My joy turned into motivation, and I began to learn about healthier foods and prepare them. I then joined a kickboxing class. The class was full of ladies in little tiny tops and shorts and me, with my oversized men's t-shirt and leggings, trying to hold on to that motivation. I nearly vomited after the first five minutes of the warm up, and quite literally had a difficult time breathing. I can't actually recall a single other instance in my life in which I wanted to quit quite as badly. But, conviction will carry you a long way, and I made a promise to myself: to take it slow but not to give up. Three days later when I showed up to the class again, the instructor stared at me astounded and admitted that he never would have guessed that I would return.

It wasn't a glamorous improvement montage I embarked on, but it was improvement. I struggled many days and on the days I didn't want to go I forced myself and worked the hardest.

My first attempt at running was in combination with walking. I would alternate walking and running from one lamp-post to another. When that became slightly manageable, I would push myself and say "on this walk I'll try running two lamp posts." As it turns out, last year I was able to run 13 miles straight.

I've always said that baby steps will take us anywhere, and allow us to achieve anything. I feel my journey was a baby steps success story, and believing in myself was the true reason. In order to achieve, we have to believe we can. While I may have given myself a whole year, in reality it took me seven months the meet my challenge.

Now, I walk and walk and walk outdoors, all the time. It is so incredibly beneficial for the body. My 8 year-old son walks with me and I constantly tell