After having my FIFTH child c-section I decided to "workout" and loose the weight I had gained. It didn't come off super fast or easy, but within 9 months I felt comfortable in my own skin again. I continued on my journey and soon realized being "thin" was not the only benefit I had gained. I had suffered with a chronic, debilitating and rare disease called scleroderma as well as rheumatoid arthritis since I was five years old. This disease causes your body to attack itself and literally eats away your muscle and tissue mass, or atrophies them. It causes severe pain and can be crippling. I cannot tell you how many days I struggled just to get out of bed! It effected my sleep, my energy levels and my ability at times to be the kind of wife and mother I wanted to be. Pain has such a spiral effect on you. As I continued to go to the gym I found that the more I lifted weights and used my body the less medication I required to live day to day. This became an incredible cycle that I never imagined! The stronger I became, the more muscle I developed, the better my disease got! I felt like I could finally feel what "normal" felt like! Within a year and a half I was completely off ALL medications!!! In December of 2012 I decided to further this journey and do something many women find taboo..... I was going to attempt to gain weight! I wanted to take my body to the next level. I have been on a 7 month gaining phase and I am more than excited to lean out and see what I have really accomplished in this incredible adventure!
I know I have gained incredible mental as well as physical strength through this process. I also feel like it has been a great opportunity for my children to see that fitness isn't all about being skinny. That health habits equal a healthy body, mind and life!
It's a time to push yourself, you against your last lift, your last sprint.... To see the journey of you and those around you are capable of is truly an inspiration!