We Beat Fat

Fear caused a momentary lapse

May 21, 2013Angela

Posing with my medals. I did the Cypress 5K and the Louisiana Half Marathon that weekend.

Fear is a crazy thing. It will make me second guess my choices, it will make me afraid to take a risk, it will hold me back in life. Fear always creeps up when I’m feeling the strongest to cast a shadow of doubt over my life. I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been going through such a roller coaster lately with pretty much everything and it all comes down to fear! Fear is a bad thing. I remember being little and not being afraid of anything. I went through life being my bravest self; becoming an adult jaded me. I’ve become aware of things like danger and failure. There are times I wish I could just return to the days of no responsibility and no fear. Is that even possible?

I’ve let fear in my life the past few weeks. I was feared that my grandmother’s passing would have a greater toll than what it actually took on my mom. She’s handling things very well, but I handled her with a kid glove which was very stressful for me. The thing is: I feared the worst and I didn’t have to do that. She is fine!

I feared I would fail with losing the weight and keeping it off. I went through this crazy thing about gaining weight because my clothes where fitting differently. I constantly asked Willie if I looked like I was getting bigger because my pants were fitting differently. I let fear creep into head. Gaining the weight back is a huge fear for me. The fact was my clothes are fitting me differently because my body is changing. I’ve packed on so much muscle in my legs the past couple of months from all my running and spinning. Instead of recognizing that…I went the fear route which really freaked me out. I know I had been working out like crazy (not intention, just the way my teaching schedule worked out) and eating properly. But I still let the doubt creep in.

Willie is the calm logical one most of the time and he does keep me grounded. I suffer from an overactive imagination, always have and I always will, so it is nice to have my partner be there to bring me back down to reality every once in a while.

I feared I would get hurt. This time last year I was sidelined from running which totally broke my spirit. I was having serious issues with my IT band from rookie running mistakes. I went to the doctor and I was referred to a physical therapist but didn’t go. I should have gone. I would have been back running. So this year I was super scared I was going to get sidelined again but I knew better. I was hurting last year because I was running too much with the wrong shoes with no stretching before or after running. I’m completely different now because I took the time to educate myself and learn the proper things. I now know to ask if I don’t know something which I didn’t do before. If I know all of this, why does it still creep in my mind?

On Memorial Day I’m running a half marathon and I’m scared to death for no reason. Yes, it’s probably going to be the hottest race I’ve ever run on the hilliest terrain I’ve ever ran. I have almost convinced myself not to go three times in the past three weeks. But I know I can do it. I’m probably more prepared for this race than any other race I’ve run this year. I’m running the fastest, most steady pace I’ve ran since I started, but I’m letting weather and terrain get to me. It makes no sense.

Even yesterday, I asked Willie if I should do a 30k night time trail race. I was very pumped about it until I read something about cactus and then I started to think about if it rained. The fear of injury came into the play and then I kind of talked myself out of it. But I now know that I have to do it because I let fear creep in and tell me I couldn’t do it. I can do it!

I don’t know what my problem is lately because I’m definitely one of those “at least you tried, even if you don’t finish” people. The person scared by fear was the person I was five years ago. When we started the lifestyle change I decided that I wouldn’t let fear guide me anymore. I changed because I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it. I’m constantly pushing myself to be better and stronger, but it’s kind of like I’ve lost my fight lately. I may have lost a couple of fights with myself lately BUT I WILL WIN THE BATTLE! This is my proclamation that fear WILL NOT win. I will push to the end and be a warrior. I will not be afraid to do something because I fear I will fail. That is the old me and not the person I am right now. I may have had a momentary lapse, but rest assured I AM BACK!

Notes on the weekend: Running, weights, new people and family

May 19, 2013Angela

in Daily Life

The weekend has come to a close and I’m glad to report that this week was a good one. Last weekend I was so down in the dumps and miserable, but things were totally different this week. On Saturday morning, I got up made breakfast and was ready to run with Willie.

I did a short 4 mile run and then headed off to do my weight training at the gym. This is probably a big reason why I was having a good weekend. I made it to weight training throughout the week and I was really proud of myself. I achieved a small goal I set for myself and felt good. So I rewarded myself with weight training on Saturday! I want a nice TONED body and weight training is the way to get there.

Willie and I then went to talk to a group of people about our weight loss story. This was probably the best part of the day. Being able to share our story is great, but also being around people who know how you feel and just talking to them about it is even better. We met a great group of people and hopefully inspired some to keep on pushing forward. This was truly a rewarding experience!

