I'll start by giving a little history, which you may or may not know about my hubby, Vince, and me. Vince and I met in a pretty non-traditional way, especially considering that we met in 1997. We met online through a chat room. He lived in California and I was living in Connecticut. We spent hours talking online and our friendship grew into an amazing relationship. Finally in 2004, we were able to finally be together in the same place. He moved here to Wichita and we got to see how wonderful life was when we were able to be together everyday instead of short visits a couple of times a year. Life just got better and better. He has always been my rock and my support. I knew that he would always have my back and help me be strong in anything that I chose to do.
That has continued and grown as I have been on my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I decided one day that I wanted to do this and shared it with him. He told me that he was there for me and would support me in whatever I wanted to do. I changed our diets, changed our habits, and started making changes to my routines and normal practices. He has never complained about not getting his McDonald's regularly, though he still can have it for lunch when he wants, or about the amount of time I spend working out both at home and away from home or about getting up on Saturday mornings to come with me to a race, no matter the weather, to support me at the start of the race and to be the smiling cheering face I see as I cross the finish line. I never have to worry about him complaining about me buying new things to use for workouts, from running shoes, which are never cheap, to a stability ball for more intense ab workouts. In fact, for Christmas, he gave me new workout socks and a gift certificate to Go Run.
Now these are the things that I've talked about before and have gushed about, at least once, on Facebook. But there is more that I haven't shared as much. Vince has been my inspiration to stay positive when things aren't going the way I wish they were. When my weight went up for the first time after weeks of going down, I was in tears about it. It was so frustrating to see that things weren't going my way. Vince hugged me and made me think about all the changes I had made and reminded me that part of losing weight and making healthier choices is remembering that gains will happen and it can't set me back. I have to keep moving forward. He's the one who reminds me that I am building muscle, which can slow down weight loss. He's the one who points out to me all the lifestyle changes I have made and how big of a deal that is. As he always has been, he is the one who helps build my strength by always being strong for me when I'm not feeling strong. He's my number one cheerleader and the quiet voice of confidence who is with me all the time.
I do need to say that I'm not surprised by any of this. He is being what he has always been for me for as long as I have known him. And I know he probably won't be thrilled that I'm writing this about him. He doesn't see what he does as remarkable or wonderful. He just sees it as part of being my husband. And that is a large part of what makes him as incredible as he is.
So as I continue my journey, I go, as always, with my strongest support in my corner where he always is, supporting, cheering, celebrating, and loving me as I make my life better for me. :)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The Best Things: New Recipes
I love to cook. Cooking has been a favorite thing for me for years, though I enjoy cooking even more when I have someone to cook for. I have always liked trying new recipes and seeing how I can tweak them to make them better for us. I don't cook without recipes. I'm not good at figuring out how to take random ingredients and come up with a masterpiece, but I am good at taking a recipe and figuring out what I can change to make it better. I like to bake as well, but I'm almost too impatient for that. I like eating baked goods, but I don't really like to wait for them to be done or for multiple batches to be finished.
Within the last several years, I stopped trying new recipes. I think I just got lazy. It was easier to fall back on an old favorite rather than trying new things. In contrast, we tried different restaurants all the time. I didn't have any really easy recipes that were quick to make after a long day at school so we would go out to eat instead. More signs that I was getting lazier. I still cooked some, but like I said, it was more likely to be something I made all the time. And eating leftovers didn't always happen. I'm embarrassed to admit how much food I used to throw away. Talk about first world problems. We'd go out to eat with leftovers in the fridge.
One of the first steps I took when I started on this journey was to cut out fast food restaurants. We continued to go out to eat on Friday nights and probably always will. I'm not willing to give up date night. :) So I knew with my resolution not to eat out during the week that I was going to have to start cooking more. I was going to have to have things that I could throw together when life got crazy. That I was going to have to get used to eating leftovers because that made for easy dinners. Around that same time, I started an account on Pintrest. I started pinning recipes that were for calorie loaded desserts (several of which I tried and they were AMAZING!). I knew I would have to change that. The calorie loaded desserts weren't going to get me where I wanted to go. Through Pintrest I found several different websites that had WW friendly recipes and most of their recipes already had the WW points+ calculated for me. It was a godsend to have so many new recipes available to me to try and see what we liked and what we didn't. Truthfully, it was mostly what I liked and what I didn't. Vince rarely has a problem with anything that I cook, which makes him so easy to cook for!
I've been trying new recipes and while I still have some favorites that I will make more often than others, I have really been trying new things. This weekend I made a meatballs and spaghetti soup that is so easy and delicious. I really love making soups! So delicious and warming during the cold winter months. I don't think I would have started looking around for recipes as much without my journey. So now I get to eat delicious things that are good for me as well! Double bonus!
So eating healthy, homemade meals will keep me moving along in my journey! :)
Within the last several years, I stopped trying new recipes. I think I just got lazy. It was easier to fall back on an old favorite rather than trying new things. In contrast, we tried different restaurants all the time. I didn't have any really easy recipes that were quick to make after a long day at school so we would go out to eat instead. More signs that I was getting lazier. I still cooked some, but like I said, it was more likely to be something I made all the time. And eating leftovers didn't always happen. I'm embarrassed to admit how much food I used to throw away. Talk about first world problems. We'd go out to eat with leftovers in the fridge.
