Sole Sisters

~Shannon’s Story~

I am a 35 year old mom that is married with 2 kids.  I have a 3 year old daughter and a 6 year old son.  My friends and family say that I am a very caring person that always puts the needs of others before mine.  I do that as a friend, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and as a teacher.  After disagreeing with this statement for many years, I now realize that this statement is true.  I have put myself last in everything I have done or continue to do.  After stepping on the scale and reaching an all-time high of 274 pounds I have come to the realization that it is time to put myself first and get my weight under control. 

      I have always been considered obese even as a child.  I can count the three times I have been thin in my whole entire life.  The first time, I lost 64 pounds at the age of 18.  How did I do it?  Well I fell asleep behind the wheel and flipped a van upside down and broke my neck.  The second time, I lost 70 pounds and the third time I lost 55 pounds.  How did I do it then?  Both times I was pregnant and extremely sick for both pregnancies.  I do not recommend either of these methods for losing weight. You will notice neither of these methods included a sensible diet and/or exercise and both were very unhealthy for me.  Since I can’t have any more kids and I don’t plan on flipping a van or breaking my neck anytime soon, I will have to do it the old fashioned way with a diet and exercise.      I have 3 goals for the year 2008.  My first goal is to lose 99 pounds by the end of this year.  I want to be healthy for my kids but most importantly for myself.  I want to be proud to look in the mirror instead of ashamed which is how I feel now when I look at myself.  I want to be that mom my kids are proud of and can say, “Yeah, that’s my mom! J”  My second goal is to participate in the 2008 Breast Cancer 3 Day in November weighing less than 200 pounds.  It was very hard walking 60 miles last year carrying all this extra weight around with me.  My third goal is to win the Biggest Loser Contest at the school I teach at.  I’m hoping my competitive nature will guide me to victory in achieving all three of these goals.  My motto this year is: “I’m losing weight to look great in 2008!

~Andrea's Story~
Hi! My name is Andrea and I am so excited to be a part of the Million Pound March with the biggest loser. I am married to a Classicaly Trained Executive Chef. I live in Irving, Texas. I am a special education teacher for children with autism. Living with a Chef makes it very hard to eat correctly all of the time. Did I mention that I am a fast food aholic. In 2006 I was diagnosed with PCOS (polysistic ovarian syndrome). If I do not get my weight and health under control can eventually lead to diabetes. Not only does the PCOS affect my health it also makes it harder to get pregnant. My goal in signing up for this are two very important ones. One I am signed up for the Breast Cancer 3day next year, which is a 60 mile 3 day walk and I need to be prepared for it. The next big reason is I am trying to get healthy and make my body work better so I might get pregnant.