Personal Growth

I've been on a personal journey to get healthy for about a year and a half. Actually, let me back up. It really started about 3 years ago when I reconnected with an old friend from high school who ended up having a career in personal training. After a few months of catching up over the phone I expressed a desire to get healthy/lose weight, which of course I had said a million times before but never really meant it. 
She said four simple words that changed my life forever: "I can help you". 
This was the beginning to a conversation that has lasted for 3 years. I started out with a new eating plan and was quickly derailed by getting pregnant with Little Buddy. Of course I took that as an opportunity to eat what ever the hell I wanted and gain 40 lbs, not the best course of action obviously. 
Two weeks following the birth of LB, E-man was diagnosed with autism. 
It was very hard coping in this new reality with postpartum hormones running around, I was a wreck to say the least. A month went by and with gentle prodding from my friend we started our getting healthy campaign. I've since lost 60 lbs, have run a 5k and I am training for a 10k currently. 
I can't say it's been easy, I've had ups and downs and without the help and support of my long lost pal I wouldn't have kept it up. If you've ever watched Biggest Loser you'll be familiar with the idea that contestants go into it thinking "I want to look good, I want to be healthy for x, y, z" and it ends up being a very emotional, mental and spiritual journey. 
I've really had to look at myself and why I let myself get so overweight. 
The simple answer was that I stopped caring. A consistent thought in my head regarding my health was "whatever, I don't care" and then consume whatever I could get my hands on. Why did I stop caring?
I think there are many reasons, family turmoil, feeling too comfortable in my relationship with my boyfriend (now husband), not wanting to be seen and basically hiding behind the fat.  I have to say learning these hard truths have been so worth it thus far. The things I've discovered about myself and the strength I possess are revelations, which my friend saw in me all along. 
Recently with LB meeting criteria for autism combined with the holidays I had the old apathetic feelings creeping back. I only gave a half hearted attempt at eating well and exercising. I stewed in self pity and  lacked motivation to even clean the house properly. 
Realizing that I would undo all the hard work I had put into the last year and a half, my husband and I put together a plan to get our shit together for 2012. We created goals to work on and I joined an online group of parents with kids with autism that wanted to "decrapify" their lives as well.
Of course my trainer/best friend has helped pull me out of my slump and kicked my booty in the right direction.
All of these things combined have helped me get back on track and excited again to get to my goal weight. I think taking care of myself will help me be a better Mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend. 
The journey is still going, I'm still learning about myself and the weight loss/getting fit is actually just a bonus to the real prize- loving and accepting  myself.