One of the first steps I took when I started on this journey was to cut out fast food restaurants. We continued to go out to eat on Friday nights and probably always will. I'm not willing to give up date night. :) So I knew with my resolution not to eat out during the week that I was going to have to start cooking more. I was going to have to have things that I could throw together when life got crazy. That I was going to have to get used to eating leftovers because that made for easy dinners. Around that same time, I started an account on Pintrest. I started pinning recipes that were for calorie loaded desserts (several of which I tried and they were AMAZING!). I knew I would have to change that. The calorie loaded desserts weren't going to get me where I wanted to go. Through Pintrest I found several different websites that had WW friendly recipes and most of their recipes already had the WW points+ calculated for me. It was a godsend to have so many new recipes available to me to try and see what we liked and what we didn't. Truthfully, it was mostly what I liked and what I didn't. Vince rarely has a problem with anything that I cook, which makes him so easy to cook for!
I've been trying new recipes and while I still have some favorites that I will make more often than others, I have really been trying new things. This weekend I made a meatballs and spaghetti soup that is so easy and delicious. I really love making soups! So delicious and warming during the cold winter months. I don't think I would have started looking around for recipes as much without my journey. So now I get to eat delicious things that are good for me as well! Double bonus!
So eating healthy, homemade meals will keep me moving along in my journey! :)
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Best Things: Oversized Sweaters and Sweatshirts
Okay, so I know I spent an earlier blog extolling the virtues of being able to wear smaller t-shirts. This blog does not take aways from that one. I still love being able to wear smaller t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters...heck any kind of clothing that I can wear in smaller sizes.
However, there is something wonderful about oversized sweatshirts and sweaters. I have always loved wearing big sweatshirts and sweaters and for a while was not really able to find them. I would had to pay a whole lot of extra money to have oversized clothing, if I had been able to find them. I settled for sweaters that weren't form fitting, but weren't too loose. Sweatshirts feel into the same category. In fact, finding sweatshirts in my size was no easy task. Usually the biggest sizes they had were 2XL, and those defintely weren't loose.
Now I can take all of those clothes and wear them and poof! I have oversized clothing. For example, I have one black sweater that has always been a little big...even when I was bigger. Now it is huge on me! It is guarenteed to get people to tell me to buy new clothes. But, I love wearing that sweater around the house! As I told Vince, it's like wearing my own snuggly blanket. :) I have sweatshirts that swallow me up! My Willie the Wildcat sweatshirt is gigantic and I love it. I can sit with my legs crossed and pull the sweatshirt over my knees and it covers me up! Hoodies that I haven't been able to wear comfortably are big on me now. It's awesome!
Yes, I do plan on buying a lot of new clothes that will fit me. Yes, I will buy new sweaters and sweatshirts and have asked for some for Christmas in the sizes that fit me now. But, I won't be getting rid of my old ones any time soon because I love having them around for two reasons. One, I can snuggle up in them when I get chilly in the evening. Two, it really reminds me how far I have come. When you put those two reasons together, there is no better feeling then wearing a big sweatshirt on a cold night while I'm watching TV.
So yes, I'll be continuing my journey, sometimes in oversized clothes because I like the way it makes me feel. :)
However, there is something wonderful about oversized sweatshirts and sweaters. I have always loved wearing big sweatshirts and sweaters and for a while was not really able to find them. I would had to pay a whole lot of extra money to have oversized clothing, if I had been able to find them. I settled for sweaters that weren't form fitting, but weren't too loose. Sweatshirts feel into the same category. In fact, finding sweatshirts in my size was no easy task. Usually the biggest sizes they had were 2XL, and those defintely weren't loose.
Now I can take all of those clothes and wear them and poof! I have oversized clothing. For example, I have one black sweater that has always been a little big...even when I was bigger. Now it is huge on me! It is guarenteed to get people to tell me to buy new clothes. But, I love wearing that sweater around the house! As I told Vince, it's like wearing my own snuggly blanket. :) I have sweatshirts that swallow me up! My Willie the Wildcat sweatshirt is gigantic and I love it. I can sit with my legs crossed and pull the sweatshirt over my knees and it covers me up! Hoodies that I haven't been able to wear comfortably are big on me now. It's awesome!
Yes, I do plan on buying a lot of new clothes that will fit me. Yes, I will buy new sweaters and sweatshirts and have asked for some for Christmas in the sizes that fit me now. But, I won't be getting rid of my old ones any time soon because I love having them around for two reasons. One, I can snuggle up in them when I get chilly in the evening. Two, it really reminds me how far I have come. When you put those two reasons together, there is no better feeling then wearing a big sweatshirt on a cold night while I'm watching TV.
So yes, I'll be continuing my journey, sometimes in oversized clothes because I like the way it makes me feel. :)
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Best Things: Unexpected Inspiration
A friend of mine from work lost her fourteen year old granddaughter, Bekah, to cancer this week. While some of you might know the story, others of you might not have heard it.
I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about the medical side of things for two reasons. First, I don't know much about it and second, that's not the most important part of this story.
