Tag Archives: columns

Here’s what he said…

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My husband, Al, who is the editor of the Echo Press newspaper, wrote about his experience running the half-marathon in Las Vegas. The story, along with a picture of him running the race, ran in the Opinion section of the newspaper last Friday.

His story is very vivid and almost makes it feel as if you could have been running right beside him. I would love for all of you to read it, so here is a link to the story from the newspaper’s website: Highs and lows of a half-marathon.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

When one door closes, another one opens

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I am going to share with you, my dear readers, my last column for the newspaper, which is in today’s issue, February 11.

Enjoy. Here it is:

As I sat down to my computer, fingers poised upon my keyboard, I was motionless, not knowing what to type, what to say, who to thank or how to put into words what I am feeling.

Joy. Sadness. Excitement. Nervousness. Eagerness. Confident. Inspired. Passionate. Determined. Tearful. Anxious. Fortunate. Thankful.

After nearly 12 years – or 11 years, 8 months and 23 days to be exact – I am leaving the wonderful world of print journalism.

I am not leaving because newspapers are dying or dwindling. Newspapers are alive and vibrant. And a necessary part of life; in my humble opinion anyway.

I am not leaving because of the company I work for, the people I work for or the people I work with. They are a great bunch of people (and no, I did not get paid to say that!).

I am not leaving because of the people in this community, either. No one made me mad or angry or upset. There wasn’t an incident that caused me to terminate my employment. I don’t think I can express just how I feel about this community and how truly wonderful it is. And I am not just saying that either. It is how I feel from the bottom of my heart.

So, if nothing is wrong and I am not disgruntled in any way, shape or form, then why am I leaving?

As many of you know, a little more than two years ago, I embarked on a healthy living journey. On November 19, 2008, I joined Weight Watchers. That one small step, that one little, but major decision, changed my life.

And now, I am hoping that I can do the same for others as my Weight Watchers leader did for me. Fortunately and unfortunately, I guess, I have found a new passion. A new calling. A new career. A new opportunity. I may have started my journey with Weight Watchers back in 2008, but the real journey is just beginning. I’ve now become a full-time Weight Watchers leader and my hope is that I can play a part in stopping the obesity epidemic that is plaguing our nation. I hope that I can be the shimmer of light, the glimmer of hope for those who are struggling with weight issues – just like I did and still do.

You can continue reading about my journey in my blog – Confessions of a [former] Fat Girl – at http://fatgirl.areavoices.com/.

Although my journey with the newspaper is coming to an end, I hope my connections – the friendships and relationships – I have made in this community don’t. I have met, interviewed and wrote about so many interesting people. I have covered intriguing, controversial county, school, community and environmental issues.

I have written about life and death. I have written uplifting and hopeful stories. I have written stories about sadness and loss and tragedy.

The Echo Press – and this community – has afforded me with so many wonderful opportunities. There are so many of them, I can’t even begin to list them all. Nor can I begin to thank those of you who had a part in providing me with so many unique and positive experiences.

I’ve been a firefighter. I rode along with Alexandria police officers and Douglas County sheriff’s deputies. I went tandem skydiving. I rode in a B-24 World War II bomber airplane. I did a 360-degree loop-de-loop in the world’s first ethanol-fueled MX-2 airplane. I rode in a Minnesota Department of Transportation snowplow.

I was rescued by a member of the Douglas County Dive Team when I “fell” through the ice. I’ve been tazed by a real Tazer gun, willingly, by law enforcement. I’ve been bass fishing with a pro. I tried to catch a muskie with an avid muskie fisherman. I took part in the Citizen’s Police Academy. I’ve spent time in jail – again, willingly.

My mind is filled with so many wonderful memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I was recently told how lucky I am to have come across two things – jobs/careers – I love because many people in life never even find one. I am truly blessed.

Although it seems simple, thank you. Thank you for reading my articles and columns. Thank you for letting me share your stories. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life.

If you see me out and about in the community, I hope you stop and say hello. And if you do, I have but one small request, call me by my real name – Celeste Edenloff.

NOTE: In the newspaper, my byline was Celeste Beam as that was my name when I started. When my husband and I got married, we decided to leave my last name as is for the newspaper…for two reasons. One, it would have been too long to put on one line and therefore would have looked weird in the paper and two, my husband is the editor of the paper!

As many of you know, you can find me, Celeste Edenloff, on Facebook, as well as Confessions of [former] Fat Girl on Facebook. Click here for the link to my Confessions Facebook site.

Struggling

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Alright, it’s time for a little confessing from the Confessions girl herself.

For the past couple of weeks, I have really been struggling. I have taken on an “I don’t care attitude” and now, I am struggling to get rid of it, to snap out of it and to get back on track.

To be honest, a lot of it has to do with when my sister’s health started to decline and then with losing her, it has only gotten worse. I know it shouldn’t. I know I need to snap out of it. I know she would want me to, but you know what, it’s really hard. Really. Hard. It hurts so much.

There is another reason, too. As many of you know, I have been working two jobs for quite some time. The last few months have been a whirlwind and I haven’t taken any time for me. I know that sounds kind of selfish, but I have admitted several times that I am selfish person. I need me time. It’s just that simple. Well, kind of. When I say I need “me time,” I mean I need time for me to exercise and I haven’t had that. Okay, it may sound like I am making excuses, but really, I am not. Well, okay, maybe a little.

I am hoping all that changes next week when I will only be working ONE job. As much as I am going to miss the newspaper…and let me tell you, I AM GOING TO MISS IT…I am going to be really happy to only have one job to worry about. AND to devote my time and energy to. For the last few months, I haven’t been able to give 100 percent of me to either job and that has been a struggle for me. I am not that person. I need to give 100 percent or more to what I do and I haven’t been able to do that. I believe that has also contributed to my “I don’t care attitude.” Why? I’m not sure. But it has. And to be honest, it sucks.

