I always considered myself relatively healthy.  No diabetes, no high cholesterol, no major health problems.  Was I overweight, a notorious yo-yo dieter who regularly made poor eating choices and an infrequent exerciser?  Yes.  But overall, I considered myself healthy.

Who wants to have to take these forever?

Then, in my late 20’s, something just clicked. First, it was the scale, which broke under my enormous weight.  Okay, not really, but you get the point.  Two years ago I was at my all-time high – nearly 80 pounds overweight.  Yikes.  Then, I noticed that close family members who were older in age (but certainly not “old”) seemed to need an increasingly large amount of prescription pills to battle their health woes – woes that may have been prevented if they had taken different actions earlier in life (and actions that I certainly wasn’t taking).  Finally, another close family member passed away suddenly from a heart attack.

I vowed then and there that something had to be done.  I could not continue down the path I was headed without a pretty clear destiny — poor health, and potentially, a shortened lifespan.

Did I mention I was miserable?  The thought of facing so many more years being a weight I despised — a weight that forced me to shop carefully for clothing, that made my shoulders and back ache, and that made everything just seem more difficult — was unbearable.

Small changes can make a big difference on health

So two years ago, I decided to make a life change.  For me, that meant joining Weight Watchers (though this was a personal choice and there are many smart nutritional and exercise plans out there).  I was through with yo-yo dieting and burnout gym sessions that made me never want to go back.  Weight Watchers offered me a real solution.  Baby steps on the road to a balanced, truly healthy, life. And within a year, I had lost 45 pounds, four clothing sizes and felt amazing.  I honestly couldn’t have cared less if I lost one more pound because I just felt so good.

Great.  So why am I writing this column then, you ask?  Well, it’s simple.  Like many choices in life, bad habits can be lurking right around the corner.  And for me, that corner was last January.  Since then, I’ve gained back about 15 pounds, and, more importantly, I just feel unhealthy.  Sluggish, achy, a bit depressed – all the things that I was desperate to avoid have slowly crept back in.

But the one thing Weight Watchers always reiterated was that the road to a healthy life is a journey, a process.  I’ve been on many journeys where I’ve taken a wrong turn or two, but I’ve found my way back.  I didn’t just keep making wrong turns because I was so upset I had made a couple to begin with.

So before it gets too far off track, I’m diving back in to a healthier life RIGHT NOW.  In fact, I’ve already completed my first week back at tracking my food, and I already feel the difference in my energy level.  Now, I’m ready to begin reintroducing regular exercise, like Zumba and Pilates.

But what I’m really hoping is that I can do this with your support and guidance.  Part of this continued journey will be reporting back to you each Tuesday about my progress – or my roadblocks.  Both are equally as important, and you’ll keep me honest!  And hopefully, my journey will also inspire some of you to join me in making healthier life choices.  So, thanks for coming along for the ride!

Photo Credits:  Cover Image – Sanja Gjenero; Pills – Stock Xchng member Foxumon; Fruit Salad – Zsuzsanna Kilián