When Bekah found out that the prognosis wasn't good, she made a list of things that she wanted to accomplish before it was her time. A young lady who just learned that she wasn't going to be able to experience a lot of milestones in her life and she made goals that she wanted to meet. She wasn't willing to sit back and watch her life waste away. She wanted to do things, experience things, and live while she was alive. At a time when many people would be feeling sorry for themselves and hiding away from the world, Bekah allowed her family to post about her life on pages on Facebook, inspiring more people than they probably ever thought possible. She drove a truck and rode a horse. She helped increase awareness about ovarian cancer so others might not have to go through what she and her family were going through.
Bekah's influence has been wide spread. I have seen many people who I know separate from my friend who have been supporting Bekah and helping her meet her goals. While I was Christmas shopping yesterday, I saw someone wearing a Battle for Bekah t-shirt. People, like me, who never actually met her have gained so much perspective and inspiration from her. It is truly amazing what this young lady accomplished in her short lifetime.
As Bekah was going through her fight with cancer and I was reading about her struggles, I started thinking about my blog and whether or not I should keep doing this. It somehow felt like it wasn't as important as I originally thought. After all, they were going through this huge struggle and it almost felt like gloating. But then I thought about it some more. One of the things that was most moving for me was reading Bekah's mom's posts to the Facebook page, sharing her thoughts, feeling, frustrations, difficulties, struggles, and triumphs. Reading about what Bekah was accomplishing and how the family was coming together to support each other was incredibly inspiring to me. It made me want to be stronger and to do more.
Now my blog and Facebook updates are very different than their entries and I won't even try to compare them because I don't want to take anything away from Bekah and her mom. However, if they can inspire me by being honest and open, maybe I can have the same effect on someone else. Maybe all of my posting about my journey and struggles and triumphs can, on a different level, have a positive effect on someone else. So I'm going to keep going strong with my blogging and keep in mind a beautiful, strong young lady who did amazing things in horrible circumstances.
With her inspiration, I will continue forward on my journey wearing a teal bracelet as a daily reminder to be strong, keep fighting, and treasure daily those who matter the most.
RIP Bekah. Heaven is a brighter place with you among its numbers.
I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about the medical side of things for two reasons. First, I don't know much about it and second, that's not the most important part of this story.
When Bekah found out that the prognosis wasn't good, she made a list of things that she wanted to accomplish before it was her time. A young lady who just learned that she wasn't going to be able to experience a lot of milestones in her life and she made goals that she wanted to meet. She wasn't willing to sit back and watch her life waste away. She wanted to do things, experience things, and live while she was alive. At a time when many people would be feeling sorry for themselves and hiding away from the world, Bekah allowed her family to post about her life on pages on Facebook, inspiring more people than they probably ever thought possible. She drove a truck and rode a horse. She helped increase awareness about ovarian cancer so others might not have to go through what she and her family were going through.
Bekah's influence has been wide spread. I have seen many people who I know separate from my friend who have been supporting Bekah and helping her meet her goals. While I was Christmas shopping yesterday, I saw someone wearing a Battle for Bekah t-shirt. People, like me, who never actually met her have gained so much perspective and inspiration from her. It is truly amazing what this young lady accomplished in her short lifetime.
As Bekah was going through her fight with cancer and I was reading about her struggles, I started thinking about my blog and whether or not I should keep doing this. It somehow felt like it wasn't as important as I originally thought. After all, they were going through this huge struggle and it almost felt like gloating. But then I thought about it some more. One of the things that was most moving for me was reading Bekah's mom's posts to the Facebook page, sharing her thoughts, feeling, frustrations, difficulties, struggles, and triumphs. Reading about what Bekah was accomplishing and how the family was coming together to support each other was incredibly inspiring to me. It made me want to be stronger and to do more.
Now my blog and Facebook updates are very different than their entries and I won't even try to compare them because I don't want to take anything away from Bekah and her mom. However, if they can inspire me by being honest and open, maybe I can have the same effect on someone else. Maybe all of my posting about my journey and struggles and triumphs can, on a different level, have a positive effect on someone else. So I'm going to keep going strong with my blogging and keep in mind a beautiful, strong young lady who did amazing things in horrible circumstances.
With her inspiration, I will continue forward on my journey wearing a teal bracelet as a daily reminder to be strong, keep fighting, and treasure daily those who matter the most.
RIP Bekah. Heaven is a brighter place with you among its numbers.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
The Best Things: Strength and Determination
If you are someone who has been following my blog, I need to appologize for missing so many days. When I started, I was determined to do this every day and started off strong, but things have been kind of crazy this week. But just as with everything else in my life these days, I'm going to pick up and move on from here with renewed determination to blog every day.
