21-Day Fix

Hello All! How are you? How's your week been? Mine's been good - still fighting the cold I had since last week. Hoping it completely goes away soon!

Today hubby and I started the 21-Day Fix plan. We have both been a little too casual about our diets lately and I am not happy with how I look. In the last three years I've gained about 50 pounds. Yea...

June 2012 - Baltimore Women's Classic

March 2015 - Shamrock Half Marathon

Odd how both photos have me in orange... Anyway! That's not the point. The point is I weigh way more than I should and I'm trying something to change that.

I have a couple friends who have done it and had good results. Nothing I've tried lately has worked, so why not try something that talks about portion control and more real food than processed. I'm not a packaged food diet or shake kinda person {yes, I know the 21-Day Fix has Shakeology, I chose not to use it}. Give me a diet that talks about eating real food in real portions and I'm all for trying it.

So, today we started and for the next 21 days we will be eating real food in smaller portions. Breakfast was eggs with peppers and onions, 1 slice of toast with peanut butter, and half a banana. Not bad. All real and all good. I have my meals planned out through Easter currently. Over the next few days I will plan out next week as well. The planning is rough, but it does make things easier....knowing what I'm going to eat for each meal.

Let me say here and now that we will not be 100%. Our plan is to eat healthy 6-6.5/7 days. I know we may not see the same results as others with a day off, but in order to make this work as more of a life change than a diet, we have to be true to ourselves. We will want a beer. We will want a burger. We will want a doughnut. It may not be exactly the way it is planned out, but we need it to work for us.

We also start the workout portion tonight. The goal is to do the workouts, plus our training plan for the Wild Half Half Marathon in May. They are only 30 minutes each, which isn't much. We should be able to swing that. ;-) After work, first thing we work out.

Have you done the 21-Day Fix? What do you think? Tips? Suggestions?
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I need your help

I am addicted to ModCloth. Seriously addicted. I love their stuff with a passion, but sadly most of it is out of my price range...except when things are on sale. And I was suckered into buying a dress because it was 70% off...

Is this not gorgeous???????? It was so reasonable and I've been following it for a long time. It was normally $104.99, I picked it up for $31.99 + s/h. I'm ok with that.

The issue? It was a size 14UK. What does that mean? A U.S. size 10. I am no where near a U.S. size 10. I was close in the summer of 2012, then I gained weight and now....yea...no...

So, I need your help. I need to lose enough weight that his dress fits. I need as much encouragement as you can give. I am going to start this weekend to get myself back on track with food and working out. The working out I'm getting better at, I've actually been running! It's the food I've been struggling with.

If you wouldn't mind, help me stay on track. Question me. Needle me. Bug me. However you want to phrase it so that I keep myself accountable. I really want this dress to fit by next summer. Which means a weight loss of about 45 pounds.

Thank you for listening and thank you to those who will get on my case about eating right and getting those workouts in. I will need the accountability and I know you are just the ones to dole it out!

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Weight Watchers here I come

For the past few years, I have gained weight. In 2012, I weighed the least I ever had and was 12 pounds away from my goal weight.

Hubby and I at the Sasquatch 5k

Then, for some reason (I really don't know what triggered it), I started gaining weight. Ok, one can gain a few pounds, then get back under control. It happens, but no. I let it go on far too long and I gained 40 pounds in 2.5 years. Yea.

Easter 2014

Awful, isn't it? It's ok. I'm not going to be offended. I'm angry at myself for letting it happen. So, this past Sunday I decided enough is enough. I have been saying that for months now, but doing nothing. I kept thinking I could do it on my own. But, I am wrong. I can't.

What did I do? I signed up for Weight Watchers on-line. I have done the meetings before, but I have found I have very little in common with the people in the meetings. I would go, weigh in, then leave. What's the point in that? Instead, I joined the on-line program. I am more of a loner anyway. I believe this will be more successful.

Weigh ins are on Friday {which has always been a good way for me to do this} and I'm hoping for a great first week! I have a big goal of 12-15 pounds by July 2nd. It is doable, I just have to follow the program.

What have you done to lose weight? Are you better at a structured program or going it alone?
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Again

See all those photos? They have one thing in common. I like how I look in them. They are from all different events:

1st row-L: Tim McGraw concert in Philly 2012 (I think!)
1st row-R: Day after the AC Half Marathon 2012
2nd row-R: Betty Page dress in Las Vegas 2012
2nd row-L: Baltimore Women's Classic 2012
3rd row-R: Sasquatch 5k trail run 2012
3rd row-L: Jamaica 2011
4th row-R: Harrah's pool Las Vegas 2012
4th row-L: York Fair 2012
Right: Phillies game 2012

See a pattern? All photos from 2012, except the 2011 Jamaica photo, but close enough. ;-) I was about 30 pounds less and actually surprised when I saw myself in photos. I couldn't see I looked good in person, but I could see it in a photo.

