This is ME!

Whoever made this photo knows exactly how I feel! Although my body is at odds with me and is even trying to fight back, I am determined to continue to do the activities I just started enjoying a few years ago.  That's right, I was not an athlete in high school, I was somewhat cubby in junior high and some of my classmates teased me and called me names. As a young adult I started jogging since it was the 'IN' thing to do at the time but stopped after my knee started hurting and began to power walk.

In my forties, I gain a lot of weight after being laid off of a very stressful job in the worst city to try and find employment. Life just kept getting more challenging everyday until I found myself over 200 pounds. After losing my mother to heart disease I learned I was at risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Being a divorced mother of five children, I had to lose the weight and reduce my risk so I could be around for them. After finally getting down to business and losing the weight I began to enjoy working out, power walking, bike riding and any outdoor fun activity as you can see by this photo (and the photo on my previous days post) from my last birthday.

So like the lady standing on the ironing board surfing, I find myself wanting to do cartwheels and other things I haven't done since I was a child but fear what people would think if they saw me. It's fabulous having grandsons because I can do some activities with them and not look so strange doing them at my age, I'm working on it!