Success Story

By Cheryl Hansen

I’ve been waiting for something BIG to trigger my first real success story blog—a dramatic drop in weight, my first marathon (not that I’ve ever endeavored to do one), an invitation to model for Athleta, you get the idea. But I think it’s time to celebrate my progress so far, because let’s face it, every good transformation is made up of a whole lot of milestones. Well here are mine (so far):

DAILY WALKS – Sometimes I walk in the morning on an empty stomach and sometimes I head out after dinner. I’ve even convinced my kids to join me on those evening walks: I walk with the dog and they ride bikes or scooters alongside me. The dog is much happier at night if she’s had a good walk. And so am I. And look at me modeling healthy behavior for my kids.

MAT PEACE – I don’t feel absolutely ridiculous during yoga class anymore. I’m no pro, of course (yet), but I feel comfortable on my mat. I’m not intimidated. I don’t compare myself to anyone else. And I’m getting better at my chaturanga (I’ve been practicing).

JUST SAY NO – I officially gave up diet coke more than a month ago. I had an unhealthy relationship with the silver can—if I felt funky or had an unexplained headache, I was convinced an ice cold diet coke would make me all better. It didn’t. And wouldn’t you know it? I don’t get as many headaches now.

COUNTING SHEEP – After struggling with getting a good night’s sleep for several nights and dealing with some chronic congestion at the same time, I began to rely on Benedryl to get to sleep. Every. Single. Night. For months, people. But my mornings were sluggish, I’d find dark circles under my eyes and as soon as I could, I grabbed my caffeine of choice (see above). Vicious cycle? Yep. But no more. I can sleep unaided now. And I wake up far happier (sans black circles and DC-craving).

SIMPLIFIED – The power of suggestion: my nutritionist gave me three rules: 1. Eat real food, 2. Cut the snacks, and 3. Give my body time to fully digest between dinner and my first meal the next day. Simple! It seems so obvious (now). I’m eating less without feeling deprived.

AND THE SCALE SAYS – People Magazine is not likely to include me in a “shocking weight loss” profile anytime soon, but that’s OK. I’m down 12 pounds. They were tough pounds, too, because I was having a hard time figuring it all out.

CHILL, BABY – Lastly, I feel good. I’m more relaxed and better able to deal with the stresses of daily life. And if 4th-grade math isn’t sending me to the snack bin or the loony bin—and it’s not—I must be on to something BIG after all.