10/27/10- its the most wonderful time of the year

not christmas, but fall. dont you love this time of year? the colors and the cooler temps are what does it for me. i also enjoy all the yummy warm foods of the season....comfort food. i am not a fan of apple pie, but i love to smell it baking...cinnamon, nutmeg, butter.....so good. this fall, i am going to approach all the great food of the season in a way i never have before, with peace of mind. i now know that food is fuel and i dont need a lot of it to keep going. i'm looking forward to thanksgiving, but it is not an excuse to overeat. i'm making a promise to myself to not do that.

all of me,

char

10/14/10- who you calling old?

this past tuesday i celebrated my 38th birthday. my kids told me i am officially old. wow, when did 38 officially become old? lol. i am VERY proud to be 38 and looking forward to the BIG 4-0! whats the big deal about 40, anyway? if i'm officially old at 38, then i guess i will be an antique at 40. lol. when i turned 30, i began the journey to discover who the heck charlotte really was. not the person that others wanted her to be. i realized that i had many titles, but no identity. i'm joe and jordan's mom, adolph's wife, pastor walker's daughter....hello? i have a name!!!!! my name is charlotte shirae walker young. i am a beautiful black woman who loves to sing, dance and write poetry. i like chicken, chocolate and coffee (in that order) and i would rather wear jeans and a t-shirt than a dress and heels. i'm kinda quirky, but cool, and i am loyal to the end. that's who charlotte is. i allowed myself to get lost, but at 38 years old; i'm back on track and learning so much about me. in a few years i will no longer be known as the fat chick. i like being a full bodied woman; just want a little less body...lol. skinny is not the goal, HEALTHY is the goal. when i reach 200 lbs and like what i see, that maybe the goal. i wont know til i get there and i am well on my way :)

all of me,
char

9/22/10- Random Thoughts

everyone has random thoughts. you know, thoughts that kinda come out of nowhere and really dont make much sense?! lately, i've been writing down some of my random thoughts and thinking about them later. i dont think thats the point of random thoughts, but i dont quite do things as expected. not sure why i am sharing this. not all my thoughts are weight loss related.

-people who dont know that i have lost weight just see me as another fat girl.
-why cant i stop eating cookies...maybe i should stop buying them....maybe.
-i can see my feet now when i lay on back.
-my reflection in the door knob looks weird.
-losing weight wont make my feet pretty.
-my biological mom would be 61 this year...wonder what our relationship would be like.
- why do people have the nerve to ask if my diamond earrings are real?
-how will i look in one year?
- i like compliments, but am still uncomfortable hearing them.
- cleaning my bathroom makes me happy.
i like me....finally!

i know this entry doesnt make much sense, but its my blog and i can post what i want!

all of me,
Char

what a feeling!

as you all know, i completed the c'ville women's 4 miler this past weekend. it was an incredible experience, one i will NEVER forget. my son said i "looked" like an athlete with my race gear on..lol. the fitness level of the participants ranged from highly athletic to "Lord, help me make it through this." I would say i fall someone in the middle. the weather was beautiful and the crowd of supporters seemed to be endless. the residents who live along garth road were standing at the end of their driveways clapping and cheering you on. and even though i was walking alone, i never felt alone. i met a new mom who was carrying her baby while walking. the race was her way of getting back into shape. i met a grandma who was an avid walker for years, but due to knee problems; hadnt been able to actively walk. i also met breast cancer survivors and those walking in memory of someone who had lost the battle. the last mile of the race is very emotional and you try not to cry so you can see to cross the finish line. its called the memory mile and it honors those who have passed away. there are posters hanging along the fence with the names of mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends. it is a true reminder of why you participate. not to compete, but to remember.

as i crossed the finish line (1 hour and 23 mins) i felt such a feeling of accomplishment! i felt like i stepped out of the old and into the new. it's like i said good bye to the old char. the char who didnt like working out (not that i love it now..lol) or didnt care what she ate. last year around this sametime, i wasnt even thinking about doing anything like this. but now, i am training for the next race on t-giving day....AMAZING!

thanks to everyone for your love and support. i carried it with me during the race.

all of me,
char

and the winner is.....

I weighed in and had my measurements done tonight. I am so pleased with my progress since my last check up. I have lost 10 inches(total body) & 14 lbs since April!!

As promised, I am ready to reveal my weight. Someone asked me why am I doing this? Well, this blog is my accountability tool and when I say I'm gonna do something, I do it! I have allowed my weight to keep me from doing and saying many things in my life......NOT ANYMORE!!! I am more than a conquerer,so I need to start living that way, time to be FREE!!!

I began this journey on 8/1/09 at a starting weight of 330lbs. Today, one year and one month later i weigh 288lbs. That's right, I have lost 42 lbs!

Who's the winner? I AM!!!!!

all of me,
Char

8/28/10- i'm in it to win it!(actually, i just wanna finish it)

only 7 days til the c'ville women's 4 miler. i would like to say that i'm physically ready, but i'm not. i would like to say that i'm mentally ready, but i'm not. ready or not, here it comes!!!! my goal is to finish the race. initially, i set a goal of finishing the race in an hour. i'm not saying that it's impossible, but i haven't taken all the necessary steps(consistant training) to ensure that i will do that. you know what? it's really ok. i'm so proud of me for even signing up to do this. and i'm not saying that i'm not gonna still shoot for finishing it in an hour, but i'm not gonna be upset with myself if i don't. again, the goal is to finish.

this wed., i'm gonna to have my weight and measurements done. i am a little nervous about that. the last time i weighed, i had gained about 3 lbs. i held off doing my one year weigh-in cause i knew i hadn't reached my goal. the more i thought about it, i realized that that wasn't a legit reason for not doing it. the point was to see what i had accomplished in a year's time, but instead i didn't want to know the truth nor did i want to share it with you. well, it's time to come clean and face the scale. i have to remember that the number on the scale doesn't define me. i know how hard i have been working, but i also know how much of a slacker i have been at times. like i always say, it's about moving forward and i have continued to do that, even when it feels like i'm not going anywhere.

look for another post from me before the race. i will post the results of my weigh- in and measurements. for the first time, i will reveal my starting and current weight. not that you guys care about how much i weigh, but that is something that i said i wanted to share after one year. i'm doing this for me, but at the same time, if it helps someone else, then it's all worth it :)

all of me,

Char

7/30/10- i'm still here!

in my last post i shared that i would be registering for C'ville Womens 4 miler taking place Sept. 4th. Well, i'm registered (3500 women participating this year) and ready! maybe not quite ready, but i will be. my official training starts 8/1, which is also the anniversary date of when i began this journey. i have decided to hold off on the BIG weigh in until race time. why? honestly, my life has been a bit of a mess lately and i am not at my goal of 50 lbs. lost. i am at 42 lbs. and holding. i really wanted to be at 50 lbs. i'm a little disappointed, but not too much...42 lbs in one year is pretty awesome! i am still moving forward and with my training for the race, i'm sure i will drop a few lbs. btw, i am walking, not running the 4 miler. my body is not ready for that; maybe next year, who knows?

i havent blogged in awhile and i feel kinda bad about it. not because you all are just waiting to hear about my life, but because this blog is an accountability tool for me. whenever i post, i look forward to your feedback-good, bad or indifferent. like i said, my life has been a bit of a mess lately, but even in the mess of it all, i'm still going to the gym and eating right,(most days)it keeps me from going insane!

if you arent busy on sept. 4th @ 8am, come on out and cheer me (and 3499 other women) on! the C'ville Women's 4 miler raises money for breast cancer awareness @ UVA.

All of me,
Char