So, on Friday the 13th, the status of a local magazine read this:
"Have you heard about the Get Fit Murfreesboro Challenge? We want to see 5 of our Facebook friends get healthy in 2012. Send us a message (inbox-not on our wall) as to why you want to partner with Fleet Feet Sports Murfreesboro and Strongbody Murfreesboro to get fit in 2012 and you will be registered to win an entry to this 12 week challenge."
As I posted
a couple posts back , I am starting on a weight loss journey... again. I've had on again/off again such journeys through the years. I was overweight late in elementary school, slimmed down a little in middle school, and really got a boost in high school when I was in marching band (which I loved and I'm very proud of those four years+ years, but that's a story for another time)... anyway, during high school, I was at a pretty healthy weight due to the physical activity exerted through band, but my eating habits weren't so good.
When I left home for college, I had close to free reign of food from the dorm's cafeteria.. some things were healthy, some things were not... I don't know that I necessarily gained the "freshman 15", but I definitely continued to have problems with "eating healthy". Now, I went to school (two semesters, anyway) at Purdue University.. for those unfamiliar with the school, it is a huge campus. So, even though I didn't eat well, I was still active from walking to and from class and anywhere I needed to go (as I wasn't allowed to have a vehicle right away). (Oh yeah.. my time at Purdue is another story for another day... lol)
Once I withdrew from classes, I decided to get an apartment off campus and started working. I worked a 3rd shift job in a factory and would eat once maybe twice a day at crazy hours.. didn't eat a lot, but didn't eat healthy... and due to small portions of not so healthy food, weight wasn't too much of a struggle...
Jumping ahead a short while, the trouble with my weight flared back up when I got pregnant with my son in late 2000... having not done a good job at eating well/healthy/often/enough, I kind of went overboard during my pregnancy. I was concerned about eating enough so that my son would have the nutrition he needed, but didn't really practice much restraint... I think all told, I gained roughly 80 pounds during my pregnancy... not good, I know!
Wow, this is getting really long winded... didn't expect that... LOL! Will try to keep the rest brief and get to the exciting part! Anyway, I've dieted off and on several times since having my son in 2001 and there were periods of time where I was doing better with my weight, but it was never consistently due to a healthy lifestyle of eating well and exercise..
Right after Christmas this past year (2011), I decided it was time once and for all the lose weight and get healthy. I've gotten back to tracking my calories and trying to exercise... but although it's going pretty well, it's slow going and hard to stay motivated... So, to circle back to the main point here, I saw that and was intrigued. I'd not heard of the Get FIT Murfreesboro challenge before seeing that status. I went and checked it out afterwards and was very interested. It's a local biggest loser style contest -- and being a fan of the show, that definitely piqued my interest!
But there is an entry fee for the contest (understandably so, since there are prizes). I didn't really feel like I could justify paying to possibly not win anything. So, I thought it was cool, but wasn't going to participate. That is, until I saw the
Murfreesboro Magazine's status (the one I posted up top). On a whim, I entered and I found out today that I won!!! I got a free entry into the contest!! Stay tuned for my next post which will have more details about the contest itself and the registration process! If you made it this far, thanks so much!! =) I know I circled around and had a lot of back story there, but I felt it was important to give you glimpses as to who I am, where I came from on all this, and why this contest is important to me!
