My “Aha” Moment

posted by KBoerst in Ambassadors, Fitness on Dec 28, 2012

Hi! I’m Karey & I’d like to share my “aha” moment with you…

This is me now:

Current pic of myself

As I’m sure you can guess (since I’m writing about my “aha” moment), that I was not always this size or as healthy as I am now. I absolutely LOVE food & my love for food & disregard for eating healthy & exercising finally caught up with me in my early 20′s. One day when I was brave enough to weight myself & saw the number on the scale over 200 lbs… well, that hit home pretty hard. I hated myself.

I pretty much went through a phase of hiding & feeling very insecure & self-conscious. I could never find anything to wear that would look good on me. I was desperate for change, but unsure how to do it. I tried the Atkins Diet… & made it almost one day. I have a wicked sweet tooth & it was hard to stick to anything without feeling too deprived.

I cut out soda & lost a few pounds. My weight fluctuated probably 5-10 lbs here and there over the mid 2000′s and in my mid 20′s, until one day in February of 2008 when my husband, Brian, was surfing the web and came across an online calorie counting website. He suggested it to me and I was immediately interested. I did some research on it and got started, joining one of the larger, free, websites and participating in the forums. I was able to get support, log all my food, and learn from others there. I didn’t have to cut out any certain food groups, and it was pretty much everything in moderation. That, combined with eating healthier and exercising, allowed me to eat and feel satisfied and still lose about an average of 2lbs a week.

Finding the calorie counting website & a method that I thought I could achieve was my “aha” moment. I knew I needed to do something & make a change & this was what was right for me. Calorie counting was my life line.

As the weight came off little by little, I started to gain more and more confidence in myself. I realized that I was worth it and that I COULD do this and lose weight and get healthy. It took me about 7-8 months, but I eventually reached a goal weight of 135lbs, had a healthy BMI, & felt like a new person. I’ve lost just over 50 lbs and it was the BEST thing I’ve ever done for myself. I’m so much healthier, energetic, confident, & happier. If I can do this, I know that just about anyone can. I’m a HUGE sugar monster and LOVE sweets and food. It was a struggle at times, but if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything you set out to do.

I’ve maintained my weight-loss for years & still count calories, but since early Fall of 2012 I’ve run into a few challenges that life has thrown me (moving across the country & going from an active job to a sedentary college student) & ended up putting on a few pounds from stress-eating. Nothing major, but I fully intend on getting back to my healthiest self yet! Plus, you know how I said I’m back in school again? Well, I’m following my passion & working my way towards a Dietetics degree! I would love nothing more than to help others like me. ~If you’d like to know more about me, visit my blog at www.nuttyabouthealth.com.

I sweat PINK!!