When Annika Price went to meet her husband, SSgt. Jamie Price, at the airport upon his return from deployment, she says he "walked straight past" her. But she was more ecstatic than insulted. That's because the military mom of two dropped over 100 pounds while he was away, and her husband didn't even recognize her. "He recognized our boys first and then did a double take when he realized it was me. He was gobsmacked," she explained to the Metro.
Annika explains that after getting up to a U.K. size 24 (U.S. size 20) by comfort eating while Jamie was away on two tours of Afghanistan and not wanting to be the "fat mum" at the school gates, she made up her mind to surprise her husband with a "new wife when he came home." In fact, she says that was her greatest motivator.
What's more, Annika shares, "My husband does a job I am proud of, and I wanted him to be proud of me, too." She elaborated, "I needed to shed the weight so I could be proud when I stood next to him and when we went to the Army balls together." Aww …
While there are a million legitimate motivators to slim down and get fit, wanting to be healthier (not to mention happier) for a loved one is a pretty powerful one. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has attributed his weight loss efforts to his family. Whether it's about wanting to be able to be more active with your kids or feel more comfortable getting dressed up on date night or have better sex because you're more confident in the bedroom and more physically fit, it really can pay to center your slimming goal on what it can do for your loved ones. In fact, Annika says losing weight really has paid off for her kids, too:
My sons have really noticed a difference, as well, as I have so much more energy and I am actually proud to go swimming with the boys as I am not worried about being a fat mum at the side of the pool.
At the same time, I feel like losing weight has to be selfish to some extent … About your vitality, longevity, wellness. Because only you can control your actions.
That said, it's admirable that Annika wanted her husband to be as proud of her as she is of him … and it clearly worked for her. But I'm sure he already was in many ways. Let's hope she's also proud of herself. She deserves to be, and being happy and proud of her efforts is one of the keys to ensuring they endure.
How has a loved one inspired you to make healthy changes?
Image via Image Source/Corbis
