Spark Spotlight: Amy (ABELAWSKI)

By , SparkPeople Blogger
At SparkPeople, we love helping people accomplish big goals—but we believe it's equally important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Each week in the Spark Spotlight, we'll check in with a featured member about his or her proudest moments, biggest challenges and advice for others on living, thinking and feeling healthier. We hope these quick snapshots will help motivate you to keep moving steadily toward your own goals, week by week.
 
This Week's Spotlight: Amy (ABELAWSKI)
Age: 38
Location: New York
 
Small Success of the Week
 
Amy recently announced in the Community Goal Feed that she had an excellent workout and did 12 pushups in a row, as well as a 45-second plank. 

What's your overall goal? 
 
I'll admit that I would love to be "skinny," but, ultimately, improving my health is my primary goal. Back in the beginning of July 2018, I woke one morning after a high-salt dinner the night before. My feet, ankles and lower legs were swollen to the point the skin felt itchy and stretched out. As a nurse, I knew exactly what the cause was and I had a moment of panic. The swelling in my legs should have gone down overnight while my feet were elevated, but my nutrition and physical fitness was so poor that my body couldn't cope with the excess salt. I knew in that moment: I have to make better decisions; the quality of the rest of my life depends on it. 
 
How is SparkPeople helping you get there?

I've been a member of SparkPeople under different guises for years. With this renewal, I realized I couldn't be a come-and-go member anymore. I needed to make a dedication to myself and my health. This needed to be a lifetime commitment. I joined a local gym and reached out to one of their trainers. [My] coach needed a way to monitor my nutrition, and I knew SparkPeople has a fantastic nutrition tracking system. So, I reset my goals and started tracking my nutrition. I began tracking my exercises when I realized it would impact my caloric intake. Now, each time I log in, I find something new to inspire me to keep making good decisions. 
 
What's your biggest challenge right now? 
 
I have so many challenges it's difficult to pick just one! I tend to eat based on my emotions and I have a tendency to fixate on what I perceive as a failure. On those days where I made a bad decision (like eating an entire bag of chips or canceling with the trainer), I will beat myself up over it. Then, because I'm angry at myself, I will repeat the mistake. Learning to let go and move on with better decisions is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. But it's happening, largely because of the community support here on SparkPeople. 
 
What advice do you have for someone who just joined SparkPeople today? 

The number on the scale does not represent you or your health. It is literally a measurement of how hard the earth is pulling on you. Don’t let that number lie to you. You can be healthy and fit and that scale will still tell you "overweight"! Work on your fitness and your health and let the number do its own thing. 
 
Want to be the next small success we spotlight? Share your successes on the goal feed or in the comments below, and you might be the next person we contact!