She wasn't lyin...

"You will have to workout for the rest of your life!"

"Working out will have to become part of your everyday!"

 My former trainer, Tammy was RIGHT! I have to admit; I did not believe her. All I had to do was get this FAT off my body and then I would be good. I learned WHAT to eat, HOW much to eat and WHEN to eat - How could I be wrong?

When they say - It's a life style change; they are 1,000,000% correct! There are not many of us that can take weight off and then stop there.

When I moved from Wyoming to Jenison I stopped going to the gym I had been a member of  for about 1 year. I could do it on my own! Tammy had taught me well; I knew the correct form, I knew how to handle weights, I knew how many reps - I WAS GOLDEN! How could I FAIL?! Brian purchased me a treadmill, I purchased weights, I purchased some workout DVDS, workout ball, tension bands...We took a spare bedroom in the new house and turned it into our own little in-home gym. I started off on a roll - I was so PROUD of myself - YOU GOT THIS, KRISTY!!!

In the time we moved into the new house and I stopped using our awesome in home gym - I gained 25 pounds. I just stopped. I stopped watching what I put in my mouth. I stopped being motivated. I stopped wanting to succeed. I just stopped. I had been busting my ass for over 1 year - I deserved to STOP. I was owed some time off. I was a solider for over 1 year and now I was going to be repaid by sitting on my butt and not moving. 1 cookie? Not a problem! 1 bowl of ice cream? Absolutely! 1 candy bar? You deserve it! Diet soda instead of water? It's all the same, go ahead! I worked out so much my metabolism was working on OVERTIME! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

I say this with all honesty - During the months of eating horribly and not working out I was depressed and felt awful. I could not process WHY I was feeling this way - I didn't understand it. I even sought out professional help; some of what I was experiencing was sadness due to the death of my mother, however, I had been sad before and been able to work through it. Not this time. Some may think the connection is far fetched ----- I had no outlet. When I was working out; it was MY time to focus - focus on my sadness, my frustration, my anger, my pettiness, my happiness, my failures, my successes...ME! I needed to work out for my HEALTH and for my sanity!

For ME - I find motovation in GOING to the gym. I find inspriation from others around me. THEY keep me going. I feel accountable. There is no one that will listen to my excuses. When I am not there - People ask where I was - THAT is what I need. I will forever be a gym rat.

I guess what I would say to anyone that reads this and does not belong to a gym - Get active. Do something. MOVE.

I used to think that you needed to BE in shape to go to a gym - HA! What was I thinking? JUST GO! Get up and GO! If you are not comfortable GOING to a gym - then open your eyes and look around...you can workout ANYWHERE at ANYTIME. Do you have stairs in your house? YEP! Bust a move - run up and down the stairs a few times. Jumping jacks. Sit ups. Push ups. Squats. The possibilites are endless. The ONLY thing that is stopping you is YOU. I used to think it was HARD --- Taking care of yourself is the easiest thing in the world. YOU deserve it. I deserve it. WE DESERVE IT!

***This week is in honor of my mother. Feburary 15th will be the 9 year anniversary of her passing. I will NOT dewell on the sadness of that day - I will remember you with joy and love! Every workout that I complete this week, every calorie I burn this week, every bead of sweat - will be in honor of you. YOU made me the person I am today. YOU made me laugh - YOU made me cry. YOU made me proud. YOU were always in my corner. YOU always had my back. Shriley Jean DeKraker - are the best mother a daughter could ask for. I love you.***