Husband Was Her Inspiration to Shape Up
Like a lot of people, I had lost weight many times, but I always seemed to let the weight creep back. I used diet gimmicks to lose weight fast, and once the weight was lost, I would let my guard down and go right back to eating my habitual way.
What finally worked for me was, my sweet, dear husband one day said to me, “Darling, I hate to say this, but your butt is starting to run down your legs.”
Articulate, no. Honest, yes. For me, it was an epiphany. I was never obese, but garden-variety overweight--by 30 pounds.
I began to recognize my eating pattern by keeping a food diary. I did all the time-tested things I had heard about--eating low-fat foods, veggies, grains and fruits. I began to eat slower, chew more and drink more water. If I got hungry, I grabbed an apple instead of chips. Adding meditation was a big help.
I committed to walking every day for one hour. I added weights and simple floor exercises. I began a yoga class, and yoga ignited a spark that helped me to get more in touch with my body and spiritual being. The greatest thing about this is, it was painless and less stressful than harsh regimes of my past.
My husband was so happy with the new svelte me that it encouraged him to lose a few pounds. My mom saw the difference in my appearance and well-being, and began to change her eating habits too. She also took up yoga, lost 40 pounds, and looks and acts like a woman half her age.
This total transformation led me to leave my position as a corporate trainer and devote all of my time to getting my teaching certification and teaching yoga full time. Working with small groups of women to improve the mind, body and spirit is self-affirming. “Teach to be taught” as the saying goes. Visualizing the healthy body helps attain it, and yoga keeps it flexible and strong.
Today, I feel better and look younger than my 45 years, and I have maintained this weight loss for 3 1/2 years.
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Vital Statistics
Name: Craige Story
Age: 45
Occupation: yoga teacher
Height: 5 feet, 5 inches
Old Weight: 155
New Weight: 123
Time to Get There: 9 months
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