From the very bottom of my heart, I want to say that without these folks cheering me on on a daily basis and holding my hand and picking my spirits up when the scale stalled, etc. there is no way I would be this far in my journey. I would've quit a long time ago.
First and foremost, Almighty God........my faithful Father, even when I fail Him. He never fails me. He gave me a whole book just FILLED with His promises to me. When I started this journey, I prayed a prayer asking God to help me conquer food. I asked Him to simply take away my desire for food and keep it from being my first love. In Ephesian 3:20, His word promises me that He is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than all I could ask or imagine. He absolutely is! And He has! And He continues to do so on a daily basis.
My family.......Oh my! Where do I even start? Joel told me in the beginning if I was "doing this for him" not to bother because he loved me no matter what. Well, I've never done this for him. I've done it for me so that I would be around longer to help him raise those precious boys we have. Joel has been my very biggest cheerleader. He was very quiet at first because he knows how many times I've tried to lose weight and never been able to do it. He was reserved and cheered softly at first. The longer I stuck with it, the louder he cheered. His love and support through this journey has been amazing! Thank you for loving me no matter what!
Jack Carroll and Noah.....these guys have absolutely NO idea how great it feels to feel their little arms be able to reach ALL THE WAY around their Mom! I honestly never thought I would see that day. They have stood outside the bathroom while I was in there weighing, jumping up and down, couldn't WAIT to find out how much the scale gave up! You can't buy that kind of feeling!
David, Deanna and Wade......David is my brother. Deanna is his wife and Wade is his son. David and I come from big folks. Our daddy was a big ole barrel of a man. David loves to eat as much as I do! First, let me tell you that I'm so proud of HIM because after I had been on this journey alone for about 8 months, he joined me on the path. Currently, he's down about 45 pounds! But I digress. In the beginning, he cheered quietly too because he knew how many times I had tried and failed. The more I lost and the longer I stuck with it, the louder and longer he cheered. Everytime I printed off a side-by-side comparison photo, he would ask for one to keep too so he could show it off. He'll never know how much that meant to me! David and his family join my family for dinner almost every Sunday. Somewhere along the way, I mentioned that I'd like to have a stainless steel grill because I grill a LOT. When I hit 100 pounds gone, that big lug came waltzing in my house like the cat that ate the canary wanting me to come outside and see something. In the back of his truck was my stainless steel grill that I only dreamed about. He will NEVER know how much that grill means to me. It's not JUST a grill, it's a reminder every single time I cook on it just how far I've come and how proud my family is of what I've accomplished.
My "daughters"........Alex was here when the journey started. Amelie and Sarah have been here throughout a leg of the journey as well. These girls have dished out hugs and squeals when the scale gave up pounds like nobody can imagine! They've shopped for new clothes with me when mine became too big. What a joy to be able to shop with SKINNY people!
I host an online community. At the beginning of 2005, I mentioned I wanted to continue with the weight loss I'd already had from the gall bladder problems. Several of the gals there were doing or had done Weight Watchers. So they recommended it. One of these friends took my comment that I wanted to see someone like ME that had lost the weight with Weight Watchers and she hooked me up with the website of a man that had lost over 330 pounds on Weight Watchers.
Kath changed my life that day. After I read that website and wept until there were no more tears, I knew I could do it. And while I've done Weight Watchers online, I haven't gotten the little magnets and certificates you get when you attend in person. Kath went to her own meeting, to her own leader and saw to it that I got those to hang up as a daily reminder of how far the journey has brought me so far. I will be eternally grateful for the gifts she has given me!
The website you see here was also a gift. My dear friend Laura volunteered to help me when I mentioned that my own attempts were pitiful. She designed and tweaked her little fingers to the bone. I could NEVER have made it looks so great around here! And I DO think it looks great! Laura is a tremendous blessing to me!
Christian Moms Standing Firm, Amy's Kitchen and Weight Watchers Winners.......there are no words. I've poured my heart out daily to these gals. I've received love, support, and encouragement far beyond all I could've ever imagined (just like God promises!) They have cheered from afar because for so many, we're only connected by our keyboards and monitors and HEARTS. Some of them, I will never get the privilege of laying eyes on face to face and hugging their necks. But they have altered my life with the words they give me daily. There were so many times in the beginning when it would've been so easy to quit. But they made me persevere! I love them all and it is my prayer that God will allow me to bless them all back as He has allowed them to bless my life.
My "work family".....Mrs. Linda, Amanda, Ramana, Harry, Terri, Norma, Mendy, Ginger, Sandra, Elaine, Babs, Ben, Theresa and Sue..........5 days a week I go into my office and am met DAILY with support and encouragement. These folks have cheered like the best cheerleading squad in the world! These folks put their money where their mouth is. They haven't just sat idly by and watched the weight loss, they've facilitated it too! MANY of these folks have walked with me (and very slowly I might add because when I first started exercising, I couldn't walk very fast!) and kept me exercising! They've never given up on me! I don't know what I would've done without them! I am so grateful that God saw fit to not only send me a job that I love, but people to work with that I can admire, respect and love from the very depths of my heart. Their support has been immeasurable!
