No Backing Down Now!!

Everyone has fears, right?  

1) I really hate snakes and mice.  Eww, they just make my skin crawl!  Watching my step-brother feed his pet boa a mouse just about did me in.  Worse than that?
2) I'm, really, really scared of losing my children, even temporarily.  I once lost Jackson for about 45 minutes when he was about 2 1/2.  He was out on the driveway riding his trike and I was cleaning the garage.  I ran inside for about 5 minutes and came out and he was gone, just his trike sitting there uninhabited!  After frantically running our normal path to the park and back, checking with a neighbor and then calling the police, we found he had wandered to a different neighbors house.  That will age a mom about 10 years!!  If I don't know where my kids are at every second, the anxiety grows quickly! And even worse...
3) Failure.  I really, really, really hate to take on something and find out I can't do it.  Even worse, when someone tells me I can't do something and then find out they were right.  Typically, if someone even mentions "you can't do it" or "it can't be done", realize that was just a CHALLENGE!!

Looking back at my weight loss journey from 3 years ago encourages me.  Realizing the reason I went on hiatus for some time makes me smile, I don't feel it a failure.  I was told by my fertility Dr. that my chances of having a baby were slim to none!  It makes me happy not only because I overcame that slim chance but that I was able to cross that "failure" off my list.  (And we weren't "trying") I've been reflecting on times my life has provided me opportunities when I least expect it.  I've been given similar opportunities despite the odds not being in my favor.  My current position with Squire has developed quite unconventionally. I don't have an accounting degree, in fact, I only have 1 semester of school.  What I did have was experience and it didn't come without hard work, perseverance and sacrifice. It began with a coworker (and now my incredible boss and first female partner of our firm, Jonyce!) presenting me with the opportunity and it grew from there.  And it will still require hard work; I will be starting SCHOOL in August!!

And as if working full time, school and being a mom isn't enough, why not one more thing..
How about a HALF IRONMAN?!!  Enter new opportunity:
I went in for my annual exam with my OB last week.  I was about 5 months overdue and after an extremely exhausting tax season, I was advised by my boss to take care of myself.  I was overly fatigued, surprisingly hadn't gained too much weight, and felt like something needing to be scraped off the pavement.  So I went into overdrive and met up with my psychiatrist, dermatologist and OB.  (Reminder - still need to get into dentist...).  Psych took blood tests and upped my thyroid; derm cut out 4 moles, found cancerous cells in 2, then cut out another 5 two weeks later including 1 on the right arch of my foot leaving me healing with 7 stitches in my FOOT- yeah, OUCH! (results still pending), and then my OB.  As far as I know everything was good and he agreed with upping the thyroid but at an even higher dosage.  Then he said, "wait right here, I want to ask you something after you get dressed".  I really didn't think anything of it.

Conversation commenced: Dr: How motivated are you about losing weight? Me: Really motivated! (I started a fitness challenge at work and was doing well until the foot surgery), D: Like on a scale from 1 to 10?, M: a 10 for sure!, D: How would you feel about training for a half Ironman?, M: A WHAT?!!, D: I'm getting together 10 of my patients to do a year long training for a Iron Half in June 2013, M: Uh.............OK!!!!!  What the?!  What just happened?!!

Here's the details:  His main purpose is for his daughter's health.  He felt if she had a group of people working toward the same goal and having to account to them, she would stay on track.  To tell you the truth, I work that same way!!  No one in the group has a BMI of 30 or less so we all have a lot of work to do.  We will be working out 2 hours a day, 4-6 hours on Saturdays.  He is doing all the training himself and we will have another resource for our meals and nutrition.  We will have to purchase any equipment we don't have and our race entry.  He is doing blood tests and measurements regularly...and not charging us for it!!!  They always say to consult with your Dr. before starting a weight loss program but imagine your Dr. there for every step?!!  My boss, Jonyce, said I was just handed my own Biggest Loser!!  How on earth could I turn that down?!!  And I just happened to be in the right place at the right time because he had most of the group together and they had already met together once.

Scared?!  Yes, a little.... Worried of failure?!  Absolutely NOT!!  Excited and Challenged?!!  HECK YEAH!!!  This blog is about to smoke!

Would love any encouragement!  To the naysayers... sure, bring it!  Just know that empowers me even more!