Spark Spotlight: Celia (LAWLI56)

Celia's Small Success of the Week

What's your overall goal? 

My overall goal is to get my weight down under 200 pounds so I can have my left hip replaced, have a more active lifestyle and maintain my weight loss long-term. I originally lost 184 pounds after having gastric bypass surgery in 2009. However, I have binge eating disorder and seasonal affective disorder, which were not addressed at the time, so for various reasons I was unable to maintain the loss and put nearly 90 pounds back on. Like everything else, gastric surgery is a tool and will only succeed if you use it right, which I didn’t at that time. However, since the beginning of 2017, I’ve been in counseling for my BED and am also having light therapy for the SAD, so I’m in a much better position to succeed long-term in my goals. 

How is SparkPeople helping you get there? 

I track my nutrition every day and I’ve just rewarded myself with a new recumbent bike, so I will be tracking that too, along with other activities. Plus, I read the articles that are relevant to me. No matter how much you think you know about living a healthy lifestyle, I find there’s always something new to learn. I love finding and making new recipes...I also have a SparkPage and write a blog as a record of my progress to date.

What's your biggest challenge right now? 

Building a regular exercise regime around my disability that will help me achieve my goals and that I will be able to sustain. It doesn’t have to be crazy, just keep me mobile and more active than I am now. 

What advice do you have for someone who just joined SparkPeople? 

Take the time to look around the site and learn how to use the tools and also read the articles that will help you achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on the forums, check out some of the teams that have similar goals to your own and definitely find yourself some SparkPeople buddies if you can.