Saturday night is our date night, but we convinced my momma to come along too. We went to our favorite spot, Pei Wei, for dinner. It was good fun and I’m glad we got my mom out of the house even if it was just for an hour or so! We love Pei Wei because it stays within our nutritional comfort zone. I just love to get a big ole plate of veggies which I forgot to take pictures of, but I will next time.

Sunday was filled with errands of grocery shopping, changing light bulbs, making the breakfast for the week…and of course hanging out with my friend Julie. We went to get pedicures but I didn’t take pictures because it was one of the worst experiences of my life. The company was great so that is all that mattered. We sat there and talked…and sometimes it’s just nice to do that. I had a really great time. Sunday is a rest day in our household, but we planned on taking a bike ride. Didn’t happen but it’s ok because we did get to spend a lot of time together! It was much needed.

We ended our Sunday with a trip to Which Wich which was truly great. I was over the moon when Willie ordered his sandwich as a “lettucewich” and it came looking like a real sandwich. Yes, those little things make me excited! We were both totally amazed and thrilled. I got a black bean patty bowl with salsa and he got a black bean patty lettucewich!

So what did you do this weekend? Anything fun and different or just the same old thing? We want to hear about how your weekend went in the comments!

Changes in the wardrobe

May 16, 2013Willie

in Daily Life, Stories, Weight Loss

I remembered hating clothes shopping with my mom when I was a kid. I was always the bigger kid in the family and I was always ready to leave the clothing store as soon as we walked in. I don’t know what it is about clothes or just notion of shopping for clothes that always bothered me. I carried that feeling for the longest time.

There’s an old saying, “Clothes make the man” or something like that. In a sense, it’s true. You are how you dress. I started my weight loss journey at 492 pounds. My clothes definitely reflected how I truly felt about myself. My clothes were plain and boring. It’s kind of hard to have stylish clothes when you’re wearing a 7X shirt and size 68 pants. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy but when you are almost 500 pounds your choices are somewhat limited. When you’re bigger, you can really only shop at a specialty store. This is true for not only males but also females. These shops typically have to charge more for their products.

When I started to lose weight in January of 2011, I just concentrated on losing the weight. I bought a few workout clothes because I knew I would need them. Other than that, clothes were pretty far down on my priority list.

In April of 2011, I took a road trip to visit Angela’s grandmother. I remember this trip fondly because Angela and I had lost a pretty significant amount of weight in those first few months. My clothes were two to three times bigger than I was. My clothes were practically falling off of me. I remember seeing Angela’s grandmother and she was amazed at our weight loss so far. She looked at me and told me repeatedly that I needed to go buy some more pants. I think at that point, I was down to a 4X shirt and size 54 or 56 pants when we went shopping that day. So, my belt was doing all of the heavy lifting to keep my pants up.

For the next several months, I held off buying clothes again. Clothes tend to be expensive not only for anybody but especially for a larger individual and I’m a tad thrifty. I was always afraid to purchase large amounts of clothes. During Labor Day 2011, I bought new clothes again. This time, I was in 3X shirt and size 46 pants.

Around Labor Day, I still felt uncomfortable in my new clothes. Over 100 pounds lost and I still didn’t feel comfortable in clothes. I remember trying the clothes on and complaining to Angela that they felt too tight. Angela assured me that they were the proper fit for my size and shape. I think I was uncomfortable not only in my new clothes but also with my new body in progress.

It took a long time to get used to smaller and different kinds of clothes. It wasn’t until this year when I got comfortable with not only clothes but also different styles of clothes. I had to get a sense of fashion. I still fight it every now and then. I still have the mindset of my former self. I still have thoughts of “Oh, this doesn’t look right on me” or “I don’t know if I can pull this look off”. Angela is always there to let me know what looks good on me. She’s my personal fashion expert.

I haven’t totally abandoned my old style. I’ve spruced it up a bit. I still wear my t-shirt and jeans most days. Some days, I’ll change it up a bit. I wear a button down shirt, jeans and a nice pair of shoes that are not sneakers. Maybe even a suit jacket.

Clothes are just an extension of you and your personality. You’ve lost weight so let your clothes show off that new body of yours. Don’t be afraid to try new styles. I’m not a fashion expert but I’m still learning. Find clothes that are comfortable for you. Express yourself through what you wear. Just wear clothes that make the man or something like that.