This "Best Thing" might seem like a "duh." Obviously I am physically stronger than I've been in a long time because I'm working out and eating better. That is true...and awesome! I was shaving my legs the other day and was truly amazed at the muscles in my calves. I've always had some muscle in my calves, but now they are really defined and strong. That's pretty awesome! I can walk, at a good clip, for at least six miles. I can run though not as far or as long as I can walk. I'm starting to see some muscle in my arms, though they still have a ways to go in that area. Being physically stronger is great and I love that I'm starting to see the effects of the work I'm doing in my physical appearance. I'm not just smaller, but I'm starting to have some muscles on those smaller parts. :)
However, when I thought of strength as a "Best Thing," I wasn't only thinking about physical strength. I was thinking more about mental strength. The strength that is required to keep going even when it's hard, to keep fighting when it would be easier to give up. I don't think I've ever been completely weak as far as mental strength, but I wouldn't say that I've been strong either. I spent a lot of years not doing things that were good for myself because it was easier not to. It takes less strength to sit on the couch eating McDonalds than it does to get up, workout, and make something healthier for dinner. It is a lot easier to keep putting off making any changes in your life than it is to get up and do something. It's definitely easier to give up when things don't go the way you want them to go. This isn't me anymore. I have the strength to keep fighting and working when it would be easier to stop. When I'm physically sore, I keep pushing and working because I know that I can do more. But, when I'm hurt, I have the strength to slow down, but not stop, to make sure that I'm not causing physical damage. I'm strong enough to resist temptation, because I know that will just make everything harder. I'm determined enough to stick with my journey even when the scale doesn't show me what I want to see. I'm not giving up on this journey. I can do this and I'm going to! I'm stronger than I've ever been and I'm only getting stronger!
I have a perfect example from this week. My weigh in didn't go the way that I had hoped it would. I was up a little bit in my weight after a week that wasn't particularly bad or good. Just sort of a middle of the road week where I worked out a little and ate mostly what I should, though I have McDonalds before the TSO concert because it was the easiest way to do things. My first instinct when I stepped on the scale and saw that I went up a little was to be frustrated and angry. I didn't want to give up, but I wanted to give in to frustration. However, I made myself stop and think. What had I done or not done that led to this gain? I realized that I hadn't pushed as hard as I could have and hadn't worked out as much as I could have. I made a new goal for myself and rededicated myself to continuing to push. The strength to do that is something I haven't always had. I haven't always been determined to make those choices and stick with them.
So with my newfound physical and mental strength and determination, I continue forward with my journey making the tough choices and sticking with them.
This "Best Thing" might seem like a "duh." Obviously I am physically stronger than I've been in a long time because I'm working out and eating better. That is true...and awesome! I was shaving my legs the other day and was truly amazed at the muscles in my calves. I've always had some muscle in my calves, but now they are really defined and strong. That's pretty awesome! I can walk, at a good clip, for at least six miles. I can run though not as far or as long as I can walk. I'm starting to see some muscle in my arms, though they still have a ways to go in that area. Being physically stronger is great and I love that I'm starting to see the effects of the work I'm doing in my physical appearance. I'm not just smaller, but I'm starting to have some muscles on those smaller parts. :)
However, when I thought of strength as a "Best Thing," I wasn't only thinking about physical strength. I was thinking more about mental strength. The strength that is required to keep going even when it's hard, to keep fighting when it would be easier to give up. I don't think I've ever been completely weak as far as mental strength, but I wouldn't say that I've been strong either. I spent a lot of years not doing things that were good for myself because it was easier not to. It takes less strength to sit on the couch eating McDonalds than it does to get up, workout, and make something healthier for dinner. It is a lot easier to keep putting off making any changes in your life than it is to get up and do something. It's definitely easier to give up when things don't go the way you want them to go. This isn't me anymore. I have the strength to keep fighting and working when it would be easier to stop. When I'm physically sore, I keep pushing and working because I know that I can do more. But, when I'm hurt, I have the strength to slow down, but not stop, to make sure that I'm not causing physical damage. I'm strong enough to resist temptation, because I know that will just make everything harder. I'm determined enough to stick with my journey even when the scale doesn't show me what I want to see. I'm not giving up on this journey. I can do this and I'm going to! I'm stronger than I've ever been and I'm only getting stronger!
I have a perfect example from this week. My weigh in didn't go the way that I had hoped it would. I was up a little bit in my weight after a week that wasn't particularly bad or good. Just sort of a middle of the road week where I worked out a little and ate mostly what I should, though I have McDonalds before the TSO concert because it was the easiest way to do things. My first instinct when I stepped on the scale and saw that I went up a little was to be frustrated and angry. I didn't want to give up, but I wanted to give in to frustration. However, I made myself stop and think. What had I done or not done that led to this gain? I realized that I hadn't pushed as hard as I could have and hadn't worked out as much as I could have. I made a new goal for myself and rededicated myself to continuing to push. The strength to do that is something I haven't always had. I haven't always been determined to make those choices and stick with them.
So with my newfound physical and mental strength and determination, I continue forward with my journey making the tough choices and sticking with them.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Best Things: Confidence
I posted something on Facebook in January about looking in the mirror in my mused state and thinking that I looked pretty and how that was a huge step for me with my insecurity issues. The feedback I got on that post was interesting. There were people who were shocked that I struggled with insecurity. It's been something that I have struggled with for a lot of years. I honestly think I used to be a confident kiddo, but somewhere along the way I lost my confidence.
It doesn't help that I have struggled with my weight for years. Being fat didn't help me with my confidence at all. I didn't like the way I looked or the way I felt or the choices I was making, so that made it really hard to like me. I know and have always known that I'm a good person with a strong personality, but that wasn't enough to keep my head held high. As more time passed, I got bigger and felt worse about myself. Add into that some really unhealthy relationships that tore at my self-esteem and you have me...a person who didn't think much of herself or her worth.
