When Success Shines from the Inside Out – Need Some Inspiration Today?

I almost get teary eyed (okay, I won’t lie, I do get teary eyed) when I discuss this success story with this girl, or any one of my friends. I have never seen so much inspiration, drive, determination, courage and love wrapped up into one positive and truly amazing  human being. Literally, I have the chills getting ready to post this.

This story is a doozy, so drop whatever else you’re doing and read it, I  promise you’ll feel as happy as I do when you realize how much a little bit of hard work and dedication goes in a person’s life.

I blog about Mollie all the time on this blog. She’s one of my two best friends in the entire world and I can’t imagine life without her. She runs 5K’s with me and we jog together numerous times a week together. But, as you’ll read, this hasn’t always been the case. I’m going to shut up and let her tell her story.

Greetings MEGBEK community! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to guest post and share my story. The lovely ladies over here at MegBek have been incredibly inspiring and supportive of me on my journey to health – I owe them a lot! Love these girls:

 

I guess it really all started in a community recreation center when I was 13 years old. I had just made the cheerleading squad (a.k.a. paid a bunch of money) and this powdery southern belle of a woman was fitting me for my uniform. I remember she looked up at my mother and said “you should think about putting her on a diet so she can fit into these skirts, she is busting out.” Up until that moment, I had never really realized that I was “fat.” And it seemed that as soon as I consciously knew it, the rest of the world did too. Too bad I didn’t have this wisdom from the Imp himself to guide me:

 

If I had, I might have been able to endure the bullying a bit better. But, this is not a sob story about how harrowing and angst my teenage years were (although it would make an excellent coming-of-age TV show/movie). This is the story of how after 23 years of not giving a flying flip, I finally pulled it together and embarked on a journey of fitness and wellness.

 

Two years ago, I had no idea I was two years away from happiness. I was living a lifestyle of sensational gluttony of mind, body, and spirit. I boasted an attitude of apathy and made decisions based on instant gratification and self satisfaction. I knew that a better way of living was possible but I did not think it was achievable, at least not for me. One year ago, I was in the middle of student teaching – a rigorous experience that was a catalyst for changing my life. I was slowly and steadily working on becoming healthier and happier. I was on my way.

Me (slightly exaggerated although the mustache is pretty accurate):

 

Most people who experience a great life change can pinpoint the moment in which the decision was made, the moment that gears began to grind and the mechanism of transformation began. My personal revolution did not start from such a pivotal point or kismet (or if it did, I have forgotten).

 

However, I can with certainty identify the actions that initiated my change. It started with a step. Actually, it began with many steps and a choice to walk instead of take an elevator. I allowed myself to become a huge soft mass and for a long time I told myself “it’s not worth it, it will be too hard, it won’t work.” Then I realized that the road to change is traveled one step at a time.

As I gradually began to shed physical weight, something inside was lost as well. I lost the indifference and instead gained a sense of self-esteem and self-respect. I began to care about myself and the people around me. I decided to ‘trim down’ the extraneous people and activities that I had become so deeply immersed in. I asked myself – what does success look like, and how can I surround myself with it. I decided to think positively and envision success for myself.

Positive thinking at its finest:

I made more small changes here and there: drinking water instead of soda, incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet, quitting drugs and cigarettes, putting effort into my school work and job. And eventually, the doubt that seemed to loom over me whispering “you can’t, can’t, can’t” turned into a raucous inner cheer of “you can, can, CAN!”

Now it’s 2 years and negative 70 (and still counting!) pounds later and I have achieved every goal I have ever set in front of myself. I have my dream job and I live a good life surrounded by people I love. If you had asked me 2 years ago or even 10 years ago if I thought I could ever realize this magnitude of happiness, I would have come up with a cynically sarcastic retort and shrugged the whole thing off. I mean, I used to be level “Daria” on the sarcasm scale.

It is an amazing feeling to be able to go into a store and not have to squeeze myself into an XXL. It is an amazing feeling to try on pants I had in high school and experience silly disappointment that they are too big on me. It is an amazing feeling to be socially accepted (people really do treat you differently when you respect and take care of yourself). It is an amazing feeling to be able to look myself in the eye in the mirror and even be PROUD of the way I look.

No more mirror hatred:

I want to share my story because I never thought that change could be possible for me but a few small steps became one giant leap for an exhilarating journey into happiness. When I look at the person I was two years ago, I am filled with pride and respect of who she has become. I continue to set goals for myself (next up: less carbohydrates and longer distance runs). I continue to be positive and take each new challenge one step at a time. 🙂

Transformation: Holidays 2010 / 2011 / 2012

Transformation: 2011 / 2012 / 2013

Transformation: Halloween 2010 / 2011 / 2012 (BONUS! Meg included!)

So that’s my best friend Mollie!!! I am literally grinning so goofily because of how excited I am just reading this. I know that you all don’t know her and therefore won’t experience this consuming feeling of excitement, but at least takeaway what you can from her story. She is not an anomaly – anyone can make a change if they seek out how to do it. Mollie continually makes changes and has continued to lose massive amounts of weight. She looks great, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, as she said, she feels so great.

So. Much. Love.

-Meghan, Rebekah & Mollie 🙂