The one about lacking the motivation

May 15, 2013Angela

in Daily Life, Motivations, Stories, Working Out

This past weekend was doozie for me. I didn’t really want to talk to anyone, do anything, or even concentrate on television. I completely lacked the motivation to move. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and maybe watch some television, but that was a BIG maybe.

I don’t know what put me in this horrible mood, but it happened. Last Friday I decided I needed a work out break because my workouts that week sounded like I was ordering hamburgers from Wendy’s: triple (M), double (Tu), triple (W) and double (Th). When Saturday morning came around I had every intention of doing my long run, but I just couldn’t do it. It was still a bit raining so I decided to go to spin and do some weight training. When I got to the gym, I immediately starting talking myself out spin but I would still do the weight training. Yes, I did walk into the spin room and then I walked out and then I walked back in.

Halfway through class I was glad that I took the plunge to stick it out even though I was DYING. Finishing the class made it much easier to go to Group Power. Usually, I am the person that has to be stopped from working out 7 days a week. Saturdays are usually my fun day because I do long runs and just enjoy the weekend. This particular Saturday, I talked myself out of it very quickly. I’m not totally convinced that if my friend hadn’t seen me sitting outside the spin class that I would have gone back in. What was my problem?

People always say listen to your body when it comes to working out too much or just needing a rest day. Everyone SHOULD listen to your body because it knows when enough is enough. In this case, my body wasn’t the issue, it was my mind. The mind is a powerful thing and it can be your best friend or your greatest enemy. Saturday, my mind was not my friend and my body had to take over control.

When I run and I feel like I want to stop I always tell myself, “Your mind says quit before your body does.” A friend told me that not too long ago and now I pass it on to you. I know I would have been upset with myself if I didn’t get my Saturday workout in because I let my mind psych me out.

Don’t let yourself defeat YOU. Push to be better than you were the day before and continue to grow everyday! When you’re in a funk, exercise will usually help guide you to a better place. Unfortunately, I stayed in my funk the rest of the weekend and I did sit on the couch the remainder of the day. But I got my workout in and that is all that mattered. If sitting on my couch, AFTER my workout, was what I needed to heal my soul, it was okay to do so.

We all have bad days; it’s how we deal with those days that define us. Having a bad day isn’t a bad thing and even if I would have skipped my workout it would have been ok. I would have survived to see another bad day. Tomorrow is a new day to start fresh. The musical Annie taught us all a valuable lesson: “The sun will come out tomorrow…” So we can get up, shake off the dust and start all over again!

The Catch Up Post: Goals, Races and Mother’s Day

May 13, 2013Angela

in Daily Life, Goals, Running

I feel out of touch with the blog because so many things have been going on in life. As you may have read, my grandmother passed and I took it very hard. I didn’t expect to take it that hard, but I did. There were a lot of tears shed over this experience. I saw her decline every day until she passed; I basically watched her die. She’s in a better place now after living a long and amazing life. Her passing added emotional stress and sleep deprivation to my life so my overall well being kind of took a hit. I still did regular (and above normal) workouts, which helped with the stress. I tried to deal with the stress in a healthy way and I spent a lot of time traveling which meant eating on the road. I didn’t eat badly but I may have indulged in more froyo than normal. Now that the funeral has come and gone, I’m ready to get back to “normal” life.

I completely missed the goal recap and setting new goals for the month of May. Better late than never so here we go with my April goals:

1. I did get certified for become a Group Ride instructor. This was a huge deal for me because I am a newbie to spinning and I really wanted to do my best on this. This is probably the biggest accomplishment of the month for me.

2. I continued my running. For the month of April I think I ran something like 59 miles, which was down from March just a little but nothing to cry over. I ran that much without many long distance races says a lot about my commitment to running in April.

3. Willie and I both tried to become more social. We mingled more with “friends”, we stopped to have more conversations and we took the time to introduce ourselves to new people. We missed a fun social thing due to my grandmother’s passing, but that was understandable. At least we intended to go to the beach party!

4. Strength training is kind of where I failed at in April. I was very serious about getting back to this, but I still let it fall by the way side. I really just didn’t want to stay at the gym to do it so I did stuff around the house. I just wasn’t satisfied with the body weight training at home though. It was something, which has pushed me in the right direction.

