Richmond mom Angel Allgrim and her kiddos
This is the second article in response to our “I Don’t Want to Be A Fat Mom” piece in January, 2011, where we’re encouraging Richmond moms to tell their stories to encourage other women with “real talk” about weight loss.
I’ve always been a little chubby or ‘big boned’ as I liked to call it, and growing up with 4 brothers I was pretty competitive.
I had a love of sports and dreamed of being a PE teacher or a Sports Broadcaster, so I entered my college years playing sports, soccer in the Fall and Track and Field in the Spring. And every year- our soccer coach would make the team run 1 mile in the beginning of the season- as our ‘fitness test’ to make sure we were conditioning over the summer.
And every year I was never able to run that full mile. Can you believe a college athlete who played all 4 years of soccer- and I wasn’t able to run 1 mile- I stopped myself and would walk every year and finish in 15 minutes or so. Track and Field I was a sprinter—I’d tell the coach to never put me in any long distance races if he wanted to win.
My coach had more confidence in me that I did as he entered me into a few pentathlons- which is 5 events and the best score totaled up get the medal. I loved all the events- hurdles being my favorite, and long jump and high jump being alright. But what I hated the most was the 800m run. 800 meters is 2 times around an outdoor track and 4 times around an indoor track–and that’s the one my coach made me run.
I totally hate running- even when I was supposedly in shape and healthy. So fast forward a few years to me getting out of college and meeting my husband and having a baby. Those first few years were not nice to me and I wasn’t nice to my body in return. I was a stay at home mom in cold and snowy Buffalo, NY with no car and cooped up indoors all day.
Needless to say I gained a lot of weight. I was eating ice cream for lunch out of boredom. I didn’t know any different though- it felt great at the time. A few years later we have another child and although I lost some weight while pregnant, I still wasn’t anywhere near my pre-kids weight. We then moved to Richmond, Va where I knew no one but relocated for a teaching position for my husband.
So here I am, in an unfamiliar place staying home with the kids during the day waiting for my husband to get home so I could have an intelligent conversation with an adult. I was getting into old habits again, eating whenever just to pass the time. Before I knew it, my pants had a bulge underneath my belly button that was never there before. So I looked around Richmond for groups to join.
I liked Sign Language so I met a woman and after a few e-mails she referred me to a mommy and me exercise program called Stroller Strides. I quickly joined and met a lot of nice women, got to work out and have my daughter with me. As it turned out I wasn’t able to do Stroller Strides as long as I had wanted. Again, I put the needs of my family above my own and decided to babysit kids out of my home instead. But I still kept in contact with the owner of Stroller Strides in Richmond, Rachel Pustilnik.
I‘d get e-mails from Rachel about Stroller Strides from time to time and as I was getting to my heaviest weight of 275 lbs, a new program Rachel was starting came to my Inbox.
A program called “Momma wants her Body Back” and did I ever! This 8-week class was a lifesaver for me! In the first class, you are tested on your current fitness levels and asked questions about your goals and possible hurdles keeping me from reaching your goals. I completed the 8 week session with 3 other women at 5:30am 2 days a week. It was a time that no one else needed anything from me and that I could focus on myself.
Angel's family-an inspiration on her journey.
I lost 16lbs during those 8 weeks and gained so much more knowledge and strength! I remember in the first few weeks our trainer had us run 1 mile, the dreaded 1 mile run. I couldn’t do this in college how was I going to do this now? But what I had been slowly learning is that YOU CAN do it, and YOU WILL do it.
And I did, I ran that mile and was so proud of myself afterwards.
I had overcome my negative self talk and stopped doubting myself. Instead I replaced these sayings that would replay in my head with positive self talk! Since starting my second session with Body Back and have also joined the Mother Runner Training for the 10k in April. I have surrounded myself with woman who accept me for who I am, who are always there for me to encourage me, push me and support me!
I am doing things in my life that I had previously given up on. Sure, I had always wanted to lose weight but never saw it as an attainable goal.
I can tell you today that I KNOW I will be at my goal weight. I am not giving up until I am! Anything is possible. I couldn’t even run 1 mile in college while playing soccer, but 10 years later I am training for a ½ marathon and currently running 2.5miles and increasing every week.
Angel Allgrim rocking her race-day medal. Go on, girl.
I don’t give myself excuses anymore, I don’t let my brain tell me I can’t. My muscles shake and spasm when I work out, but it doesn’t stop me. I keep pushing forward and tell myself that I can do it! If I fall on my face, I am still moving forward!
