedom in regards to her weight loss journey and so I’ve asked her to tell you about it.

I’m so honored to have Leah ask me to write for her today. I have admired Leah since I first “met” her in blogging world. We have become Internet friends and I hope maybe one day we can meet in person!


She asked me to write something about Freedom From . . .



I immediately thought about being free from bondage to food. But the more I thought about that topic the more I felt dissatisfied. Was I really in bondage to food? When I weighed 300+ pounds, did food hold such sway over me that I was unable to break the chains? No. In my opinion, if food had me in true bondage I never would have been able to lose 150 pounds.


So Instead of freedom from bondage, I wanted to talk about freedom to choose. When I began gaining all my weight after I got married, I was free to choose how to live my life. And I chose to live my life in an unhealthy manner. I sat on the couch and ate ice cream. I choose not to exercise, and I chose to gain weight.


I chose.


When I turned my life around, I made another choice. I made the choice to stop my unhealthy habits, quit eating junk food all day long, and get out of my comfort zone and exercise. I chose the right path for me.


Every time I stood in front of my pantry, I had the freedom to make the right choice or the wrong choice. Every time I made the right choice, I felt myself get stronger and felt more in control of my fascination with food.


Every morning when I got up, I made the choice to put on my ugly exercise clothes and walk slowly down the road. I chose not to worry about what my neighbors thought, and chose to focus on what I knew would help me reach my goals and objectives.


Now, 12 years later, freedom means that the choices I make everyday keep me free from obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. Those choices keep me free from guilt and keep me free from worrying about certain obesity-related diseases.


If you are struggling with your weight and sometimes feel like you are getting bogged down in the overwhelming number of choices there are along the weight loss road, take heart. Instead of getting bogged down, try and think of your choices as a way to gain freedom in your life. Diane


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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 4

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Please join me today in celebrating freedom and independence once again by reading how Tricia’s great success with weight loss brought freedom to her life.
July 4th is our country’s Independence Day, but I will always see January 5, 2009 as my own personal “Independence Day”. It’s the day I declared war on my unhealthy lifestyle and liberated myself from a life of sorrow.

When Leah asked me to write about the “freedom” I’ve experienced through weight loss my mind started racing with ideas. So much change comes with 128 pound weight loss. I am now “free” to enjoy amusement park rides without the fear that I won’t fit. I am now “free” to wear SHORTS and sleeveless tops and feel comfortable. I experience the “freedom” that comes with being able to comfortably walk down an airplane aisle without having to turn sides ways, and am further freed from every having to worry about the seat belt not fitting. I am liberated from the dread that comes when you sit down in a plastic lawn chair. I am now free to show my husband affection without fear of him being repulsed by what I had let myself become. And I now experience the independence that comes from being a runner.


While all of those things are important, they are simply small parts that make up a whole. Quite simply I am now free to be ME.

Of course I was the same person at 278 pounds as I am at 150 pounds, BUT now I’m FREE to show that person to the world. Its sad to say, but when I was obese I pretty much tried to hide from life. When we were in public, or at work events instead of engaging others I would try my hardest to blend into the background. I didn’t volunteer my opinion on topics, didn’t crack all those funny jokes going through my head, and didn’t put myself out there to make new friends. I pretty much did everything I could to disappear.

I got tired of living in a self imposed prison. My morbidly obese body was the figurative bars that were holding me back from the world.

So I changed. I took small steps towards a healthy life.

And those small steps added up to great things….they added up to my own personal
liberation.

I now have the freedom to live my life. And love it.

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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 3

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Again, don’t forget I’d love to know what the words FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE mean to you in regards to your weight loss journey. You can drop me your thoughts by commenting on this post.
As I’ve been thinking on Independence Day I have been thinking a lot about freedom and what a wonderful thing it is. A famous quote keeps coming back to me, “Freedom isn’t free.” We hear that quote and understand that freedom for our country came at a price. It took hard work, perseverance, a focus on a goal and a willingness to sacrifice at times to reach a day when we could officially have our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain signed and begin living life in our United States of America.

I’d like to take a moment and show that freedom from an obsession with food is also going to come at a price. There must be some hard work put in to planning meals and making time for exercise. We must also persevere through the rough times. With our focus on the goal we’ll know which path to take that will help us reach our goals.

Most of all we are going to have to be willing to sacrifice at times. I’m all for any food in moderation being okay, but I’ve learned that in my “weight loss” portion of my journey I have to sacrifice at times to see my goals met. Sometimes I have to let the desserts pass without taking one, or I have to give up a lazy 30 minutes to get a workout in, because I know these things are necessary for success in my weight loss journey.

Just like I’m proud to be an American and enjoy the freedoms that have been earned at sometimes high costs, I’ll one day hold my head a bit higher for becoming a thin, healthier person. All I have to do is be willing to pay the costs the journey requires. I will and look forward to that day. 🙂
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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 2

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
First off, don’t forget I’d love to know what the words FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE mean to you in regards to your weight loss journey. You can drop me your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Today I’d like you to join me in seeing how our freedom from an obsession with food can be likened to some of these famous quotes.
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

I speak for myself when I say that I’d love to have a normal relationship with food, to be able to have a fit, healthy body and never worry again about weight gain. However, the only way this is going to become a reality for me is when I ‘undergo the fatigue of supporting it’. When I take responsibility for my actions and live a life that supports the desire for freedom from food I will reap the blessings.