5. Lastly, I missed the mark on trying a new group fitness class by ONE day. I did try a new class on May 1st. I went in expected to hate, but I had a good time in Group Groove. Groove is the BTS version of Zumba. I had a fun time and got a decent calorie burn. Plus, it was nice to change my workout up a bit. (Willie says I can’t count this as a check off my list because it was technically May.)

Goals for May 2013:

1. Continue with my strength training. I’m already doing so great at this. I did weights and strength three times last week and I woke up at 5AM this morning to attend Group Power. I am changing my workout schedule to put my weight training back in the forefront.

2. Spend more time with Willie. Things have been very chaotic since the CNN article. We do spend a great deal of quality time together, but I don’t feel like we spend enough time together doing fun things. I do want to spend more time bowling or at the beach or playing laser tag!

3. Get back to loving my body. This sounds a bit strange but I’m still not comfortable with my new self and right now I do just not love how I look. Loose skin and my lack of weight training has left me without the tone and definition I once had. I know since I’m going back to my regular schedule things will change and get better…and maybe I should lay off of the froyo.

4. Getting on Team Refuel has been something I’ve wanted for a few months now. I’ve finally gotten the chance to get on the team with my running group, but we need you to help us get there. We need votes every day. Plus, when you vote $1 goes toward the Challenged Athletes Fund.

5. I am running my first marathon in December but Willie and I have made it our mission to become St. Jude Heroes by raising $500 each. I currently have $250 and Willie has $125. I’m to my half way point and Willie still has some ways to go. Any donation amount helps to make a difference in a child’s life. St. Jude does some amazing things so if you have a few dollars to spare, we would greatly appreciate it. Find out more here!

I ran a race:

day my grandmother passed, I ran a race and I’m glad I did. I almost decided not to go, but I knew life still had to go on. I ran the Green 6.2, which is a qualifying race for the Houston Marathon in January. It was HOT and HUMID and I had other things on my mind so I didn’t qualify and I didn’t PR. The qualifying time was 51:08 and I ran it in 1:00:58. I was just glad that I finished and received my green medal! BTW: whoever decided to demolish a building at mile 5 of thee race should be tarred and feathered. The debris lingered in the air forever, which made it hard to breathe. Did I forget to mention it was HOT and HUMID? And there weren’t enough water stations?

And it was Mother’s Day:

I’m not a mom but I know some great moms. I was really happy to be able to celebrate the day with/for them. I have a new appreciation for all the moms in the world out there. My family usually goes out for brunch but this year we did something different; we prepeared a family meal. It was great to have family time because my mom finally came home after deal with the passing of her mother. And my sister came with her family. It was just nice to be together and celebrate my mom and sister because they are GREAT mothers.

Chicken,Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stir-Fry

May 10, 2013Angela

in Foodie, Recipes

Quinoa is great and one of my favorite things to eat. I eat a mostly plant based diet so quinoa is a great way to get my protein. Willie is still a meat eater, so this is something I can fix for both us and still be satisfied. I’ll just throw some chicken in the mix for him. Best part, low in sodium and very filling! FYI: I don’t use the canola oil when cooking. I try to stay away from any oils when cooking, even though they are good fats. I don’t think you need oil/butter to cook your veggies and it just adds more calories into your dish. I use green pans that don’t require that kind of stuff or when push comes to shove, I just put a little water or chicken stock in the pan.

Chicken,Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stir-Fry

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Total time

25 mins

Author: Prevention Magazine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 c water
½ c quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 med sweet potato (about 8 oz), peeled and cut into ½” cubes
4 tsp canola oil
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½” pieces
1 med onion, chopped
1 jalapeño chile pepper, finely chopped
1 med red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 c frozen peas
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

COMBINE water and quinoa in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
PUT sweet potato in small saucepan with enough cold water to cover by 2″ while quinoa is cooking. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
HEAT 2 teaspoons of the oil in large nonstick frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
RETURN pan to heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in onion and jalapeño pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add bell pepper, garlic, and cumin. Cook until vegetables start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in peas and reserved chicken and cook 2 minutes. Add quinoa and sweet potato. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, salt, and black pepper.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 307 Fat: 8 Saturated fat: 1 Carbohydrates: 34 Sodium: 264 Fiber: 6 Protein: 24

From Prevention Magazine

Donate To St. Jude Children’s Hospital To Make A Difference

May 9, 2013Angela

in Daily Life, Running

We need your help! Cancer is something that has touched both of our lives this past year when my mom was diagnosed. We have seen the monetary cost of cancer and that is why we are choosing to run for a reason. On December 7, 2013, I will run my first marathon (26.2 miles) and Willie will run the half marathon (13.1 miles) but we want to be St. Jude heroes. To do that, we both must raise $500 EACH! We have changed others lives by sharing our story and this is how we want to change someone else’s life. Please help us reach our goal!

