A Walk from Obesity

Many of you know that for the past several months I have been on Weight Watchers in hopes of losing weight to be able to try to get pregnant. The past 12 weeks have been very successful and I really enjoy the program. I have even met my Labor Day goal 4 days ahead of schedule. I've worked hard to eat healthy and exercise. And the hard work has paid off.

What some of you may not know, is that I have battled obesity for a very very long time. I have struggled with being overweight for as long as I can remember. I've tried to keep it hidden under baggy clothes and tried to live the lifestyle of someone who is care-free and can participate in the same activities that all of my friends and family do. But what many of those friends and family don't know is that, I am tormented with the fear everyday of not being able to do all that I want to.

I have anxiety when I meet new people or go to a place I've never been. "What will they think?," "Are they staring at me?," "What if I'm put in an embarrassing position?" These thoughts creep into everyone every once in awhile, I know. But, in my case, it's an all day - every day affair. It's exhausting trying to play out in my head every scenario or situation in my head beforehand trying to think of anything that could go wrong or could potentially mortify me.

I'm revealing all of this, not because I want your sympathy or because I'm feeling extremely confident this evening. I'm writing this because I need your help. I don't want one more little girl growing up thinking that she will always be overweight and there's nothing she can do about it. I don't want one more teenager feeling isolated because all of her friends can eat pizza and candy-bars while she starves to fit in that prom dress. I don't want one more woman to sit in a class and feel like she is the only one that will never find that special someone that can see past her XL shirt and love the person underneath. I don't want one more person that is scared to try a new restaurant for fear that they may not fit in the booth. Our nation has a problem. A BIG one. Obesity kills over 300,000 people per year. I think obesity actually kills more than that if you include all of the lives of men and women who stop living like "normal" people and become trapped by their weight, either physically or mentally. I want to stop these deaths.

Nathan and I have signed up for this year's Walk from Obesity. I'm going to walk not only for me, but also for all of those that I know can't walk. I'm going to walk to celebrate my freedom from letting my weight control my life. I'm going to walk with my husband to show him that he is worth me fighting to stay healthy for our 50th wedding anniversary. I'm going to walk to celebrate my mom's own conquer with obesity. I'm going to walk to raise money for the education, the research, and the treatment of obesity for me and so many others.

On September 29th, Nathan, my mom and I are going to walk away from obesity. Together, we have formed The Blais Belly Busters to walk around the OKC Zoo and are accepting sponsors to help raise money to fight this epidemic. Our goal is to raise $332. Why this amount? Because, that was my starting weight when I began this journey a few months ago. I haven't admitted my weight to anyone, including my husband, in I don't know how long. But, at least for tonight, at this moment, I don't care who knows. Because, I will NEVER be that weight again.

So now, I ask that you pick your jaw off of the floor and click the link to sponsor or join Nathan and I in our journey. Not just a walk at the Zoo for one day; but on the journey of the rest of our lives fighting the disease, MY disease, of obesity.

For more information on the Walk from Obesity click HERE!!

To join Nathan and I, or to support us in meeting our personal fundraising goal, click HERE!!!!!!

Hey, if you donate, you can have your name in blinking lights on our Team Page Honor Roll. And, I'm pretty near positive that you could have a very cool and very wordy (I'll write it) blog entry all about You and how wonderful and caring you are. AND, If you get other people to support us too, I'll make you some WW brownies. Nathan eats 'em so they can't be that bad.