“Ma’am, Ma’am. Wake up.” I open my eyes and look at the young girl seated next to me on the plane. She says quite sincerely, “You are snoring.” Ohhhhhhhh. Big sigh on my part. First of all I know I snore. I snore so badly that my husband and I do not share a bedroom anymore. I snore so badly that when we travel, I have to get my own room. But dang it, I’m tired. I’m grossly overweight. I barely fit into my seat without an extender and I’m tired. I just want to close my eyes. But when I do, I get jostled awake to be told “you’re snoring.”
This is exactly why I do not travel far. I am very aware of other people and I do not want to disturb their flights. So whereas my husband and my children have been to Australia, New Zealand, China, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Germany, England, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy and probably others I’m not thinking of, I have said “No” to these trips.
The main reason I have said no is because the flight time was so long that I was sure I would fall asleep on the plane and then I just might have some young 20-something wake me up to tell me I’m snoring. I was already embarrassed that I had to side step down the plane aisle (because of my size), I didn’t need another reminder that I was overweight.
Also, when my daughter was in 6th grade, I went along as a chaperone to New York City for a “music” trip. I distinctly remember the tour bus stopping and letting us out at Central Park. We high tailed it to the fountain in the center of the park so we could get a picture and then we high tailed it back to the bus. The entire trip was like this and I was thoroughly exhausted afterwards. From then on I said NO to travel!
I began to lose weight with the help of a trainer who really helped teach me about eating. This started in January of 2016. We had a “cruise” planned for Alaska in May of 2016. We already had booked two rooms on a week-long cruise and we had to add another room (just for me) because no one could sleep with me. One week is a long time to go with no sleep. That cost us a pretty penny to get that room, but we did it. Alaska cruise was on my bucket list and when we booked it (before I met the trainer), I thought my bucket list might be up soon.
Our business is a window covering business that we started from the ground up. We have run it from our home (allowing me to be home and raise the kids). Each year you could “win” a trip if you met sales goals. We had several years we won the trip and either gave it away or refused it because I could not sleep in the same room as my husband. In fact, in June of 2015, I took my sister on the trip we won (to Banff, Canada – a short flight); and my husband went to Germany with our son.
However, the tide began to shift as the trainer and I made headway on my weight loss. My health improved greatly (Rheumatoid Arthritis in remission; blood pressure from high to stable; Hashimotos under control) AND my snoring volume decreased greatly. In 2016 we won a trip to Bermuda (again a short flight to New Jersey and then a cruise) which we took in 2017. This time my husband and I got to go because guess what? We could sleep in the same room again and actually get some sleep. My snoring had greatly improved.
SOOOOOOO, WHAT’S NEXT? To say that I am slightly excited would be an understatement. Well in 2018 we met another sales goal (from our family room – no doubt.) The trip is to Germany and it departs April 1st. OH. MY. GOSH!!!! I am going to Germany. I am getting on a plane and taking an 8 hour flight (or more) to GERMANY!
Is this real life? This is why I continue to share on my page. My life just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. Is it difficult to stay motivated? To work out 5 times a week? To get up and swim at 8 in the morning? To pass on sugary desserts? Yes and No. If I could help you understand how absolutely horrible I felt before in ALL areas of my life and how absolutely wonderful I feel now – you would see that it’s not too difficult for me to make the right choices.
I can only hope the same for you. My biggest change in light of keeping the auto immune diseases at bay and the inflammation gone is to stay away from sugar and processed foods. One of my clients said, I looked at your food log and you don’t really eat sugar. And you don’t get fast food. And I replied, yes that’s right. And I don’t have ANY inflammation. It FEELS great.
So anyway, think of me, pray for me. April 1 my husband, my youngest son (we bought in for him- he’s 17) and me are going to Munich. I will post when I can. But I am beyond excited that my life has changed this much. My husband has always wanted me to travel to Europe with him and I ALWAYS said no. So maybe one day he will be able to show me Paris like he wants to…………