We are looking for donations of any size because every dollar does count. If a dollar is all that you have to give, we will gladly accept it to help fight childhood cancers and blood disorders. The size of the donation doesn’t matter; just that you took the time to donate and make a difference in just one child’s life.

Donate today and share the love between Angela and Willie. There are two separate links for donation. Remember we have committed to raise $500 EACH!

Link to donate to Angela
Link to donate to Willie

Every dollar donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital counts! Take a look at some of the possibilities that your donations could provide to the kids and families of St. Jude.

Infant Care Supplies for 10 Babies: $50
These supplies help parents and nurses care for babies in treatment and include items like diapers, baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, footies and heel warmers.

Wagon: $70
Wagons can make traveling through the halls of St. Jude easier for parents and more fun for a young child.

Parties to celebrate birthdays, holidays and “coming off chemo”: $75
St. Jude provides parties, decorations, cakes and more to keep spirits high during the holidays and to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and a child’s completion of chemotherapy treatment.

Creative Toys: $100
Play is an essential part of every child’s life, and it’s important for the children to have fun as often as possible. At St. Jude, colorful, toy-filled play areas are just as plentiful as exam rooms.

Delicious Meals: $210
St. Jude provides meal cards so that patients and families can enjoy the comfort and convenience of good, nutritious meals in the Kay Kafe, our cafeteria.

One Day of Oxygen: $447
Oxygen is key to keeping the immune system strong. A gift of oxygen can help a young body thrive and help fight cancer at the cellular level.

Child-sized Wheelchairs: $700
These special wheelchairs help children move easily through St. Jude.

Airfare for a parent and child: $1,000 average
For a patient referred to St. Jude, the hospital covers the cost of airfare for a child and one parent or guardian.

It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change.

May 7, 2013Angela

in Daily Life, Stories, Weight Loss

A lifestyle change is very difficult, especially for the people in your life. We had so many problems with our friends and family because it wasn’t only a change for us, it was a change for them too. Both Willie and I were overweight our entire lives and our weight defined us. When it was time to make a change things did get very sticky and possibly people didn’t take us too seriously.

For people who don’t eat healthy or care for “clean” living, what we were doing was a shock. Food is a social thing. Family meals, date nights, reuniting with friends, parties, holidays…all of these involve food. The first thing people couldn’t accept was eating out isn’t something we could do on a REGULAR basis. The truth is many restaurants don’t have nutritional information available and most that do don’t have healthy enough options for us. Just because a restaurant does have that information available doesn’t mean it’s suitable for a person watching their food habits. The people in our lives were just so use to us eating whatever and whenever that it did cause some tension.

As mentioned before we would rather sit at a restaurant where friends want to eat and not eat anything than cause a huge discussion on where we can eat. It’s just not a battle we want to engage in because eating out limits the places we can eat and feel comfortable.

The beginning was a very difficult time for us because it was hard for people to adjust to the new us. There were times when we felt alone and isolated, but we were fighting the good fight. I won’t lie, some relationships were severely fractured because of our lifestyle change. Not because these people didn’t support us; mainly because the transition was quick and hard.

People did question everything we ate and the amount of food we were allowing ourselves to eat. They didn’t understand our need for exercise and questioned whether missing one workout was really that big of a deal. People thought we were being obsessive about the situation which I found very funny. No one ever questioned what I was doing when I was overeating on fast food. No one ever said I was being obsessive about sitting on the couch for hours at time watching television…while eating.

I feel like these questions and accusations were coming out because they felt guilty for not making the healthy choices in their lives. By us doing this, they may have thought we were judging them on their own behavior. When we decided to change to the healthy side, it was s shining spotlight on their own habits. Making a lifestyle change is hard enough; I promise we didn’t have time to worry about other people’s habits. There was/is definitely no judgment coming from us on this point. This was something we chose for ourselves and we never tried to push it off on anyone else (unless they expressed interest in a change and asked for help).

That’s the most important thing you should remember when changing your lifestyle. This is a journey you are taking on your own, so don’t expect others to walk with you or even support you. Don’t forget your new habits on others and definitely don’t talk down to people or preach to them about their lives. If you do that people aren’t going to want to be around you.