Since I made the decision to quit the newspaper, which was a hard decision, believe it or not, I keep telling myself that this insanity of a life I’ve been living will soon end. That is what has kept me going, although it hasn’t done much in the way of helping my eating habits or my exercise habits. When I got off track, I REALLY GOT OFF TRACK. And it has been a struggle to try and get back on.

My eating has been non-stop and my exercising has been non-existent. But I am going to get back on track. I am going to start eating right again. I am going to start exercising again. Yes, as most of you know, I have a race coming up. And yes, it is scaring the heck out of me. AARGH!!!! How did I let myself get so off track?

Okay, so this blog post has been a bunch of babbling and muttering and so it must end. Friday, February 11. I just need to make it until then. Well, actually, I have to make it through the weekend, which isn’t going to be easy. We are finally saying goodbye to my sister…her “Celebration of Life” service is Saturday.

I can do it. I can make it. I can get back on track. I will start eating right. I will start exercising. I will change. It’s a new day and only I can make it what I want to get out of it. If it’s meant to be, it is up to me.

I can. I will. I need to. I want to. Period.

Sharing my experience…again

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Scared speechless? Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I know, it’s hard to believe for most of those who know me. But I really am if, or when, I have to stand up in front of a group of people and talk or give a speech. I sweat. I stutter, kind of. My voice quivers and yes, sometimes, I even clam up and nothing comes out. I know, once again, hard to believe, right?

Well, I decided to take a class at Alexandria Technical and Community College called, “Scared Speechless – How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking.” The class was taught by Robin Johnson, who I have to say, was fantastic…and I am not just saying that because she will probably be reading this. She was very calming, professional, funny and down to Earth. She made us feel at ease. Like we were normal and not the scaredy-cats we all believed we were. She believed in us, which in turn, made us believe in us. (If that made sense!) The class was great and I am happy I took it. Despite the fact that last night, all the students in the class (there were only a handful of us) had to each give an eight-minute speech.

I really didn’t know what the heck I was going to talk about for eight minutes. EIGHT WHOLE MINUTES. That in itself was scary. But then, it happened. I had to write a column for the newspaper and when I finished it, I immediately thought, “OMG, I just wrote my speech!” Awesome.

Well, my column (I wrote about my 10K running experience), which you can read here, didn’t last eight minutes when I read it out loud, so I had to include more information…an intro at the beginning and a longer ending. When I read it at home, it was five seconds short of eight minutes. Whew! I made it. I even practiced it a few times.

Well, last night, when I read it in class, some how, some way, I ended up stretching it out even longer and it turned into a 10-minute speech. Yep, TEN WHOLE MINUTES! I stood up, in front of a group of people and spoke for 10 minutes. And I don’t think my voice was as shaky as I expected it to be.

I want to thank Robin for giving me the encouragement and the skills needed to start my journey of getting over the fear of public speaking. I have to admit that afterward, I was pretty pumped up. Although, if anyone was standing close to me, they would have seen all the sweat beads formed over my upper lip!

I just hope that next time, it goes as smoothly as I felt it went last night!

Remember, you can find me on Facebook, just click here and if you want to chat or have a question, feel free to send me an email. Keep in mind, however, that I may not respond immediately, but I promise I will respond. Email me at confessionsofaformerfatgirl@gmail.com.

Weighing in

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This morning, I was on my way to my Weight Watchers meeting and for once, I was not really looking forward to going. I had talked myself into not being disappointed when I stepped on the scale. I didn’t have a very good week…remember, I couldn’t get full. I was constantly eating and didn’t do much as far as exercise (like that’s a surprise!). I kept telling myself that it was okay and that I had probably only gained about a pound…maybe two. I wasn’t looking at it as a setback, but as life just happening. Life does have to happen, you know.

Well, I stepped on the scale and almost fell over. For some reason, and I am not sure how or why or what I did differently, but I lost. Big. In fact, this was my biggest loss since December 10, which is when I lost 4.8 pounds in one week. For this week, which my weeks run Wednesday to Wednesday, I lost 3.4 pounds. Seriously, I couldn’t believe it – three point four pounds. I was elated. Ecstatic. Shocked. Stupified. Happy!

I have now reached a total of 28.4 pounds lost since November 16, 2008. I am so close to my goal…less than 10 pounds away.

Yeah.

Still hungry

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Do you ever have those days that no matter what you eat, you can’t seem to get full? Today was one of the those days for me. Seriously, as I write this, my tummy is still growling at me even though I just ate a small snack not more than 15 minutes ago.

I ate my breakfast (yogurt and a Vitalicious muffin top). Then, a few hours later, I ate a snack (a light English muffin with about a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on it). I was still hungry.

I ate lunch (a grilled Boca burger on a toasted Arnold’s sandwich thin with pickles and ketchup, about a cup and a half of steamed cauliflower with 1/4 cup fat-free cheddar cheese melted on it and a 60-calorie, sugar-free dulce de leche Jell-O pudding). Then, I ate a couple of snacks a few hours later…an apple and an orange. I was still hungry. So, I ate another snack a little bit later (a Skinny Cow vanilla/caramel cone).

I ate supper (a 3 oz. piece of grilled pork tenderloin, 2/3 cup of corn and a cup of carrots). Then, I ate several snacks…a 60-calorie chocolate Jell-O, Athenos whole wheat pita chips, 12 of them, with a wedge of French Onion Laughing Cow cheese and yet another ice cream treat…a Skinny Cow strawberry ice cream sandwich!) I was still hungry.

So, I decided to drink a glass of water and write this entry in my blog. 

It didn’t help. I am still hungry. So, I think I will head to bed instead. Goodnight.