Now, I finally worked out the relationship stuff and have an amazing marriage and friendship with my awesome husband who is the perfect man for me. I won't go on about him here because he does read these and doesn't really like it when I gush. I'll leave it with this: Vince helped rebuild some of my confidence and always did everything he could to help me see what he sees when he looks at me.
Since I've started my journey, I've noticed that I have a lot more confidence. I walk with my head held high. I smile more and enjoy everything more than I used to. I'm proud of myself and I think it shows in the way I carry myself. The good personality that I have always known I had is able to shine through more now because I'm don't feel as self-conscious. It's not just about how I look or my weight. It's about how I feel and I feel like I'm finally becoming the best me that I can be. I'm not bogged down with negativity or self-doubt. My friend Erin Withers, who is finding her second appearance in my blog, said it best when she said that I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. Finally I'm happy to be me. I'm not perfect by any stretch, but I'm stronger and more self-assured than I was before.
So with this new found confidence, I'll continue on my journey with my head held high and a smile on my face, remembering that being me is a pretty cool thing to be. :)
It doesn't help that I have struggled with my weight for years. Being fat didn't help me with my confidence at all. I didn't like the way I looked or the way I felt or the choices I was making, so that made it really hard to like me. I know and have always known that I'm a good person with a strong personality, but that wasn't enough to keep my head held high. As more time passed, I got bigger and felt worse about myself. Add into that some really unhealthy relationships that tore at my self-esteem and you have me...a person who didn't think much of herself or her worth.
Now, I finally worked out the relationship stuff and have an amazing marriage and friendship with my awesome husband who is the perfect man for me. I won't go on about him here because he does read these and doesn't really like it when I gush. I'll leave it with this: Vince helped rebuild some of my confidence and always did everything he could to help me see what he sees when he looks at me.
Since I've started my journey, I've noticed that I have a lot more confidence. I walk with my head held high. I smile more and enjoy everything more than I used to. I'm proud of myself and I think it shows in the way I carry myself. The good personality that I have always known I had is able to shine through more now because I'm don't feel as self-conscious. It's not just about how I look or my weight. It's about how I feel and I feel like I'm finally becoming the best me that I can be. I'm not bogged down with negativity or self-doubt. My friend Erin Withers, who is finding her second appearance in my blog, said it best when she said that I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. Finally I'm happy to be me. I'm not perfect by any stretch, but I'm stronger and more self-assured than I was before.
So with this new found confidence, I'll continue on my journey with my head held high and a smile on my face, remembering that being me is a pretty cool thing to be. :)
The Best Things: Support
When I first started thinking about my journey, I didn't talk to anyone about it. I kept it quiet because I hadn't really made up my mind and I wasn't sure that it was something I was going to be successful doing. I'm not sure exactly what it was that made me decide it was time, but whatever it was jumped on me one afternoon at school and I went home and put on comfortable clothes and went for a walk. When Vince got home from work, I told him what I had done and that I wanted to start eating healthier too. He told me, without any hesitation, that he was behind me in anything that I wanted to do. I asked if he would walk with me sometimes and he told me sure. From the very beginning, he has always been behind me 100% and would do anything possible to help me be successful in anything I want to do as long as it doesn't hurt me.
I started hinting on Facebook that I had made a decision but didn't share what it was right away. I didn't feel like I was doing anything that great, but a small part of me was proud and wanted to share. As soon as I started posting anything, the support began. People started asking me what I was doing and when I told them, they were nothing but supportive and encouraging.
After a week and a half, I finally let it out and shared my first weight loss with the Facebook community. The response I got to that post was almost overwhelming. So many people liked my status and offered supportive comments that I was amazed! It made me want to be even more successful and have even more positive news to share.
Then came my first gain...wow, I sure didn't want to post anything that week. I wanted to keep that news to myself and not put anything on Facebook, but I wouldn't give myself that out. If I was going to post the good, I was going to post the bad. So I put it up there. And I still got support and encouragement. It felt good to know that I had support no matter what.
As my journey has continued, my exercise routine included lots of walking and, one crazy night, some running. Of course, I couldn't wait to get to Facebook to share that I had actually done some running! And as with every stage of this journey, my friends were there to support me and encourage me to keep it up. Such an outpouring of support!
In addition to the Facebook world, I have the daily support of my friends and coworkers. So many people offer me compliments and encouragement to keep going on my journey. I don't know if all of you know how much that means to me and how much it really helps. It may seem like a small thing, but it is huge to me. Now, please don't take this as begging for compliments, I just wanted to make sure that you know how much you really help me through a difficult journey.
And last, but definitely not least, my family has been behind me so strong from the very beginning. I don't think anyone was as excited as my parents when they heard I was starting this journey or when they started to see the results. Before I started the journey, they would occasionally frustrate me with their pushing for me to be healthier and take better care of myself, but I know they always had the best intentions. Now they are always in my corner and honestly couldn't be more proud of me. My extended family is the same way. My cousins and cousins-in-law have been great, from my cousin Michelle who sent me a turtle necklace that I wear everyday to my cousin LuLu who is always so excited and passionate in her support of me. Weight issues have always been a part of my family and my aunts and uncles have the same struggles that I do and so they are behind me with their support and words of experience to keep my spirits high and not let me get down when things aren't easy or the numbers aren't dropping as I would like.
