I guess when you are in your own little world you forget that others are around you, are watching and caring about how you do. I have such wonderful friends and family who continue to encourage and inspire me.

Some of you know that I had surgery in March. Nothing to serious but it required several weeks of not doing anything strenuous afterwards. It amazes me that you go in feeling perfectly normal before surgery and come out feeling like you got run’d over by bus. As always people are curious about you and start asking questions. After I came out of the surgery recovery room, my back was hurting. A nurse asked if I could lift up just a little so she could put a rolled up towel under my back. She turned around and when she turned back I was sitting straight up in the bed. She said wow and couldn’t believe I could move so well. My sister said, “well she works out, she’s been going to Boot Camp.” And well…that started it. For the remainder of the time I was there, every time someone spoke to me it ended with some other little tid bit about Boot Camp.

Just as soon as the Doctor released me to start working out again, I came back with a mission and a new goal. My new mission is to up my cardo while continuing my Boot Camp activities. I run three to four times a week now. I started very slow. Walking more than running and have continued to increase running while decreasing walking.

Some very good Boot Camp friends of mine has helped me progress to running (very slow) four miles without stopping. It’s amazing, first that I’m lost enough weight to do this and second, I’m doing it and third, I don’t dislike it.

Though out this journey I’ve continued to progress, sometimes slowly, but always going in the right direction so here is another lesson that I’ve learned. This took me awhile because I can be so stubborn most of the time. Listen and learn from those with the experience. I would say, “I do it this way because this is the way I’ve always done it.” Listen to those who have been doing it for years and have worked out problems they encountered along the way.

This journey for me is also not about weight but about health. I’m about to reach 100 lbs lost but more exciting to me is running the four miles without stopping. If you’ve started your journey or are thinking about starting, try to make it about being healthier and not so much about losing the weight. Make weight loss a “side effect” of getting healthy.