Introducing Shannon - The Beginning

Near the first of each month, I'm going to have a guest post from one of the girls I coach, Shannon!  Shannon is starting a really important journey in her life,  and I cannot wait to share her story with you and monthly updates of her trials and triumphs.  I think it's really important to share this journey because I bet there are many more people out there like Shannon that can really identify with the difficulty in taking that step to get healthy.  Please show Shannon some bloggy love and support!  I'm thrilled that she's agreed to document her journey here on a monthly basis. Without further ado...

So. Lesley asked me to tell you all a little about me. I'm 36, and I weigh 302 lbs. I'm a cancer survivor. I love to read and make jewelry and take crafting and jewelry classes. I'm a closed captioner for tv, a Dallas native, co-owner of an

online jewelry business with my sister. I'm not athletic in any way, never have been. I was a band nerd in high school, and one of the things I liked best about that at the time, was that it got me out of PE classes.


I've always been overweight, as long as I can remember. I have lost weight in the past, but gained it all back, and then some. After I was diagnosed with uterine cancer and went through chemo and radiation for it a few years ago, I got depressed. During that time, it was like I didn't care anymore, so it didn't matter what I ate or anything. So, I gained 100 lbs in less than two years. I started diets, and didn't stick to them. I bought a treadmill, used it a few times, and then it just started collecting dust. I truly think that I just wasn't ready to commit, no matter how much I knew I needed to. I think it works that way sometimes, if you can't really commit to something, it's just not going to work, no matter how many logical reasons you have to do it. There has to be something besides good, logical reasons. I'm not sure exactly what changed, but I think now, I am ready to do this.

I started a diet back in mid-June, and have lost over 30 lbs already, but I know that I need to add exercise as well, so that's where Lesley comes in. She's agreed to work with me, even though I'm far from being a runner. I'm still not entirely convinced I'll ever be a runner, but I'm willing to give it a try. Right now, I'm just walking. Thank goodness for that treadmill! It's dusted off, and moved into the living room in front of the tv, and I think it's been used more in the last two weeks than in the previous two years I've owned it. Sometimes when I walk, I feel like I'm just plodding along, and I think, is this really accomplishing anything? But I know I have to start somewhere, and it won't take me long to be moving a little faster or going a little farther each time.

Anyway, that's a little about me. I'll be checking in here every month, letting you know how it's going. Hopefully, you'll see me getting thinner and healthier over time.

 
Welcome Shannon!  And seriously, I am honored that she even considered letting me help her along on this journey.  I can't think of anything more valuable than claiming your health and life back!