I've always had amazing friends and family who have always been in my corner. Through my journey the support has only increased. I wanted to write this blog to recognized what a huge part of my success that you all have been and how much I appreciate it. I don't know that I say it enough or make it clear how much it means to me, but I am so thankful to have all of you behind me as I made these changes in my life. So this blog is for all of you as a way for me to say thank you and make sure you know that all of you are definitely some of the "best things" in my life!
So with the strongest support network ever, I continue forward in my journey! Thank you all so very, very much!
I started hinting on Facebook that I had made a decision but didn't share what it was right away. I didn't feel like I was doing anything that great, but a small part of me was proud and wanted to share. As soon as I started posting anything, the support began. People started asking me what I was doing and when I told them, they were nothing but supportive and encouraging.
After a week and a half, I finally let it out and shared my first weight loss with the Facebook community. The response I got to that post was almost overwhelming. So many people liked my status and offered supportive comments that I was amazed! It made me want to be even more successful and have even more positive news to share.
Then came my first gain...wow, I sure didn't want to post anything that week. I wanted to keep that news to myself and not put anything on Facebook, but I wouldn't give myself that out. If I was going to post the good, I was going to post the bad. So I put it up there. And I still got support and encouragement. It felt good to know that I had support no matter what.
As my journey has continued, my exercise routine included lots of walking and, one crazy night, some running. Of course, I couldn't wait to get to Facebook to share that I had actually done some running! And as with every stage of this journey, my friends were there to support me and encourage me to keep it up. Such an outpouring of support!
In addition to the Facebook world, I have the daily support of my friends and coworkers. So many people offer me compliments and encouragement to keep going on my journey. I don't know if all of you know how much that means to me and how much it really helps. It may seem like a small thing, but it is huge to me. Now, please don't take this as begging for compliments, I just wanted to make sure that you know how much you really help me through a difficult journey.
And last, but definitely not least, my family has been behind me so strong from the very beginning. I don't think anyone was as excited as my parents when they heard I was starting this journey or when they started to see the results. Before I started the journey, they would occasionally frustrate me with their pushing for me to be healthier and take better care of myself, but I know they always had the best intentions. Now they are always in my corner and honestly couldn't be more proud of me. My extended family is the same way. My cousins and cousins-in-law have been great, from my cousin Michelle who sent me a turtle necklace that I wear everyday to my cousin LuLu who is always so excited and passionate in her support of me. Weight issues have always been a part of my family and my aunts and uncles have the same struggles that I do and so they are behind me with their support and words of experience to keep my spirits high and not let me get down when things aren't easy or the numbers aren't dropping as I would like.
I've always had amazing friends and family who have always been in my corner. Through my journey the support has only increased. I wanted to write this blog to recognized what a huge part of my success that you all have been and how much I appreciate it. I don't know that I say it enough or make it clear how much it means to me, but I am so thankful to have all of you behind me as I made these changes in my life. So this blog is for all of you as a way for me to say thank you and make sure you know that all of you are definitely some of the "best things" in my life!
So with the strongest support network ever, I continue forward in my journey! Thank you all so very, very much!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Best Things: Better Health
I've been debating about whether this was the right time to write this one or not. The reason for the debate is that I have a cold right now, which makes it seem like a bad time to extolling the health benefits of my journey, but there are many other things that are going on that make me think this is a good time to write it.
I've done things most of my young adult to adult life that haven't been the best for me or my health. As I covered in a previous blog, I started smoking when I was a dumb teenager. I used to drink a lot more than I should. I've always struggled with my weight and haven't been a very active person.
Somewhere around 12 years ago, I made some definite decisions about my drinking and decided, pretty easily, that I didn't need to drink as much as I had been and it was time to be smarter. Nine years ago yesterday, I decided that it was time to quit smoking. That was a lot harder for me, but I was able to conquer that too. My weight and lack of activity...I didn't really spend much time working to make that better. I figured if food was my only vice then I was doing pretty well. I didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it.
The part I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about was what I was doing to myself. Anytime I would go to the district health fair, they would tell me that I was obese, my blood pressure was high, and either my cholesterol or blood sugar was borderline high (it never seemed to be the same one). So I stopped going to the health fair. I used the excuse that I had to drive to South High early on a Saturday morning, often around Valentine's Day. One of my doctors started to talk to me about my weight and my blood pressure and I said I was going to make changes, but it never really translated to action and I only saw that doctor once a year anyway. The fact of the matter was that I didn't want to hear about it. I wanted to believe that I was a relatively healthy big person and being overweight wasn't that big of a deal.
I tried to ignore the fact that I wasn't a relatively healthy big person. I was a big person that ignored all the things that I didn't want to see. I had a ton of aches and pains. I woke up sore more mornings than I didn't. My resting heart rate was higher than it should be as well as my blood pressure being high. I got sick pretty easy because I didn't take care of myself. I suffered from chronic and often severe back problems, which I won't talk about too much because I covered that in a different post. I had severe flare ups of my arthritis in my knees and while my weight didn't cause the arthritis, it definitely complicated things and made it worse.
