Onward and Downward

by Esther Fox

When my alarm clock jars me awake at 5 am, I jump up and am ready to greet the day. Why, you ask?

Because I am on a journey to change my life.

A little more than a year ago, I got a wake-up call at the doctor's office. I was tipping the scales at my highest weight ever! Until that day, I had been living a rather sedentary lifestyle, complete with potato chips, pizza and too much television.

A light bulb went off above my head. "Esther!” I berated myself, “This isn't you. Do something about it!"

So I did. Three days later, I walked into the JCC and exited with a colorful key fob and a mission.

I would be lying if I said it was easy. At 24 years old, I was barely able to bend over to tie my shoes or to walk more than a few hundred feet without stopping to catch my breath, and was troubled by the constant thought of contracting weight-related illnesses that already run in my family.

That's a lot to weigh on such a young mind, pardon the pun. 

It didn’t take long for me to become a gym rat of sorts. First it was walking the indoor track three days a week with my mom. Three days turned into five. Soon after, five mornings turned into five mornings AND afternoons. Slowly but surely, I was feeling better.

I wish I could say I have been a faithful member for an entire year. However, my journey took an unfortunate turn at Thanksgiving, involving gravy and mashed potatoes. Oh, and quite possibly some pumpkin cheesecake. I sabotaged myself. And it made me sad and ashamed. At that point I didn't care that those fries at Five Guys were 1400+ calories. I wanted them anyway.

*insert internal anguish-induced scream here*

By June of 2011, I stopped stuffing my face and jumped back on the wagon. And this time, I had the commitment to change from my husband John to give me that little boost of motivation I needed. So now when the alarm goes off at 5 am, we BOTH wake up! I invite you to join us on our road to change. It’s a bumpy path, but we can find solace together in knowing that we’re on the path to change together.

If we can do it, you can do it! So, come on, people! Bend over and tie those shoes! Walk a few blocks and breathe. YOU CAN DO IT! Onward with our mission and downward with our weight!

More about Esther Fox