Miracle Momma

As a kid I used to love looking at my parent’s wedding album.  My Momma looked so beautiful in her wedding dress which was not your typical 80’s tragedy.  It is so difficult to describe but I hoped one day to inherit that dress and wear it for my own wedding.  Sadly it burned in a house fire at my grandparents’ home when I was a kid but I still dream of that dress.  My Momma looked so healthy and happy in that dress and I always wanted to look like her.  I can’t deny that Momma and I look like sisters and everyone tells us that. 

 

My "older" twin 🙂

 Throughout my childhood my Momma was my hero.  She taught me to enjoy the library and even volunteered at my school library many times in different appointments (my dad was in the military).  She made life fun and taught me so much.  To me my Momma looks the same now as she did then.



Momma and I would go shopping and I enjoyed forcing her to buy an outfit that looked perfect on her although she would rather spend the money on me.  And after she taught me to sew I made her several outfits because I thought she should look beautiful like I saw her.  She still has some of those outfits in her closet now.  Momma is a pack rat and doesn’t want to get rid of good clothes.



But over the years stress added a bit of weight to my beautiful Momma.  I didn’t really notice but Momma wrote this about her weight gain…



 

I never lost my baby weight after my second child.  That was OK.  Two children were a good excuse for a few extra pounds.  But, then I was hired in a food service department of a large company.  Unlimited access to food and limited physical activity meant, I gain 30 lb. in three months.  



 

Like I said I never really notice Momma’s weight gain.  I was a part of the stress that helped her gain weight because with my Bipolar disorder I was in no way a perfect teen.  And she’s been through so much in her life that stress led to eating to comfort herself.  Who could blame her I had done the same thing with all my stress.




It didn’t really dawn on me that Momma had gained more weight than she was happy with until I was visiting her for some holiday.  She wanted something nice to wear to the theater and I suggested something we had bought years ago that still hangs in her closet.  Momma laughed her great laugh at me and told me she looked like a stuffed sausage in that outfit and the zipper wouldn’t even close.  So off we went to Target.  I’m sure Momma saw the dumbfounded look on my face when we found a skirt she liked and she asked for a size I had never heard her mention..ever.  My Momma was healthy right?




When Momma noticed her weight gain she said this…



 

All sort of alarms went off in my head: I’ve got to stop, and I can’t afford to gain any more weight.  So, I stop all my extra food that at least ended my weight gain.   Joining a gym and counting calories help with some small weight lost but then the yo-yo effect started.   I even tried a few products that promise to speed up my metabolism and or burn fat with little or no effect.  After ten years, I had only lost 10 lb.  



Momma had fallen into the same pattern I had with trying EVERYTHING that promised to help shed that unwanted weight.  Most to no avail.  Momma had just settled into being pudgier in her middle age. 



Momma knew of my weight struggles and supported me whole heartedly when I started my Weight Loss efforts.  She was my biggest supporter when we would chat weekly about how much I had done at the gym or all the new fun foods I was trying.  She enjoyed sharing recipes with me that she thought I would like to try and we shopped til we dropped when I needed new clothes to fit my changing shape.  I truly appreciated the support when I sometimes felt like I was doing this myself.  So when I thought about trying Weight Watchers as it was offered at my seminary to lose the chunk I had regained and get to a healthy happy point Momma said go for it.  And I lost the weight and Momma jumped for joy.



All the while I didn’t know Momma was struggling with her own issues.  I knew she went to the gym and I was still oblivious to the fact that she was carrying around unwanted weight.  But after hearing so many good things about my experience with WW Momma thought she’d give it a try too.  At 54 she made the decision to take her health seriously.  Here’s what she has to say about the decision…



So I was ready to give up losing weight, when my job begin a Weight Watcher at Work class.  I figured it couldn’t hurt to give to a try.  In fact, the whole kitchen staff joined Weight Watchers together.  With the health guidelines and keeping track of my points, I was able to have a consistent weight lost.  The kitchen staff started to offer egg whites, turkey bacon, and Weight Watcher veggie soup.  We figured out points for each other and anybody else in the building.  So in my first session, I lost 12.6 lb.  That means in a year, I will be at my goal weight and a lifetime member.



I’m couldn’t be prouder of Momma.  Although I may not have realized she gained the weight I’ve definitely noticed the losses.  Her face is so much thinner and she can almost fit back into her stuffed sausage outfit….it zips now but isn’t comfortable yet.  And she can finally pull out all those clothes she’s been hiding in the side of her closet for years that she loved but no longer fit into. 



Today Momma has lost over 15 pounds.  And when her At Work session of Weight Watchers ended she asked me to help her find a place that she could continue and have it still fit in her budget.  She loves being healthy now and I’m super proud of her.  She makes her health a priority.  She drives to Delaware from her home in Pennsylvania so that she can get a better deal on the WW price (it’s only a 15 minute drive).  She cooks her meals at home and has started subbing flavors for sauces.  She even made me some yummy food that last time she was up visiting.  And when she does well for the week she shares with me now the same way I used to share with her while I was losing.  I can’t wait until the day she calls me to tell me she hit her Goal much like the day I called her giddy that I hit mine.  She’s strong and determined…I know she can do it because she puts up with me.



No matter what age you can take charge of your health.  I was lucky and got a hang of it in my 20’s but Momma is doing amazing in her 50’s.  It’s all possible…just try it.

Who inspires you?

 

BTW thanks to Katy for suggesting I write this.  I’m super proud of Momma in many ways and hope she’s reading this so she can see how much she still inspires me 🙂