Julie Parkes's Blog

School is out. I'm working at Snap Fitness and having a blast. It's so much fun to be working again and I'm loving my clients and all that they are accomplishing just in the short time we have been working together. Now I'm also starting to focus again on myself and my health. I was so wrapped up in school I lost focus of the reason I was there. So the time has come to renew. Last week I joined spark people and have been tracking my food, exercising and eating better. Although I'm not perfect, my food choices are much better. My weigh ins are Mondays. I weird in yesterday and lost 3 pounds. I expected a larger one being that it was the first week tracking and expected a big water loss, but still. 3 pounds is excellent. As with everyone on a weight loss journey, there are ups and downs. Gains and losses. It takes consistency, focus and work. But I know that I am close and can reach my goal. My prayer is that my journey and my work can inspire others that they can lose too. No one needs to accept the poor health and pain that obesity can cause. There is no better time than now to start down the road toward health and life.

What a Crazy and exciting week I have had. I started finals week by completing a Sprint Triathalon. I didn't finish first, but I did finish. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Then I began Finals week. So exhausting. I completed my finals and was able to go to my daughters last day of elementary school. I was so glad I could spend that special day with her. Then on Thursday she was able to share a special day with me. My husband and children came to my Graduation from Clark College on Thursday night. As graduations are, it was very long but the speakers were Fantastic. Esspecially our keynote speaker JR Martinez. He was so sweet. After speaking, he stayed to shake the hands of every graduate. What a special guy. Now it's time to prepare for the certification Exam coming up on Saturday.

Today is an exciting day. I'm getting ready to leave for my last official day of Class at Clark College. It's bitter sweet. I know that I still have several days of finals to complete, a triathlon with my classmates tomorrow, then next Thursday is graduation day. But still this is sad. There will be no more sitting under the stairs sharing laughs and everything. No more stressing about papers and tests. As much as I looked forward and counted down to this day. It's still sad. But now the time has come to take a different road. In two weeks I sit for my NSCA certified Personal Trainer test. I have also accepted a position as a fitness trainer at Snap Fitness in Battle Ground Washington. I am so excited that I already have a job and I'm not even out of school or certified yet. I have sacrificed so much to get to this point. I have given up Fieldtrips with my children, volunteering, bible study, and even my work outs. All that shows in my weight gains and exhaustion. So now I can get more balance in my life. I am working on eating better and setting up a regular exercise plan. I am working on getting back into the shape I was last summer. I am going to play outside with my kids and I am going to spend the time enjoying life.

Im in the home stretch. Twenty three days until graduation. I'm completing the last five papers for the last five classes, then finals. Finally I see the light at the end of the tunnel. My brother/sister in law and their family are going to come to the graduation ceremony. This afternoon I have a job interview and next week is the job fair. It's time to start looking to the future. At this pointing not sure where I will be working, but the future looks bright and I'm ready.

Where to start???? I guess it's always best to start at the beginning. I grew up in San Diego California, the land of sunshine and beaches. It's funny that I ended up in Vancouver Washington, the land of rain. But it's ok. I enjoy rain and the colors that come along with it. I love the fall colors and the clean beauty of a winter snow. Even though I grew up in San Diego, you could never really call me a beach bunny. More like a beached whale. I fought my weight my whole life. At my highest point I weighed nearly 300 pounds. I had type two diabetes, borderline high blood pressure, acid reflux, and always hurt. My knees, ankles and back always gave me trouble. It's amazing to me that that was only about 2 years ago. September 2010 I began a project called a walking school bus at my kids Elementary School. I walked. My kids and some others to school every day. For someone who hang onto the shopping cart just to make it to the store, walking the kids the mile to get to school was torture. But I did. I was the only volunteer and they were depending on me. I had to. I'm so glad I had to. Walking helped me to lose ten pounds. Before long I was not only walking the mile to get the kids to school, I was walking another mile in the afternoon to pick them up. I started walking longer distances. I joined Weight Watchers and with my diet now under better control I lost even more weight. In the past two years I lost nearly 100 pounds. I have walked 5K's and 10K's. I ride bikes and swim with the kids. My health problems are all gone. I'm healthier and happier than I have ever been. It hasn't been easy. There were days that I didn't want to walk. It was cold, it was raining. I didn't want to freeze and get my feet all wet too. I'm not a kid. I was 47 years old when I started all this. In the summer when I walked along the road teenagers would drive by, moo and sometimes even threw water balloons out there car window at me. Then there was the food. Food has always been my friend, my escape, my addiction. Those donuts, cakes, candies and chips didn't just called my name. They screamed my name and they still do. Most days I'm better at holding off the cries of chocolate. But I still have my days. After all, no one is perfect. After all I've been through I have to say. I did it. I lost a lot of weight. I went from couch potato to training to be a fitness trainer. I want to let everyone know that If I can do that anyone can. It's hard, but if you want it, the power is within you to succeed.