Loose weight.
To be specific, lose more weight than I ever had lost before. They say someone of my height, 5 ft 8, should weigh within the 150 lb to 165 lb range. So I set my goal for 155 lbs. I knew what it was like to loose weight and then slack off, give up, quit and feel defeated. I wanted to know what it would happen if I didn't quit. I also had my sights set on a mini goal. I had a vacation in 2 months time and I wanted to feel great on this trip. I wanted to look good and feel confident. When I began my journey the scale had crept up to 197 lbs. For my trip I wanted to weigh 180 lbs so I had 17 pounds to lose. I started with running. I am absolutely a cardio girl and I love running. I love throwing on headphones, cranking the music and running until I'm completely exhausted. Its great, cheap therapy for me. So being that it was summer, I laced up and used the great outdoors as my gym. Incorporating toning exercises after each run session.
I also knew that this time I needed to dramatically change my eating habits. Since my day job was so stationary I knew I had to counteract that with a healthier diet. NO MORE FAST FOOD AND CRAP! Eat to live, not live to eat! I went from eating croissants, muffins and bagels with cream cheese for breakfast or in the alternative skipping breakfast altogether to eating a Greek yogurt and an apple or a spinach omelette. Lunch time became filled with salads, avocado and tomato on an English muffin and all things good for me, instead of the usual fast food run. Dinner was usually chicken, rice and veggies or some variation of that. I started drinking more water than I thought was possible. I still had my morning coffee but opted for a healthier version instead of my usual double double. A diet coke was a rare occasion for me and what I considered a 'treat'. My diet did a complete 180. The first time I decided to 'cheat' was a monumental moment for me. Usually a night of pizza and wine while on a diet or lifestyle change would result in me throwing my hands up and saying well that was fun while it lasted. Game over! I would gain a pound and I would succumb to the idea that this healthy thing just wasn't for me because I was too weak to stick with it. This time around I didn't let one bad meal dictate my future. I ate that pizza and enjoyed that wine and the next day I got up and went to the gym and continued to eat well. Game SO NOT over! I've learned that I have serious issues with food. People ask, are you a salty or sweets kind of person. Honey, I'm both. I could eat a bag of chips and follow that up with a box of cookies. I love food, the bad, the good, all of it!! Realizing that I could enjoy the food I love, i.e Pizza, and that it didn't make me gain 10 pounds made me think differently about food this time around. I couldn't punish myself for eating one unhealthy meal by eating more unhealthy meals. One unhealthy meal won't make you fat just like one salad won't make you skinny. To keep me on the straight and narrow, I made some rules for myself.
1. Never miss a Monday - I made sure, without fail, that I worked out on Monday. It would set the tone for the week.
2. Only consume alcohol on the weekends - I'm not a huge drinker by nature but being that when I started this journey it was summer and we live in our pool, the weekend was the time we spent drinking poolside and entertaining friends. It became something to look forward to.
3. Never eat past 7 pm - This was a big one for me because I love to snack while watching tv at night. I made sure dinner was before 7 pm and no snacking following dinner. This was a hard thing to do, like quitting smoking. I craved a snack at night but eventually there were nights that it didn't even cross my mind.
4. WATER - Lots of it. Water and coffee were the only two beverages I allowed myself to consume
daily. However, water was unlimited.
5. Carbs - Carbs aren't all bad, you need carbs in your diet. However when I say I try to limit carbs to one meal a day, I mean the carbs you get from pasta, rice, bread etc. If I was eating rice at dinner I wasn't going to have any 'carbs' at any other meal that day. I also would have a day once a week where all I would eat was veggies and fruit.
6. Cheat meals - Once a week. You crave it all week? So have it on a Friday! If you don't give in once and a while you will go nuts! Trust me. You will end up doing a drive by at 7 -11 and binging on everything you have ever even thought about eating. Also, if my boyfriend or daughter was eating something that wasn't in my meal plan, usually a bite would be all I needed to get me by.
The scale wasn't the only way I was able to see my progress, I also made sure throughout this process that I took measurements of myself. I had an unhealthy addiction to the scale and in the past if I didn't see that number drop I would usually give up. Measuring myself took care of that. Even if the scale wasn't moving, because I could be gaining muscle, the measurements didn't lie.
Today I weigh 168 lbs and am still striving towards my 155 lb goal. I 've lost a total of 29 pounds and 28.5 inches. I went from a size 14 to a size 10 and depending on the item, I can purchase a medium as opposed to a large or extra large. I have also lowered my BMI from 29, which is at the max of the overweight category, to 25 which is the lowest in the overweight category. I'm still in the 'overweight' range but not for long. I joined a gym for the colder months and go 4 - 5 times a week for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the day. I'd have to say that the best part of this whole process has been the improvement in my daily routine. Before, I was never a morning person. I would snooze my alarm at least 4-5 times in the morning. Now I wake up before my alarm. When I come home at the end of the day I don't crash on the couch. Instead, I have energy to do things like cook a healthy meal or clean or do laundry or more importantly play with M. Sure I still get tired and you can bet that I get excited about a night off from the gym but all in all I love my new life.
It took a long time for my friends and family to notice my progress but that's normal. I'm getting compliments now and people are noticing my hard work. I would like to say I'm happy with my body now but I still have a lot of work to do. I have trouble zones I want to fix but I know I'm getting there. I'm making progress. It may take a full year to get to the point where I can look in the mirror and smile every day at what I see but that day is so worth the weight (pun intended)!
My advice to those wanting to make a change? Be realistic. This won't happen overnight and that's okay! Talk about your goals. Make them known so you can hold yourself accountable. Make rules for yourself like I did. Make time for you. I have a daughter, a boyfriend, full time job and a house to maintain but if I don't take care of myself I won't be around for any of those. Where there is a will, there is a way. Don't give up. It will be hard. Probably the hardest thing you'll ever do but I can guarantee you that it's worth it. That moment you go into a store and try on clothes that actually fit keeps you motivated to do better and keep going. When you don't feel like going to the gym, GO! You will be surprised at how much you accomplish when you don't think you have the energy. Trust me, I had days when I dragged my feet, kicking and screaming all the way to the treadmill. When you don't see any progress, lace up your shoes and go work out. Keep going!
One day, in the next few months, I know I will achieve my final goal. I will not quit and I will not stop until I achieve it! And you know what happens after you've achieved your goal? You are left with the task of setting and obtaining a new one....and that my friends is something quite exhilarating.
I can't wait to see what's next!!
**I do not claim to be a fitness and health expert. The above is just my take on my personal weight loss struggles. Consult your physician before adopting any new exercise or eating plan.**
Your absolutely amazing
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