In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

No matter how much I want to be thin and feel free from an obsession with food it is something I have to do for myself. No one can give me a thin body. There’s no magical pill or surgery that will make it all go away. Ultimately, no matter how much help and encouragement I am offered it is something that I alone have to work towards.

There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. ~Charles Kingsley

I think relating this quote to my weight loss journey was both the easiest and hardest. Easiest, because I clearly see the truth in the thought, but it’s also the hardest thing for me to admit.

I don’t think I’m alone in sometimes wishing I could just eat whatever I wanted and never have to worry about another pound. I mean, yes, I can eat whatever I want. In reality there isn’t anyone telling me what I can and can not eat. Yet eating out of boredom, or overeating at a gathering only leaves me feeling so tied to food and feelings of failure and self loathing begin to settle in. There’s no freedom in those feelings at all.

On the flip side, when I eat only when I am truly hungry and stop when I’m satisfied I feel good about myself. When I finish a workout I feel alive. When I eat what makes my body feel better I feel fresh and healthy. Doing all of those things may not be what I want to do, but because I know they are what I ought to do they lead me to feel completely free from food.

Thanks for joining me today as I continue my journey to freedom. I hope you’ve found something to bring some encouragement to you in your own weight loss journey.

Have a great day and LET FREEDOM RING!

All quotes were taken from Quote Garden.com.
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Let Freedom Ring! – Day 1

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holiday. This year on my blog I have decided to spend this week leading up to Independence Day honoring the freedom we can have in regards to our weight loss journeys.

Also, don’t forget your chance to be included in this week of freedom by entering your comment on this post. I’ll accept comments through Wednesday.


And now….(drum roll please) … meet Lori and see what she has to share on subject of freedom:

I feel very honored that Leah has asked me for a guest post on her blog! My name is Lori and I host the blog “Finding Radiance” where I journal life after losing 100+ pounds and what I do to keep it off (and hopefully take off a little more :D)

Leah asked to write about what losing weight has given me freedom from in honor of Independence Day. There are lots of things, like freedom from Lane Bryant, freedom from teasing, freedom from obesity-related health problems, etc. However, I wanted to mention a freedom that I *gained* from losing weight. This is the freedom of movement.

When I was at my heaviest (250 pounds), I was able to move around and do things, and I thought I was somewhat strong. However, doing stuff just tired me out. Carrying around 100 extra pounds is a lot of extra work that a body has to do just to function each and every day. I really never wanted to admit how tiring it was to try to exercise or even just walk around the mall. Being active was just not something I enjoyed. At all. Part of that was because I had an all-or-nothing mentality, so I figured if I was going to exercise, I may as well go out and run! Big mistake. I hated it because I expected too much of myself right out of the box. I then started with simple Walk Away The Pounds videos. Listening to Leslie talk about the importance being just to keep moving, not to be like everybody else, really sank in, finally. I realized it was okay to go slow and then try to improve each time.

As the weight came off, I began challenging myself to more and more active things. I began lifting weights (which I love), and building strength allowed me to do more and more. I then got a bike (which I adore!) and started riding small rides each day. Over the last couple of years, I have really increased my bike mileage and I have a goal of a single day 100-mile ride this summer. The old Lori never would have even wanted to do that. Now I look forward to it.


I am in my early 40s and in better shape than at any time of my life. I’m not quite at what I think my weight goal could be, but I am so pleased at the types of movements I can do now. When I bike, I feel like I can fly! Obesity was a cage on the inner athlete that I never knew was there. Being active was not anything I ever wanted to do or thought I would even want to do. Losing the weight opened my eyes to a whole new me.

Independence Day celebrates the freedom of our great country. Let it be inspiration to free yourself to do whatever it is that you want to do. You might be pretty surprised at what you are truly capable of when you give yourself a chance.

~ Lori

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The Plank Queen

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding

I tried level 2 of Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred DVD this afternoon and IT WAS TOUGH!! By the time she did the last plank move I was verbalizing to no one in particular, “What is up with the planks?!?” I never heard of “plank jacks”, “plank twists” and any other plank moves we attempted until today. When I was done I came out of my room and told my husband to just call me “The Plank Queen”. When my muscles are shaking this much you bet I’m going to milk it for all the attention I can. 😀

Don’t forget to enter your thoughts on freedom and independence in your weight loss journey. Click here to see what I’m talking about.
I hope you’re all having a nice weekend!
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Under Construction

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding


I’m slowly working on updating the layout of my blog. I apologize in advance for any weirdness that might show up in the next couple of days. 🙂

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Your Input Please

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Leah@MyNewEnding

Dear Readers,
With our nations Indepence Day holiday coming up in a week I’d like to try something a little different for my blog. I would like to pose a question to you.

What do the words FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE mean to you in regards to your weight loss journey?

My comments are always monitored by me before posting to this blog, so instead of “approving” the comments I will be compiling all of the responses and putting them into a post to share with everyone next week. I will also add my own thoughts to this post.

So, as we heard at a 4th of July rodeo last year here in Oklahoma… “Be thinkin’ on it. Git it in yer mind.”… and I add, please? I’d love to hear what y’all come up with. 🙂

With you in this journey,
Leah

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