Inspiration...how to change a life

Originally posted on MySpace on May 7, 2007.

Last week I saw on the news that actress Valerie Bertinelli is to become the new spokesperson for the weight loss plan Jenny Craig. You know, the same company that Kirstie Alley successfully transformed her physique with. Every time I see or hear about someone struggling to lose weight, it brings back memories for me. I used to be one of those people. In fact, in about a month, it will be the 2-year anniversary of my life-changing moment.

What did it take to make that first step, to decide I needed to change my life for the better? In a previous My Space blog, I mentioned discovering John's song 100 Years in a Jag episode. Initially, it was the music in general that touched me, enough that I emailed John to tell him how I felt. But, it was after getting John's reply to my email that it hit me...the lyrics to 100 Years running through my head. I was letting life pass me by, caught in the rut of the daily routine, not caring about anything much, including myself.

Getting an email from John stunned me. I had written it one Sunday afternoon, and he read and responded to it later that night. I had no doubt the reply was from him, but things like that aren't supposed to happen. John is a celebrity...celebrities of his stature don't read and respond to their own mail. Or, so I thought. The next morning, I went out to do some errands, and later settled down to my usual fast food lunch. I was still thinking about John's email reply when out of the blue, I was suddenly struck by an emotional moment. John cared enough about me to reply to my email, even though I was basically a nobody. It was then that I lost my appetite...I threw away my lunch, half eaten. For the next few days, I continued to mull over things, my emotions in a turmoil...and my appetite continued to suffer. I was at work, trashing yet another partially eaten, high-calorie meal when I suddenly had an thought. I'm losing weight...why don't I use this opportunity to change my life?

It was then that I made my decision...I was going to go on a diet and lose weight. My goal? To lose 50 pounds...I determined that was about the amount I needed to reach a comfortable, normal weight. But, there was a catch. I would take my time and not rush things, but I wanted to reach my goal in about a year. That was the time I deduced John would be about done with his album and would be going on tour. I wanted to meet John, the man who inspired me to change my life...but, not as a fat lady. That wasn't the real me.

I won't bore you with how I did it...but, I succeeded I started my diet in July 2005, and 8 months later, I reached my goal. I really felt like a new person. I emailed John to tell him what I had been doing for the past 8 months, and how he inspired and motivated me. He responded by congratulating me...but, added that I did do it myself. OK, I'll take credit for it, too. But, as everyone knows, no diet is a true success unless you can maintain your weight and not regain what you lost.

This past February was the anniversary of my great weight loss...and, I've kept it off! I have to say that John continues to motivate me to stay the course. I'm living my second life as a new person, AND I'm not letting things pass me by. One example was my recent groupie road trip. Opportunity presented itself, and I grabbed it. Then, there's My Space. Turning my page into a Five For Fighting fan site, communicating with people, taking a leadership role by creating a group, even writing my first blog. Things that would have been unthinkable and non-existent before I received that little bit of inspiration that changed my life.

Inspiration. It comes in many shapes and forms. John was my inspiration. Motivation. Something strong enough to create a situation where you WANT to change things. Family can be a motivator. So can a threat to one's health and well-being. But, it really boils down to YOU. How bad do you want it? Is the motivation strong enough to make you want to succeed. My inspiration AND motivation were there...I was on a mission, and determined to succeed. Personally, I feel many who try to lose weight are missing either one or both of those crucial elements...inspiration and motivation. The same goes for those who do manage to succeed and are now in a maintenance mode. There's the physical part of dieting, but also the psychological. When both are in sync, it's that much easier.

So, that's my story. I didn't go into the details on how I successfully lost 50 pounds in 8 months ON MY OWN. But, if you're curious, or want a bit of inspiration of your own, just email me. I'll tell you how I did it. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that hard either. Not, when you have someone like John Ondrasik in your corner.