By Holly Budde
I asked a few women how losing weight and getting healthy changed their lives. Here’s their stories:
First, there’s my good friend Delores (who I lovingly call “D”). She’s lost 120 lbs!! I’ve seen her change and flourish so I asked her to share part of her story. She told me her journey began when she went on vacation, could barely fit in the seat on the airplane and realized that her husband’s arms could barely go around her in photos she saw after the trip. She decided she was a shell of the woman she once was, and she sat out to make some changes. At first, she struggled with the smallest amount of physical activity but she did it anyway. She made better choices in food selection, and kept going. This morning, as I was finishing up the edits for this article, I received a message from her as she was boarding a plane for this year’s vacation. It said “ HOLLY!! I fit! The belt is too big!” I couldn’t help but beam for her, knowing she was about to have the time of her life!
Next is Meredith. My original motivator. She’s a huge source of inspiration! Meredith is a mom to 4 young kids. She explains that she was tired, depressed and felt lousy about herself a couple of years ago. She too started small and today has shed 45 pounds and 48 inches in TWO years! “I am happy. I have the energy to chase my four kids around and I feel good about myself! That makes me a better mother and wife. I am more confident and have a sense of satisfaction!”