Finally when I decided that it was time to take better care of myself and make the healthy changes that I needed to, I started to see the results. As I talked about before, almost immediately I saw the benefit of not having my May/June back pain and immobility because of that. I didn't think about it much, but I wasn't getting sick as often. In fact, I have only been to my doctor twice since since I started on this journey and one of those times was for hip pain as a result of my workouts. I don't get sick as often. In general, I feel so much better than I used to. I can wear shoes other than tennis shoes and not have the foot and ankle pain that I used to have. While I still have some soreness, I know that it is due to getting in shape, which somehow makes it easier to deal with. :)
As some of you know very well, I've had some pretty serious health concerns during this time period, which might make this blog seem a little contradictory. However, none of those problems are related to my physical health in general and, honestly, I was better able to deal with them because of my improved health. When I had previous health procedures done, there were concerns about my blood pressure being as high as it was. That wasn't a concern this time around. I recovered more quickly with fewer complications because of being in better health. So while I have had some health concerns since I started this journey, overall, I would say that I am definitely in better health since I started taking care of myself and I couldn't be more pleased!
So with my sniffles and coughs (sadly, being in better health doesn't make me invincible), I will embrace the changes I've made and continue on my journey, happy in the knowledge that I'm healthier than I've been in years.
I've done things most of my young adult to adult life that haven't been the best for me or my health. As I covered in a previous blog, I started smoking when I was a dumb teenager. I used to drink a lot more than I should. I've always struggled with my weight and haven't been a very active person.
Somewhere around 12 years ago, I made some definite decisions about my drinking and decided, pretty easily, that I didn't need to drink as much as I had been and it was time to be smarter. Nine years ago yesterday, I decided that it was time to quit smoking. That was a lot harder for me, but I was able to conquer that too. My weight and lack of activity...I didn't really spend much time working to make that better. I figured if food was my only vice then I was doing pretty well. I didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it.
The part I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about was what I was doing to myself. Anytime I would go to the district health fair, they would tell me that I was obese, my blood pressure was high, and either my cholesterol or blood sugar was borderline high (it never seemed to be the same one). So I stopped going to the health fair. I used the excuse that I had to drive to South High early on a Saturday morning, often around Valentine's Day. One of my doctors started to talk to me about my weight and my blood pressure and I said I was going to make changes, but it never really translated to action and I only saw that doctor once a year anyway. The fact of the matter was that I didn't want to hear about it. I wanted to believe that I was a relatively healthy big person and being overweight wasn't that big of a deal.
I tried to ignore the fact that I wasn't a relatively healthy big person. I was a big person that ignored all the things that I didn't want to see. I had a ton of aches and pains. I woke up sore more mornings than I didn't. My resting heart rate was higher than it should be as well as my blood pressure being high. I got sick pretty easy because I didn't take care of myself. I suffered from chronic and often severe back problems, which I won't talk about too much because I covered that in a different post. I had severe flare ups of my arthritis in my knees and while my weight didn't cause the arthritis, it definitely complicated things and made it worse.
Finally when I decided that it was time to take better care of myself and make the healthy changes that I needed to, I started to see the results. As I talked about before, almost immediately I saw the benefit of not having my May/June back pain and immobility because of that. I didn't think about it much, but I wasn't getting sick as often. In fact, I have only been to my doctor twice since since I started on this journey and one of those times was for hip pain as a result of my workouts. I don't get sick as often. In general, I feel so much better than I used to. I can wear shoes other than tennis shoes and not have the foot and ankle pain that I used to have. While I still have some soreness, I know that it is due to getting in shape, which somehow makes it easier to deal with. :)
As some of you know very well, I've had some pretty serious health concerns during this time period, which might make this blog seem a little contradictory. However, none of those problems are related to my physical health in general and, honestly, I was better able to deal with them because of my improved health. When I had previous health procedures done, there were concerns about my blood pressure being as high as it was. That wasn't a concern this time around. I recovered more quickly with fewer complications because of being in better health. So while I have had some health concerns since I started this journey, overall, I would say that I am definitely in better health since I started taking care of myself and I couldn't be more pleased!
So with my sniffles and coughs (sadly, being in better health doesn't make me invincible), I will embrace the changes I've made and continue on my journey, happy in the knowledge that I'm healthier than I've been in years.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Best Things: Realizations
This morning I did the Jingle Bell Run 4 mile race and made and set a goal for myself that I actually beat. It was my first 4 mile race and so I didn't really know how fast I could do it. I used my last race time to set my goal of 50 minutes. However, I was able to beat that, by a little bit, finishing in 49:38! I'm really excited about this time and what I was able to accomplish, but I can't use race day as one of my "Best Things" because I've already written that one. So now I had to think. What should I write about today? And my brain couldn't help but focus on what my friend Nicci said to me this morning before the race. She told me how proud she was of me and what I had accomplished in less than a year. She asked me if last December I would have believed that I would be doing a race, let alone another race. That got me thinking.
I realized that I really have accomplished a lot. I made the decision to live a healthier life on April 26th. That's a little over seven months ago. Let's go on a journey in the not so way back machine to look at my life before April 26th.
