Hiking With The Bear

  Welcome back to the blog! It’s been six years since my last post, and I’m excited to reconnect and share my journey with you. Right now, I’m just one week into my training regimen for an adventure I’ve been dreaming about: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro next June. This past week has been both exhilarating and challenging. I hiked three trails, covering a total of 17 miles. One of these hikes took me up the George Washington Monument trail, where I gained over 1000 feet of elevation. I also added a yoga session to my routine. It’s interesting to see how yoga will benefit me, helping with flexibility and overall body strength. In future posts, I’ll delve into the last six years—what’s happened, what I’ve learned, and how I got to this point. For now, I’m focused on the climb ahead and excited to take you along on this journey. Stay tuned for more updates as I prepare for Kilimanjaro!

First, I would like to say Good Morning and Welcome! This is my first blog and I’m going to be as honest as possible. I’m 40 years old. I’ve been battling with my weight for most of my life. I maintained a weight of 220lbs throughout high school. After high school, my weight started to increase. By 21, I was 300lbs and diagnosed with high blood pressure. In 2001, I was diagnosed with cellulitis in my right leg and in 2008, it happened in my left leg. You would think by now I would have been ready to do the right thing. By age 32, I was knocking on 400lbs’ door. The doctors kept telling me I need to lose weight or I won’t see 35. I tried every weight loss plan there is – Jenny Craig, Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Slim Fast and even Fucking Trim Spa…lol. They all worked but the effect was temporary. My mind wasn’t ready. In 2008, my doctor suggested that I think about bariatric surgery. I said let’s do it. I was more than qualified for it. All I had to do was unde...