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Introduction Text After a long hiatus, I'm back on spark to regain my focus on healthy living, trim some inches, and shed some poundage. I've managed to let the scale creep up from 130 to 150 in the last two years, and it's time to make some changes. I have no one to blame but myself for the slippage. In that time, I found an exciting and busy new career, a new love, moved, adopted a deaf puppy, tackled more DIY home improvement projects than I care to admit etc... And let me tell you "The MAN can COOK!!" LOL. Needless to say, my body and health took the back seat and I'm NOT loving the reflection in the mirror right now. So, I'm back in business doing what I know I need to do. Staying motivated and focused on what matters. I'm following the Ketogenic diet (Low carb high fat), and living it. I'm not missing the carbs as much as I thought I would. It's been a great way to force myself into kicking the soda, sugar, and processed foods habit. Primarily I chose the keto diet due to its track record for helping with type II dabetes, cholesterol, arterial disease, and Alzheimer's (all of which are highly prominent in my family). The weight loss though is a wonderful added benefit, and I'm liking forward to losing this 20 extra pounds (maybe more, who knows) I've been carrying around for a while now. I haven't worked the gym back in yet, but I have been walking and getting those 10,000 steps in. I'm looking forward for cooler weather when I can get back to two of my favorite pastimes, hiking and photography. +++++++++++++++++++ OLD PROFILE - MY HISTORY Hello friends! My name is Stacey, and here is my "Spark" story: In 2008 I was topping the scales at 220+ pounds, stuffing myself into XXL shirts, and size 18-20 pants. I was the unhappiest I'd ever been in my 27 years. I used food as a band aid, and hid my depression from the world. I was trapped in an abusive marriage, and struggled every day to find the courage and will power to pull myself out of the hole I'd crawled into. That's when I decided enough was enough. I was tired of looking into the mirror and hating who I saw. I was tired of being the negative person that somewhere along the way had taken over my normally optimistic and positive outlook on life. I was flat-out tired of being tired--in all aspects. I decided it was time to bring back the person I USED to be, to find the light inside me I'd lost along the way, to stop making excuses for my unhappiness and the behavior of others, and start focusing on ME for a change. That's when I found Spark... and as they say.... 'the rest is history.' I didn't know it at the time, but looking back now at the journey that followed me joining Spark People, it was that 'spark' that put into motion a chain reaction of events drastically changing the course of my life (for the better of course). When my journey began, I had HORRIBLE eating habits and "exercise" had not been a part of my vocabulary for YEARS! So I did what I could. I started slowly. At first making small changes, then gaining momentum that led to big changes over time. People always ask "How did you do it!?" Well, first, I CUT OUT the fast food. I re-discovered my love of cooking, tracked what I ate, ate a balanced diet, and practiced 'portion control.' I also joined a gym, and as embarrassed as I was to be amongst all those "fit" people, I went regularly... and I soon realized the fit people weren't so bad.... All I could handle at first was 15-20 minutes on the elliptical. Over time, I worked my way up to 30 minutes, then 45 etc. After a while, I added in resistance machines. I began to notice I was getting stronger. Little by little, I started losing pounds, and inches, gaining confidence, and feeling happier with myself. After months of working at it, I built enough stamina and courage to venture into Zumba classes... After realizing the once terrifying group classes with all those "fit" people were actually FUN, I worked my way up to Cardio Kickboxing, falling in LOVE! I also incorporated hiking and other activities along the way. I even managed to hike the Grand Canyon! (There's a sentence the former me never imagined I'd say!) Over the course of about 14 months, minding my eating habits and exercising regularly, I lost a total of 92 pounds. I went from a size 20 and XXLs, to size 4 and Smalls. More importantly I felt better about myself. My transformation may have looked physical to everyone else, but it was every bit as much spiritual and emotional too. I had found myself again. I found the strength and courage I didn't realize I still had. I found my positive attitude I thought was gone. I found my determination.... I valued myself again, more than I had in years. I started to question the things going on in my life I had ignored or accepted for so long because I thought "I didn't deserve any better," or "no one else would want me." All of these realizations led to a different, stronger ME. My husband at the time began to resent the 'new me' who was starting to stick up for herself, and finding happiness in the outside world, outside of him. The jealousy and insecurity that was always there, got even worse. But this time I had crawled out of my hole-of-depression, this time I stood up for myself. This time I valued myself enough to know I deserved so much more. It was by no means an easy decision, or an easy road, but I had reached an end-pass. And while I was probably at that end-pass for years, the depressed, unhappy, and mentally abused me was unable to see it--until I was ready to love myself enough to do something about it. I had to either move forward as the new me, or continue down the path with the person committed to dimming my light? ... I chose me. This may seem like all fluff to some, but I truly believe if I had not made these changes for myself, I would still be where I was at the beginning of my story, if not worse off. So yes, in a way, Spark helped me not only lose weight and get healthy, but it changed my life!

Plan Ahead Stay positive Have Confidence Stay Accountable Complete the Rim to Rim Hike

(For those who ask I am 5'5") Diet Goals: Cook at home often Make Colorful Meals Limit Processed Foods Portion Control Plan Ahead TANK UP ON H2O Exercise: I enjoy all types of fitness. Favorites include kick boxing, hiking, biking, & body pump.

Follow me on Instagram @ AZPUGLOVER

Hobbies & Interests: Anything Star Wars or Sci-Fi Fishing Camping Cooking Reading Animals Travel

Add a Link "At any given point, you have the power to say, this is not how the story is going to end." Author Unknown.
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