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Introduction Text "When you''re in shape, you begin to think differently about yourself and your life. It''s always hard to shake off the sedentary lifestyle, and the adjustment period - once you do - is difficult. But if you make it through this period, an addiction often occurs which makes the activity self-sustaining. So have faith! Better times are coming. Be patient and enjoy yourself. " -- Jeff Galloway My journey started a few years ago... FROM 2006 : "Hi, I started with Sparkpeople way back when they were just getting started and I came and went over time... but am now within about 3 pounds of my original goal. Hoping to be pregnant soon which will mean I will be back to lose more weight in the years to come. Still working on being active enough and sticking to healthy eating... still feels challenging to me a lot of the time." FROM 2009: Ahhh... so that is a VERY OLD post. Sad to say that I now am back to needing to lose about 30 pounds. That hoped for pregnancy is now my two year old son. He is delightful and totally worth the effort (and weight gain) involved to get him here. I need a new family picture for this page but as of now we don''t really have one! Ack! Hopefully soon... I have no more pregnancy plans, so this time around feels very different to me. My goal is to find a lifestyle that I enjoy -- that makes me feel good, and not feel like I am on a diet. I want to get to a healthy weight for me and feel like I look good in and out of clothes. I know I have stretch marks and c-section scars and things that will never look the same again... but I also know I can be more tone and fit and feel better than I do now. I am tracking on SP and weight training and trying to find cardio that I enjoy and that works for me. I am thinking about trying to get back into running because I used to enjoy that. 2010 Update -- made it to my original goal of 140 pounds. Surprised myself by managing to get down to a size 6. Something I never thought possible at this point in my life. Now that I am here, I am more determined than ever to keep my body like this and to keep working hard to see what else it can do! Maybe a triathalon? Maybe a new sport? Definitely want to get back into skiing which I haven''t done in 15 years... and anything else new and fun. Spring 2015 update: It has been the most tumultuous 5 years of my life! I went to grad school in 2012 -- lifelong dream of mine to become a nurse midwife has now come true. I got divorced in the midst of grad school. Lost weight due to stess but then maintained it with exercise. Dated about 40 men (lots of first dates!) in about two years... A bit of a post divorce spree! And then settled into a new job post school and a boyfriend that feels like the real deal. He is a keeper. :-) The downside of new love is all the dinners out and time cuddling on a couch together instead of hitting the gym. I've managed to gain a decent 40 pounds in the past year that I now want to get rid of. So I''m back again. Finding that the challenge of maintenance never ends so because I let things go I have the hard work of losing again. Oh well. I know how to do this. I will find a way to get there!

New goal -- get back to 140. Or even just get back to where my old clothes fit again... it is not really about the number on the scale. I also want to get back to having exercise be part of my regular routine again.

I don't have one yet. Just started tracking food intake again and I am already feeling overwhelmed a bit... Notes from before: (I still really recommend Rachel Cosgrove's "The Female Body Breakthrough" for workouts, tips and advice and I am sure I will get back to it at some point since the ST workouts are so good and easy to follow.)

I live in the NW. I am a mom to 4 boys. I work full time as a nurse-midwife and I really like what I do, but working so many hours a week with call shift overnight of through the weekend is tough at times -- lots of excuses to not work out and lots of food temptations when I am tired and didn't plan ahead well.

Would love to hear from others who have balanced out a way to eat well, build muscle, look good and still manage to parent and work and live the rest of their life the way they want to...

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