Also, don’t let people drag you down. Make your decisions and firmly stick with it. If you don’t want to eat cheeseburgers and friends, you don’t have to. If you want to work out, don’t let anyone stop you. It’s your life and the biggest influence over you is you. People will support you, but there are people out there who want to you fail. Don’t let anyone derail you from achieving your goals because of peer pressure. We are all better than that and if by chance you do fail, remember tomorrow is another day and you get to start over again!

We haven’t left you hanging

April 30, 2013Angela

in Daily Life

My grandmother passed and right now things are in a bit of chaos. The blog has taken a backseat to the health of my grandmother. Things will be back to normal very soon!

Thanks for understanding,

Angela

A day of (state) resolutions

April 24, 2013Angela

in Goals, In The News, Weight Loss

After running the Austin 10/20, Willie and I were honored with state resolutions on the floor of the Texas State Capitol. Our weight loss achievements are now a part of Texas state history! This is/was such a honor for us and definitely a moment we won’t forget. We were honored alongside our friend Richard and Amie James (for creating a healthier community by creating The Gusher Marathon), Iram Leon (for winning the Gusher Marathon while pushing his daughter and just plain winning at life), and Felix Lugo (who ran his 50^th marathon holding the American flag at The Gusher). We have no idea why were chosen for this honor with this great group of people, but we were and we’ll never forget it.

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On a side note: Richard and Amie single handedly changed my life without even knowing it. The Gusher was my first race which started it all. Not only was it my first race, but it was my first half marathon. I battled a lot of demons that day but came out with great success. Without the hard work from them and the volunteers, I can’t really tell you if I would be running today. Running is something I love and is a huge part of my life. They planted the seed in me and I watered it to make it grow. And now they planted the seed for Willie and they will watch him grow too!

From my facebook:

Yesterday wasn’t the day to talk about this and I’m not sure if today is appropriate. But I wanted to tell everyone that we had the best weekend of our lives running and celebrating our achievements in Austin! Thanks to Amie James and Richard James III for changing our lives without even knowing. We strive to be better people and create a healthier community because of you! It was the biggest honor to have Rep Joe Deshotel honor us with a resolution with a group of amazing people: Amie and Richard, Felix and Iram J. Leon. That was an experience we will never forget and are forever bonded because of it!

Also, running the Austin 10/20 was a fun experience and was Willie Gillis III’s first “long” race. I am incredibly proud of my husband for doing something he never thought he would do…and he liked it. Even if the time was limited it was great to spend time with everyone from Beaumont and we are glad that y’all will be apart of our great memories from the weekend. (The message won’t let me tag anyone else but you all know who you are!)

Lastly, I want to thank Melissa for being there with us on Monday. It was a very emotional and special experience and it was great to share it the person who was there at the very beginning of our friendship and knew us (and loved us) when we were different versions of ourselves!

For us, losing the weight was something we wanted to do for different reasons. We’ve quickly learned from this “in the news” experience is something we find to be so insignificant is really a HUGE deal. People are out there struggling with lifestyle and weight issues and are looking for help and hope! Willie and I showed that hard work and determination to do win out over surgeries and crash diets. Receiving this resolution finally put everything in prospective for us by helping us realize what we want to do in the future. We want to help people transform their lives and we want to start in our community. We really don’t know what our next step will be, but we now have focus to develop the plan.

The day was bittersweet because the Boston Marathon bombings occurred around the time we were receiving our resolutions. But that day was one of the best of our lives. Willie had never been to downtown Austin or to the Capitol so we played tourist for a while and took a lot of pictures. Being on the floor was a once and lifetime experience. Hearing State Rep. Joe Deshotel talk about our success in front of everyone almost brought Willie and I to tears. (We wanted to keep composed in the moment; otherwise it would have been very tearful.)

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The entire time I was standing there I held Willie’s hand and thought, “I’m so glad to share this moment with my best friend and husband.” I was proud of him, me and us for tackling what people said was impossible without surgery and being recognized for our success. This was something we did together as a team and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

It’s been crazy. CNN article, worldwide press, local press and state resolutions; our world has completely changed due to our weight loss. But we’re happy it all happened so we could share our story of healthy diet and exercise. We have inspired, motivated and helped so many people with one simple act and that is all that matters. We will continue to share our story because we’ve learned it does matter. Thank you for reading and sharing our story because you never know who it will help along the way!