It will hurt!

  

I saw this yesterday on Facebook and couldn't help but think of how true it is.  I have seen it before floating around Pinterest and such, but I really understand it now.  Having and meeting a goal is hard.  If you want to lose weight, get yourself in shape, meet a physical goal it is likely that at some point it is going to hurt.  Literally you may injure yourself., but also it is going to hurt you a little to say no to things sometimes.  And you are not going to wake up one morning and have lost 15lbs or be able to run a marathon.  You have to make changes to your life to see the results that you want.  Any pill or things like that, which tell you you don't have to make changes to your eating or exercise routine to lose weight or change your body is a lie and probably extremely unhealthy for you.  Don't do it.  Anyways, I like this quote because it's true.  Because it's hard.  People often ask me how I have lost weight and made the changes and while I can tell you how I eat a lot more vegetables and fruit and cut back on my total calories.  Or how I get up early to workout before my kids are awake, that really is just half of it.  You also have to make sacrifices, you have to dedicate yourself to your own health, you have to have the willpower to keep going even when you can't see the results right away.  You have to make healthy decisions.  

I will not lie and tell you that it is easy to do this.  It's not.  But it's also not the hardest thing I've ever done.  On days when it seems to be too hard sometimes I think of the hardest thing I've ever done.  It is extremely hard for me to talk about even 2 1/2 years later, but the hardest thing I have ever done is tell my husband that his brother was killed in Afghanistan, over the phone, while he was also deployed.  I am not looking for your pity.  While it is still hard for me to talk about I have found strength in Geoff's death and the obstacles that we have overcome since then.  I am able to think of the moment my parent's sat me down and told me what had happened or when Steven called and I had to put aside my sorrow and be strong for my husband.  I think of those moments on the days when I think I can't exercise or run farther or I want to give this all up.  While it may make me sad I am also able to  remember the strength I had in those moments and remind myself that I have that strength still in there.  This is easy in comparison.  

So I encourage you to find your own strength.  Think of the moments that you have overcome a huge obstacle or been stronger than you think you can, then use that strength that's in you.  II promise when you finally meet a goal, you will feel strong.  And all the sacrifice will be worth it.  

And today I have lost 70lbs!!!  Yay!!!  Just 10 more to my next big goal!!