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Insights?
My Weight Loss Journey

Pearls of Wisdom?
 
I don't really know that I have any insights, but people are always asking me how I am doing it and why.
 
I'll start with the why. I never really felt good about myself, but I thought I'd lived fat for so long that's just the way it was going to be. In 2000 I decided to make it a goal to love and accept myself the way I am. I worked on self acceptance and got there. For the most part I was pretty happy with who I was.
 
So why change? Well, I had spent years working on my brain. I had always told myself that if I couldn't be pretty then I would be smart. I've pursued a number of professional certifications. I finished my MaEd in the Summer of 2001. I had worked my way into teaching the highest level classes in my department. All in all, I was pretty darn happy with myself!
 
So what made a difference? Well, I realized that if I truly did love myself I wasn't showing it by continuing to eat like a teenager. I decided that I would work on my body...just be a little vain and a little selfish for awhile. I looked at a lot of programs (after trying to do it on my own...a feat for which I didn't have the willpower) and decided that I would try this only once, I would do it sensibly, and it would be a life changing experience!
 
So here I am about nine months later truly amazed with how far I've come. I am actually feeling good about the way I look! My goal is to get to 130 pounds. I hope to achieve that by next year, but even if I don't...at least I'm getting healthier every day!

Future Goals
There are a few things I'd like to do related to my physical self.
  • I'm going to walk in the Relay for Life in June 2002 with my kids in FBLA.  I did it! I walked for well over six hours. Oh man was I sore the next day, but it felt awesome.
  • Run the 1 mile Berry Run. I am not a "runner" but I can probably jog! I did this too! I came in dead last, but that's okay. I was late starting and we let these three little kids run with us who were also late. They wanted to walk more than run, hence the stunning "20 minute mile." I'm down to a 10 minute mile now as I've been running three days a week.
  • Body for Life challenge.
  • Join a Tae Kwon Do class.
  • Stay with the Weight Watchers program for at least two years, formally.
  • Continue working until I am a size 8 and weigh under 140 pounds. Wow, I'm a size 8 now at 145 pounds. Now I'm going for a size 6. I may cry when I get there.

Weight Goals

  • 175: Roller Coaster weight and Driver's License weight. At this point I will match my DL and will feel comfortable going on a roller coaster.
  • 150: Cruise goal...my husband and I want to go on a cruise.
  • 135: Goal! I may get another tattoo!
  • Okay, 130 is now my new goal because at 145 I don't feel like I have only 10 pounds to lose. So at 130, who knows what I'll do to celebrate!
Cool Things
  • Even though I've always been an energetic person, I have WAY more energy than I've ever had before.
  • I feel active! I love that!
  • I'm wearing a size 8. I haven't worn a size 8 in as long as I can remember. I remember wearing a size 9 in high school. I know sizes are different now, but I truly don't think I've looked this good since right around high school.
  • I am exercising seven days a week without excuse. I do Curves six days a week and run/walk three days a week. Because my hips were bothering me I have scaled back on my running and now do just one mile at a time (run one walk two, three days a week).
  • There are muscles in my arms. I  don't know how they got there...but they are there!
  • I am able to take off all of my rings! In fact, I had to get one resized. My beautiful energy ring. The man who made it, who is an awesome guy, actually replaced my size 10 ring with a size 7. Check out the ring at his website. I have the sterling silver one.
  • I can tuck things in! I can wear belts! Someone told me I have "skinny legs." Me! Skinny!

145a.jpg

Kicking back in my bedroom. Don't you love the walls? Roy rag painted them to my specifications. (I pick the colors, he does the work...which is as it should be.)

Secrets of My Success
  • I journal every day using the online program at Weight Watchers. If I am out of town, I journal on my handheld computer.
  • My husband eats healthy with me. Even if he wasn't on program, I would never consider making another meal for him nor for children if I had them. If I am eating healthy I value my family enough to give them the same foods.
  • I make food choices based on what I like to eat, not what I think I should eat.
  • I tailor my eating to when it works best for me. For me that means no breakfast and snacks in the evenings. I still get in my veggies, though! I promise!
  • I exercise every day, if possible. I now consider myself as an active person.
  • I take on challenges on the WW boards.  I find that setting goals really helps me to focus.
  • I don't take a day off...okay, I didn't journal on my birthday and enjoyed a healthy but non-point happy meal on my anniversary...but other than that I have been 100% on program.
  • I do not believe in going off program. If I choose to indulge I do it within the program. That includes vacations. I use a modified vacation plan where I eat all of my activity points. I earn a LOT of APs on vacation. So far I've had only a one pound gain from a vacation (I've taken five). I lost three the week after the pound gain. That has been my only gain on program.
  • I eat at the low end and work out every day so I can bank 5-9 points a day. On the weekends I feel free to dip into my bank. I always have one high day on the weekend to keep my metabolism guessing.
  • I participate in mailing lists and the online bulletin boards.
  • I treat myself, but only within points. I try to eat as "normally" as possible. I know me. If I feel deprived, forget about it.
  • I set up milestones for myself. For example, I treated myself to a pedicure after my 30 pound loss. After the first of the year I plan to treat myself to Laser Surgery on my eyes. Imagine being able to wake up and SEE!
  • My life gets too crazy and too busy and when I get stressed I don't want to have to worry about food! I try to make sure I have plenty of low point meals around so meals are simple to put together.
  • I don't jump on the excuse wagon. Stress, someone's birthday, the cookies called my name, being really hungry, eating out, etc. are not excuses to stop eating in a healthy manner. I simply do not bow to those temptations. That doesn't mean I won't have a piece of cake on my husband's birthday. It means I'll eat a light lunch, journal the small piece of cake, and eat it within my program.
  • I don't think of this as a diet, but as a sensible way of eating.