The Day I Couldn't Stand Up... An eye opening moment

Disclaimer: This post is part of a compensated campaign through MedPress.  The opinions shared are my own.

All my life, I have been "fit," until I got divorced. I ate through my sadness and gained a lot of weight. I am still on the journey to lose this weight. The scariest, most eye opening day was when I was lying on the floor playing "airplane" with my son. I've never had any problem doing anything physical. I never thought twice about playing this over and over again. 

That night I was sitting on the couch watching TV, and I tried to get up. As I stood, I dropped immediately to the floor. I had NEVER felt the pain that I felt at that moment. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't even blink. Everything in my back spasmed. I had never felt anything as painful. It was close to midnight, and I had a young child in the other room. I tried to move to get onto the couch. That didn't work. I was on the floor like that for probably 2 hours, face down in agony. I finally was able to get to my phone and call my parents who lived 5 min. away. It was the middle of the night.

They both came over and took my son to their house. My mom get me some muscle relaxers after calling the doctor, and I was blessed to have them so close to take care of me. Any single mom knows that there is nothing worse than imagining your child seeing you weak or in pain. I knew that Bryce would have suffered. He can't stand to see me hurt. I was off my feet for almost a week. 

This is my son and I in Oct. 2013.

It took me a little while to figure out how this happened. Then, it hit me. I was over 50 lbs heavier than I should be, and I did this to myself. Unfortunately it took me about 6 more  months to have my real wake up call. But that was the beginning. I realized right then that I needed to change some things. I was damaging my body. I want to be here to see my son's children grow up.  That was when I started doing some workouts and some healthy eating. I have come a long way since that day and I sincerely hope that I will never have to feel that horrible pain again. 

It is amazing how back pain can debilitate someone. I wish MedPress.com had been around then. It is a community united to help those with chronic back and neck pain. It's a safe, encouraging environment for people who want as much information as possible about leading a rewarding life in the face of chronic neck and back pain.

Giveaway time!!!  You have 3 chances to win! The prizes are  an iPad Mini 16G (WiFi) and Amazon gift cards. To be eligible for any or all of the these, do the following:
1. Register as a user at MedPress.com by January 31st to be entered into a random drawing to win the iPad Mini.
2. Follow @MedPressForum on twitter, Like them on Facebook, and if you haven't already, register at MedPress.com (You can do all of this by using the rafflecopter below.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3. Last but not least, if you leave a comment here on my blog, you will be entered into a random drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. The drawing will be on January 31st. 

4. TWITTER Chat January 21st at 8 PM EST.! Join me to have some serious fun chatting with some of the coolest hosts I know. Join @MedPressForum, me (@itsajourney1,) @denisermt, @JennyMetamorfit @CK_Lunchbox, and  @dadcentric for a chat about back pain and spine health using the hashtag  #healthyspine. We will be giving away 2 more $50 Amazon Gift Cards!!! We are going to have a blast! You have to be there!!! 

Meet Amy @dancngurl02 She knows it's all about the journey!

I had the pleasure of meeting Amy last summer at FitBloggin'. Amy is a ball of energy and is always smiling. She is one of those people that you think life has just been easy for. She is a great runner and very fit. As an overweight person, it was my first impression that she has always been that way. I learned that that was not true. Amy has had her struggles, and no matter how hard it gets, she perseveres!  Read all about her here! 

Name: Amy

State: California

from Amy's facebook page

When and why did you start working out? I've been active for most of my life. I was a dancer from a very young age, but after college I went into the real world and all of a sudden my time for dancing and working out went away. I was working 7 days a week most weeks and up to 14-15 hour days. Working out became something that took away from resting and recovering for the next long day. In 2010, I was a bridesmaid in my cousins wedding. Twice the size of every other bridesmaid and had hit 220+ on the scale. I was ashamed. I hid from the camera that weekend. And when I came home and made the choice to get healthy. Eat healthy and start walking. Doing little things to improve myself. It's been a hard 3 years since then but I've changed my life and I don't ever intend to go back. 

after Dumbo Dare

What is your workout of choice? I do a lot of things. Running, Weight Training, Yoga, Hot Yoga, Barre, Dance, Walking. I like to mix it up to keep it interesting. Test your bodies in different ways and keep it from getting boring. When I get bored or overtired of one activity I add in something else. 

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? I think I love my half marathons most. They're a great test. Constantly challenging me even though I've done so many. But I like to toss it up. The full marathon is one I'm trying to conquer more. But I also want to focus on shorter distances and getting faster. Every year brings a new decision on where and what I want to focus my efforts on :)

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? My lululemon tops. They fit well and have great breathability!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts? I take Whey Protein or Quest bars post workout to help 

What is your favorite cheat food? Peanut butter! I'm addicted!

What advice would you give someone just starting out? Take it one day at a time. Do WHAT you can WHEN you can. Don't try to tack on too much at the beginning. Because if you don't achieve it you will often get down on yourself and then give up. So just do little changes as you can! As long as you're better than you were the day before you're making progress!

What is your best workout memory? I don't know if I could choose one. Every achievement is different. I remember when I completed my first half marathon. Crying the last quarter mile because I was ACTUALLY doing it. And the same with my first full marathon. When I reached mile 25 I KNEW it was happening. But I get emotional with a lot of my races. Every one reminds me of how far I've come in my journey. Every race is a different battle. And now every time I hit the gym and reach a new goal (whether its reps or weight) I remind myself of how hard I've worked to get here. Even the days I don't hit my goal or have a rough workout. Those days are sometimes even better. They humble you and remind you that you still have work to do. Always room to improve yourself!

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? Ironman. This is a huge one for me. I've done a half and full marathon. I'm looking into triathlons now and cycling. I want to do a full ironman by the time I'm 35. The ultimate test of endurance and heart. 

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I'm kinda dorky. I love doing silly things and laughing all the time. I make fun of myself at every chance I can and say the quirkiest things without really meaning to. My dance students tell me all the time how silly I am. Being silly is when I'm at my best. When I take life too seriously I get down on myself. And that happens more often than I'd like it too. So trying to keep my quirkiness as much as possible is high on my life list :)

We can connect with Amy:

Blog: http://itisallaboutthejourney.com

Twitter: @dancngurl02

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ItsAllAboutTheJourney.Explore.Dream.Discover

Pinterest: @dancngurl02

Instagram: @dancngurl02