Today’s post comes from one of our newer sistas but the moment I read her story I felt like I had known her forever! So utterly relatable and whether chosen or not, I can’t wait to get to know her better as we travel the marathon to healthier living together! Presenting Rebecca – @Ayoyomommy
Hi there! My name is Rebecca from AYoyoMommy and I am an overworked, Type-A, slightly manic, totally in love, mom of 3 amazing daughters who SWORE she would never be overweight again, but now finds herself with a horrible BMI! And that scares me.
When I think of my life, I think of the Rascall Flats song, “Bless the Broken Road.” Sappy, I know, and I am not a sappy person. But, when you marry your college sweetheart and that marriage takes a long, slow painful death, you don’t really think you will ever compare your life to a love song. But, I was given a second chance and I have never been happier in my life. Except for when I look in the mirror at myself, or at a scale, or try to do anything active. And I WILL NOT have my happiness ruined.
I have had a very odd life. I was a professional ballet dancer, a Division I volleyball player, and had what most people considered the perfect marriage to my college sweetheart, resulting in two gorgeous daughters. When I stopped dancing, I found out that I wasn’t naturally skinny and that obesity really DID run in my family. I started to gain weight. Fast. Suddenly I was 24 and a size 16 and I stopped looking at a scale. I had a breast reduction because my back hurt so badly due to how big they were. It was out of CONTROL!
I gained 31 pounds with my first pregnancy, then 41 pounds AFTER she was born. My daughter would only sleep in her car seat (and Krispy Kreme is open at 3am) and I was the only girl I knew with a kid … so I ate. Six months after she was born I thought I heard her choking in her room and tried to run upstairs. I was out of breath. That was my, “This is it, I have GOT to lose this weight!” moment. I found some girls online that helped me and I lost over 70 pounds. I kept it off as a combination of Weight Watchers and weight training worked for me, and I felt AMAZING! I was so happy!
Preggo #2 was very difficult. I was on bed rest for 5.5 months and she came 10.5 weeks early. She’s fine now, an amazing (slightly annoying) almost 6 year old. But I gained – with a 3 pound baby – 71 pounds. BUT – in 10.5 months, I lost 103 pounds!
But, with those 103 pounds, I also saw my marriage collapse. Perhaps that is why it only took me 10.5 months. Fast forward…April 10, 2009. I met a boy on Twitter. I kid you not. I Tweeted to see if anyone lived or worked around my new job and a guy I had been arguing about baseball with for months said he worked right near me. We met for a drink. I never felt the way I did when I met that boy… the way I still do every time I see him. I married him on March 6, 2010. And our daughter was born on April 20, 2010. (oh, yea… do the math J) Matt, or “Hubs” is my everything. He is joining me on my weight loss journey! He is doing everything WITH me, to support me. Matt is awesome.
Now – where am I? I am made to feel beautiful by my amazing husband. But I look in the mirror and I see fat. I used to go on television regularly, but now I turn down hits because I feel ugly. I stay out of pictures because I hate how I look. I am not comfortable with my new husband because he met me when I had size 0 jeans on… and now I am a 12. I’m a vice president in a company and am envious of the junior staffers and their cute little bodies. Nobody makes me feel that way. I do this to myself.
I know that I need help and I want to help others, too. When I lost my weight before I had an amazing group of women to help me, and I know how important that is. The motivation (er, Mamavation?), the kick in the butt, the ability to bounce ideas off of each others that get it… that is KEY! I will be here for you, but I am not too humble to say that I also need you too. I want to be here for my girls and my husband. I’m living my second chance at happiness and want to enjoy every second, not ruin it because I’m unhappy with my weight.
Please visit my #Mamavation Mom application, with my video. Take a look at my blog… which rambles about my weight loss, but also about my life. I’d love to have you follow along my crazy ups and downs.
If you want to show your support, head over to Twitter and let Leah know that I inspire you!
“Hey @bookieboo! I want @ayoyomommy to be the next #Mamavation” Mom. She has my support!
I hope you’ll join me in supporting ALL of the Mamavation Applicants on their journey! In case you missed it – make sure you get to know the other Mamavation Applicants featured here – Kimberly, Christi,
Andrea, Alexandra, & Lena – and stay tuned for a few more fantastic mamas to be featured over the next few days!
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