The rare Nursetopia self-photo...A much healthier me - twelve months in the making and still enduring.

Today is a milestone for me. I have been working toward health for exactly one year today. For the most part that has meant losing weight. As I continued on my health journey, I found that I was not alone. The nursing profession struggles with unhealthy lifestyles leading to obesity. My posts about obesity within the profession and my struggles remain some of my most read posts to date. I have connected with many nurses working to improve their own health and that of others.

I have achieved numerous personal goals over the past year. Most noticeably, I am down 55 pounds and three dress sizes. I have decreased my BMI from a whopping 37 to a toning 27.5 (and still dropping!). I’ve moved from “obese” to “overweight,” and I am strongly moving in to the “normal” category. I’ve been working towards a healthy BMI for one year, and I am almost there. I not only feel better physically, but I have much more mental clarity, pushing my body to match my mind. In fact, I completed two half-marathons – one in San Antonio and one in Dallas – over the last twelve months. They were great experiences, proving so much to myself.

I still have days that I do not want to exercise or I want to eat an entire chocolate cake, but the fact that I still exercise anyway or walk past the chocolate cake are tremendous victories for me, and I celebrate them everyday. Looking back over the past year, my life is so very different than it was in 2010. My family’s life is different, as well, which makes me even happier. So, today is a lovely day – a reminder of where I have been, what I have accomplished, and where I am going. It all started with one day.

Today might be your day, too.