Since I started my gastric sleeve surgery journey over three years ago, I’ve been fortunate to have friends who encourage me to keep active. My friend, N., started me on running journey even before I had surgery, and she continues to encourage me to try different workouts like spinning. My other friends like A. and R. ran races with me and I even ran my first half-marathon with my college and adult friend, B.
Now that we’ve been in our new hometown for a little over a month, I’ve struggled with keeping active. Instead of walking my daughter a half-mile to school each way, I walk down the street to the bus stop. I am still unpacking and getting settled into our new place, so I’m not running as often as I like. With winter approaching, I was concerned about keeping active. Running in 30 degree weather doesn’t sound as appealing as sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee, does it?
As I’ve shared many times, my weight loss journey is just that…a journey. It’s not just about weight loss, but about continuing to strive for the best me I can be. I realized that if I want to continue to keep the weight off and improve both my physical and mental health, I need to be proactive. Last week the family joined the YMCA and today was my first visit.
I knew from previous experience, the Y is a great place to workout and meet people. When we moved to Florida when my oldest child was an infant, the Y became my go-to place. And even though I was obese then, I kept active, albeit slowly, and I met other stay-at-home moms. Finding a community, especially with little kids, was my saving grace.
I finally committed to using our new membership this week and I was fortunate enough to have a new friend show me the ropes. While volunteering at my daughter’s school a few weeks back, I meet another mom, S., who mentioned she belonged to the Y. We made plans to meet today and I am so grateful we did!
To make a new friend in a new hometown is always a relief and comforting, but to make a friend who also likes to work out and has a positive energy and spirit is even better! S. was kind enough to show me all around the Y after we walked about three miles on the indoor track. We’ve even made plans to try out the pre-masters swimming program in January. I am so thankful to have found someone who is active like my San Francisco friends.
I still have new plans, including coming up with better, more interesting eating habits and ways to incorporate being active besides workouts, to develop as we settle into our new hometown. But I feel more grounded now that I have a new workout place and friend. Sometimes, it’s just the little things that help you feel grounded, and in my case it’s the little things that help me continue to go Down the Scale…
Down the Scale - My Weight Loss Journey 