Since then I've gained a ton of weight and I'm not happy. I've got my sights set on loosing it and looking as good as I did then or better. I want to be happy with myself and I know how I look will go a long way to getting me there. Seeing these photos helps me "see" what I'll look like when I reach my goal. Very helpful.

How about you? Do you have a goal for losing weight? Do you feel happy with how you look?


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Childhood Obesity

According to the CDC, childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years (since 1982). I'm not surprised. I was an obese child. I was an overweight child. In pictures I was a normal looking kid until about three. I was kinda cute. The next images I have of me of being overweight. From the age of three to today, I have not been at a healthy weight, ever.

I say this because I read an article today about a 9 year old girl who lost 66 pounds. The doctors who saw her through the years told her parents that she would outgrow the weight. She would grow into it. Really? Interesting. I don't doubt one bit that the doctors said this to her parents. Why? Because that's what the doctors told mine as I was growing up. She's going to be tall (5'8") and will grow into the extra weight. No need to worry.

Well, let this 37 year old tell you, not worrying about it doesn't mean it will go away. It doesn't mean the child will "grow into" the extra weight. What if the child does? What if the child does happen to grow tall enough to distribute the extra weight so they are "normal?" Does this mean the child will now know how to eat healthy? Exercise enough to keep their weight there? Or will they continue the poor habits and never actually "grow into the weight" because they are constantly gaining and putting that healthy range out of reach? 

Because that's what happened to me. I didn't get to 5'8", I got to a nice 5'5" (alright...alright...5'4.5"). So all those extra pounds that I would grow into? Yea. Didn't happen. Not only did I gain weight, but never grew into those original extra pounds.

I applaud Breanna Bond's parents. They obviously realized their daughter's weight was a problem. It's neither here nor there if it is their fault her weight was too much. We don't know their circumstances. What I applaud is their action. They chose to make a change in their lifestyle. They chose to see another doctor. To see if there was a reason for their daughter's weight gain. They ran tests, which came back negative. Their daughter was healthy...other than her weight. So what did they do? They changed their habits. They started exercising. They changed their diet. They made a commitment to help their daughter. Nothing would stop them from helping her.

In my opinion, there needs to be more Mr. and Mrs. Bonds in the world. There need to be more proactive parents who do whatever it takes to make their children's health their top priority. There need to be more parents who see that an overweight child is not healthy. A doctor's prognosis of "growing into the pounds" is not the solution. Doctor's should not be telling parents of overweight children they will grow into the weight and instead tell them how to combat the extra pounds - eat more fruits and vegetables, cut out the sweets, exercise more, don't use food for comfort/reward/presents.

There are days I feel as if I need to get involved in childhood health initiatives. I need to become a nutritionist who specializes in childhood obesity to help combat this problem. I remember how awful it felt to be the biggest person in my class. I remember how it felt not being able to run and play like the other kids. I remember what it felt like to know my clothes were so much bigger than everyone else's. I remember how embarrassing it was to go to the mall with friends and know I couldn't fit into any of the clothes they shopped for. I remember what it was like to be the biggest girl in all the pictures. I remember what it felt like to not be asked to the prom. It's not pleasant. I wouldn't wish that on any little girl (or boy). 

The solution isn't going to be easy, but for the sake of the future we need to find something that works.

Well, this sucks

As you may know, I'm trying to (finally) reach a healthy weight.  It hasn't been going so well lately, but I'm oh so close.  Seriously.  Which I think is messing with me.  I get close to my goals and sabotage myself.  Sucks, but I know I do it.

But, what sucks is this article Once Obese Women Still Face Stigma.  Basically, a study was conducted which found people had negative opinions of women who used to weigh more, compared to people who's weight did not change, whether they were at a healthy weight or overweight. 

Really?  You are going to think negatively about a person who recognizes they are unhealthy and made the effort to eat healthier and exercise?  I was blown away.  How ridiculous is this?  And how awful are we as a society that we think more negatively about people who change their lives rather than staying static?

What do you think?  Personally, I think people who work hard at getting in shape should be role models and we should respect their achievements.