Vince and I ate fast food two to three times every week. This only exercise I ever got was walking up and down the steps at work. I wore my capri pants all year round because they fit me more comfortably than any of my other pants. I bought new tunic style shirts because I didn't have to get larger sizes to have that style fit and it covered a lot of me, which was always a good thing. I drank Pepsi almost every day and sometimes more than one can or bottle. I wished that I could lose weight, but it didn't go any further than that. I paid for a YMCA membership that was gathering dust and hadn't been utilized in months. I used to reset my Wii Fit character so I wouldn't have to see the weight go up. I dreaded the idea of weighing 300 pounds but didn't do anything about stopping my weight from getting there. I used to chuckle at people who would get up early to run or workout because that wasn't something I was ever going to do. Eating donuts or bagel for breakfast on the weekends was a regular occurence and it wasn't usually just one. Wow...thinking about it now, I realize that it really wasn't a pretty picture.
Now back to today. I work out no less than three times a week. We eat fast food very rarely...though we do occasionally still do Chick-Fil-A, but only once in a while. I have been a part of six races: five 5Ks and one four mile. My Y membership has gotten quite a workout, though lately I've been working out at home as much as at the Y. I had to buy new jeans because my others were falling off of me. I have had one Pepsi in the past seven months and actually walked by a table of free Pepsi this morning and didn't even think about having one. I eat much healthier and cook a lot more. I look gleefully towards weighing less than 200 pounds and am doing something about getting there. My days of using the Wii Fit has gone up to 200 some days because I don't reset it anymore. I've had two bagels in the past seven months and now wish longingly that they were better for me, because Panera Asiago cheese bagels are AMAZING!! And last, but definitely not least, I've lost 75.4 pounds!!
My life is so different from what it used to be. And all of this has happened in seven months! I forget that sometimes. I forget that I've changed my life so much and have done it in only seven months. That's a realization that I need to keep in mind. Sometimes I get frustrated that I'm not where I want to be with my weight or my fitness. I hate to admit it but sometimes I'm jealous when I see the times of people in my age group who are finishing in the top three. I need to remember that I have only been working out for seven months. I've only been doing races since August and have cut almost nine minutes off of my 5K time. In fact, today it took me only one minute long to complete four miles than it did to do a 5K in my first race. :)
So there are my realizations. I know they aren't technically in the same spirit as my other "Best Things," but I think they are pretty awesome and wanted to share them! I'm in a good place right now and am excited about where I'm going. So I'll just keep on moving on my journey and will keep these realizations in mind.
I realized that I really have accomplished a lot. I made the decision to live a healthier life on April 26th. That's a little over seven months ago. Let's go on a journey in the not so way back machine to look at my life before April 26th.
Vince and I ate fast food two to three times every week. This only exercise I ever got was walking up and down the steps at work. I wore my capri pants all year round because they fit me more comfortably than any of my other pants. I bought new tunic style shirts because I didn't have to get larger sizes to have that style fit and it covered a lot of me, which was always a good thing. I drank Pepsi almost every day and sometimes more than one can or bottle. I wished that I could lose weight, but it didn't go any further than that. I paid for a YMCA membership that was gathering dust and hadn't been utilized in months. I used to reset my Wii Fit character so I wouldn't have to see the weight go up. I dreaded the idea of weighing 300 pounds but didn't do anything about stopping my weight from getting there. I used to chuckle at people who would get up early to run or workout because that wasn't something I was ever going to do. Eating donuts or bagel for breakfast on the weekends was a regular occurence and it wasn't usually just one. Wow...thinking about it now, I realize that it really wasn't a pretty picture.
Now back to today. I work out no less than three times a week. We eat fast food very rarely...though we do occasionally still do Chick-Fil-A, but only once in a while. I have been a part of six races: five 5Ks and one four mile. My Y membership has gotten quite a workout, though lately I've been working out at home as much as at the Y. I had to buy new jeans because my others were falling off of me. I have had one Pepsi in the past seven months and actually walked by a table of free Pepsi this morning and didn't even think about having one. I eat much healthier and cook a lot more. I look gleefully towards weighing less than 200 pounds and am doing something about getting there. My days of using the Wii Fit has gone up to 200 some days because I don't reset it anymore. I've had two bagels in the past seven months and now wish longingly that they were better for me, because Panera Asiago cheese bagels are AMAZING!! And last, but definitely not least, I've lost 75.4 pounds!!
My life is so different from what it used to be. And all of this has happened in seven months! I forget that sometimes. I forget that I've changed my life so much and have done it in only seven months. That's a realization that I need to keep in mind. Sometimes I get frustrated that I'm not where I want to be with my weight or my fitness. I hate to admit it but sometimes I'm jealous when I see the times of people in my age group who are finishing in the top three. I need to remember that I have only been working out for seven months. I've only been doing races since August and have cut almost nine minutes off of my 5K time. In fact, today it took me only one minute long to complete four miles than it did to do a 5K in my first race. :)
So there are my realizations. I know they aren't technically in the same spirit as my other "Best Things," but I think they are pretty awesome and wanted to share them! I'm in a good place right now and am excited about where I'm going. So I'll just keep on moving on my journey and will keep these realizations in mind.
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