Why do I want to be the Mamavation Mom?

Have you heard about the Mamavation Mom? Mamavation is a social experiment and campaign on Twitter, promoting weight loss. One lucky mom will be chosen and granted the opportunity to change her life, and that of her family. She will have a team of experts and a cheering squad to help change her from unfit to a more healthy, active lifestyle. This is the kind of opportunity I've dreamed of all my life! This is a chance to make huge, life altering changes!

So, why do I want to be the Mamavation Mom? I've always been obese. Looking back over my childhood photos, I realize the last time I was at a healthy weight was in first grade. When Dan and I married, I was a size 18W. I have gained 100 pounds in the years since then. Now, I am 4'11, so that's a lot of weight on a very short frame.

I once wanted to lose weight to be thin and pretty. Now, my goal is to be healthy. I cannot walk around the block without feeling like I am going to die. I have back, knee, and hip pain quite often. I cannot run and play with my children. I am really feeling the effects of my unhealthy lifestyle.

This unhealthy lifestyle is harming my whole family. Tristen is over weight. Dan is rapidly gaining weight. Ashley wants to eat nothing but junk most of the time. None of us are as active as we should be. I do not want to raise my children to be obese. I've been this way all my life and do not wish it on anyone. Something has got to change.

I know I did not get into this lifestyle overnight, so it naturally will not change in the blink of an eye. But, with the proper guidance, I feel I could turn this around for all of us. I also know that there are more moms and families out there who are unhealthy and needing to lose weight. At one point in the video below I say something along the lines of "this is what real women look like". That line was not implying that real women are obese, but that obesity is the reality for a lot of women & moms out there. Really struggling with weight issues is a reality for many women. I would love to be the Mamavation Mom and be able to inspire others. If they saw someone as unfit and unhealthy as me succeed in changing my life, I feel that they would see it is possible for them as well! I want to touch the lives of others and give them hope. Hope is a very powerful thing.

So, here is my vlog about why I want to be chosen the Mamavatioon mom. I tell you how much I weigh, something that took a lot of courage to do. But, this is my life and I must be honest about it. I am very unhealthy and I very much want to change that! So, please watch and let me know what you think. If what I say touches you at all, I ask for your support. The more buzz I create about this contest & me, the better my chances are. So, if you'd like to Twitter about me and #mamavation, blog about it, tell everyone you know, it would be greatly appreciated.

I cannot wait to here what y'all think.