What?!

Last night I happily crawled into bed with a stack of magazines I had accumulated over the past two months (did I ever tell you that being a director AND teacher is time consuming?!) and started to read my way through them. My eyes fell on an article about losing two dress sizes so I instantly flipped right to that page in hopes of finding some profound weight loss/maintenance program. Instead I found a list of alternatives such as visit a dietitian, seek out help from a cognitive behavior therapist and consider weight loss surgery. What?! OK, I do agree seeking the help of a dietitian can be beneficial to everyone. And I also agree that enlisting the help of a therapist can be very helpful especially if there is a reason behind your situation (example: you are an emotional eater), but let's be really honest: most people do not have the time, money or resources to seek out this level of help. I was so disappointed in this article!

This past year I lost what I feel is a significant amount of weight. I'll be honest, I cannot say what the exact amount is as I really fluctuated on the scale. I do know that at my absolute heaviest (I want to say that was around March 2009) I was right at 160lbs. I am only 5'2 so that is truly overweight. Granted I had two babies within 2.5 years so I had pregnancy weight after pregnancy weight slapped together. But let's also say I didn't have a food enemy. I loved and welcomed every piece of cake, cookie, chip, cheeseburger, fry, soda and beer that crossed my path. I didn't watch my portions. I ate when I was pissed, happy or just because. I didn't like to sweat so I didn't exercise. But I also hated how I looked. In 2010 I had the worst teaching year on record. Some days I felt like giving up before even getting out of bed. I turned to alcohol and drank A LOT of it to get me through that hellish year. That was the summer I lost a little weight, but it was also the year that my IBS went through the roof. I'll never forget laying on the floor in pain, gasping for breath, as an IBS flair up rocked my body. I couldn't eat most days so that was my "thinnest" at 150lb, still overweight. The summer of 2012 I started walking with a co-worker and finally "dropped" to 147lbs. Then I fell and broke my foot and ripped the ligaments. I ballooned back up to about 154lbs. At Christmas 2012 I was in a size 14 pants and my shirts were large to extra-large. In 2013 my boot came off and I was officially signed off from physical therapy and that is when I said "NO MORE".

I started off slow because I knew myself all too well; if I went into this 110% I would fail. I started by watching portions. When I ate a salad I actually measured out a true serving of dressing and cheese, I just didn't blindly toss things into a bowl. I ate one scoop of potatoes instead of loading up. I waited a few minutes before going back for seconds, many times I found myself to be full. Next I cut out soda. That was hard! I subbed carbonated flavored water for the soda, same fizzy feel, but no calories and no artificial crap pulsing through my veins. I started drinking unsweet green tea. Then I cut out as much processed stuff as possible. We always plant a garden so soon I was able to eat tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and cucumbers from my backyard. I could see results! Last, I added in some mild exercise. I enjoy walking around my neighborhood so I started walking here and there. When the tornado hit in June many of our roads were blocked with trees, downed lines and debris so I stepped away from outdoor walking. I am still very cautious of my foot, even a year later, so walking on and around that scared me. I have not held exercise as a priority as I should and that is my 2014 lifestyle goal. I also made it a point to not snack unless I was truly hungry and to not eat after 8pm.

For breakfast I would have a cup of coffee and a protein drink with skim milk. Lunch was usually a big green salad with tea or I would make "fun" lunches like sliced tomatoes & basil from my garden with fresh mozzarella cheese. Dinner was usually grilled veggies, baked potato and fruit. We grill a lot in the summer so it wasn't uncommon to have grilled veggie kabobs, salad, grilled corn and watermelon. Snacks were foods like Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, cheese, etc. I am a vegetarian so obviously meat is absent from my meals, but I ate beans, eggs, veggie burgers, etc. to make sure I had protein. I can honestly say that this is the best I've felt in a very long time. By September I was down to 137lbs (still technically overweight) and I was in a size 8 pant and my tops are small to medium.

This holiday season I have been lax in my eating habits, but I have been pretty good. My size 8 pants still fit! I haven't weighed myself in literally weeks, I've discovered I do not need that scale. I know I am healthy because I look good and best of all, I feel good. If I can do this, so can you. I was the poster girl for every failed diet I could get my hands on. I tried starving myself (not smart!), Weight Watchers (I gained weight?!) and even OTC pills (stupid!), but it was finally a talk with a friend and a drive from within that got me going. My lifestyle goal (I refuse to say resolution) is to find a simple exercise routine and stick with it. I am happy with my weight, if I lose more that would be great, but if I don't, that is good too. I want to exercise for the health benefits. Here is to a healthy, happy 2014!