For the first 37 years of my life, I never thought about my weight at all. I didn’t even own a scale. I was naturally lean, and always active. I especially enjoyed distance running, and competed in many 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and even one marathon. I got married in 2009 (at age 37), and was thrilled to find out I was pregnant just a few months after the wedding. But sadly, I miscarried. When I spoke with my ob/gyn later, he told me that my weight was actually a little low for my height and build, and that I would have a better chance of carrying a pregnancy to term if I gained 10 lbs. He also recommended that I stop running, and replace my strenuous exercise regime with walking and gentle yoga. I followed his advice, and eventually became pregnant with my son. Before Baby #1 was even a year old, my husband and I started trying for Baby #2. I kept that “extra” 10 lbs on per my ob/gyn’s recommendation and continued to stick to only low impact exercise. After two more miscarriages, I became pregnant with my daughter, who is now one year old. This January, she decided she was done breastfeeding, and I felt like – for the first time in almost 6 years – my body belonged to myself again. I am overjoyed to have these two beautiful, healthy children, and I am grateful that my body was able to carry them and nourish them. But I am also thankful for the opportunity to put some focus on myself again. With the busy-ness that life with an infant and toddler can bring, a few more pounds have crept on, time for exercise is scarce, and despite my best efforts to keep a positive attitude about my body, I have found myself on occasion feeling embarrassed and ashamed about my appearance.
In January I signed up for my first 3 DietBets, and when they ended I signed up for 3 more! I’m now in my third “round” of DietBets and I am back in all my pre-pregnancy clothes. I also started running again, and today I signed up for a Mother’s Day 5K – it will be the first race I’ve run since 2009! I want to say thank you to DietBet and my fellow DietBetters for the motivation and support you’ve given me. For me, it is not about the number on the scale, but about feeling healthy, strong and happy. Today, I feel better than I have in years, and I look forward to crossing the finish line on Mother’s Day!