Thank you

I feel like I really need to say thank you.

Of course, first....thank you to my husband for putting up with me, supporting me and being proud of me. He has to gets to live with me day in and day out, so his support is a huge key to my success. He is also an inspiration, having gone through and being in the midst of his own journey. He is more amazing and means more to me than he knows!

Thank you to my kids - for being so amazing and being one of my core motivators. They are my life.

Thank you to ALL the friends and family who support me and encourage me. My close friends, far friends, acquaintances, parents, sister in law...everyone. You all rock. Thank you especially to friends who tell me I inspire them, for example Chelsea who says she lost 20 lbs thanks to my influence. That means a lot to me! Thank you also to Amberle, who I sort of started the journey with after we went to a weight watchers info session, and decided that we didn't need to pay that kind of money; we could do it on our own. And we did.

Thank you to my blog readers and Facebook followers. Another reason for my success has been that I put it all out there, for friends as well as complete strangers to read and judge. But mostly I just figured that the more people I was sort of "accountable" to, the harder it would be to let myself fail. Guess what, it worked! It also helps getting words of encouragement and reading other success stories, both of which I get much more of through having this blog and having the Facebook page.

Thank you to Moms RUN This Town. The organization as a whole, the people I have met and will meet through it, and the strangers (other chapter leaders) across the country who I probably never will meet. Many have inspired me and encouraged me. And, it's not just about running or weight loss - I went out on a limb to do something I was nervous and scared about (leading a chapter) and never looked back. It was honestly something that was TOTALLY out of character for me. Very much outside of my comfort zone...but along side with getting healthier, MRTT has helped me become more confident.

Finally, I guess I should thank my body and my mind. For being stronger than I knew either of them could or would ever be!!!!


Ok. Now that those are done with for now - back to my regularly scheduled ranting posts about the importance of being honest with yourself. And how amazing Chinese food is (damnit).

Frequently Asked Question

I often get asked "How did you get started? I don't know where to start, what should I do?"

The hardest part about getting started on a weight loss journey, actually has nothing to do with getting started. No, the hardest part (in my opinion) for myself and many others is how to be consistent and keep going once you've started.

Think about it. It's easy to eat well for one day. It's easy to go for a walk or do something somewhat active on a beautiful evening after work or on a gorgeous, sunny weekend day. But it is not always easy to eat well, consistently, for an extended period of time. It is not always easy to make exercise a part of your routine. There are several reasons why it can be hard to stay on track. Maybe you have a busy schedule and fitting in exercise is difficult. Maybe your coworkers invite you out for lunch frequently and it's often a place that has very few healthy options. Maybe you get sick, take a break from working out, then never start again.  Maybe you have been doing it for a week but have gained a pound and figure "What's the use?".  Maybe the weather has been awful. Maybe you don't have access to a gym. The reasons (and, let's face it - excuses) are endless.

"Start exercising. Eat healthier". It's been said a thousand times. But what some people don't think about is that it's a mental game, too. I've put a lot of thought into this...and you really need to have a positive, determined attitude in order to beat the road blocks (especially in the beginning) and battle the plateaus. Instead of letting yourself be overwhelemed by what is working against you - you need to make the conscious decicision to basically make lemons into lemonade. Be creative. Be determined. Make sacrifices. Prioritize. Don't let yourself give up no matter how stuck you feel. Keep in mind that even if the scale doesn't move, you are still making a difference to your body. Take it day by day.

I am very guilty of getting overly frustrated by being "stuck" on the scale. I've gained 5 or 10 lbs back and lost it again a couple of times. I've been stuck several times. I'm stuck right now. I currently weigh the same as I did 4 months ago. And I won't lie - it ticks.me.off. It's frustrating and annoying. Sometimes I just want to throw myself down on the floor, kick, and scream "It's not faaaaiiir"!!!! But instead, I just keep on, keepin on.

Even after I screw up (hello, chinese food or pizza for supper followed by a glass bottle of wine). I know that I am a hundred times healthier than I was before I started, and I won't let a bump in the road or the occasional indulgence take away from that fact.  The same holds true when you are still in the beginning stages of the journey...no matter what hurdles are being thrown your way, or what "mistakes" you make, you just gotta keep on, keepin' on. Really try to keep your attitude positive and determined - because that is how you will be able to pull through and continue the healthy changes, even after that very first day, week, month, and beyond.

So you see - it's mental.

What to Expect

Losing weight and finally get fit & healthy after a lifetime of inactivity and obesity is HARD. Right off the bat...one should prepare themselves for a rollercoaster of emotions, frustrations, success, and road blocks. If you're anything like me, you will sometimes struggle to make the healthy choice. You will struggle with keeping your portions to a healthy amount. You will feel like it is impossible that you will ever have the stamina to exercise the way you should. You will try - and it will go terribly and you will feel like a total failure.

But you're NOT a failure! All of those struggles and roadblocks can serve as some of the best motivators and learning experiences, and ultimately lead to greater success. If you just committ yourself and just keep at it, even after "failures"...you will find that you are stronger than you ever realized. And your improved health/weight/fitness level will reflect that.

Just make sure that you never set yourself up for failure by hoping that it will be easy. Because more than likely, it won't. Expect, and be willing, to work hard. To make sacrifices. To prioritize. To struggle.

Expect that it might take a long time - and be okay with that, because you know that is the healthiest and most sustainable way to do it!

And just remember - In order to change yourself, you need to challenge yourself.

The Healthy Way of Life

Check this out. My gym, Lifetime Fitness, has a blog...http://thehealthywayoflife.com.
And right now - guess who's story is featured?

Mine.

And I am SO excited. I know that reading and hearing success stories always helped give me motivation and inspiration - and I hope that I can now do the same for others. Even if it's just ONE person.

Incredible

The last couple weeks at Zumba has been a girl I can't help but notice.

She's a good 6 feet tall
Not that I'm any good at guessing, but I'd say she weighs over 350. Maybe close to 400?
She is physically unable to do some of the moves
She is surrounded by "skinny" or at least smaller by comparison, people shaking their booties.

Yet she tries. She has come twice in a row now.

She is incredible.

I'm sure she doesn't feel it. She might feel awkward and nervous and uncomfortable and self conscious. She possibly feels like people are looking down on her. Maybe she feels overwhelmed at the journey in front of her.

She is incredible, and she may not even realize it.

She has taken the first step towards better
health...even despite all sorts of factors working against her or excuses she could so easily make.

She.is.incredible.

I wish I could talk to her without coming across as creepy, annoying, pushy or crazy. I wish I could tell her how awesome she is and how great she is doing. I wish I could give her encouragement and hope. I just want to hug her and say "girl, you rock".

She is incredible. I hope she knows.
Let it be an example to all of us. You control your destiny. You choose your own choices. It's up to you to throw out the excuses and say "screw the world, I'm doing this for me and who cares what anyone thinks".

She represents so many...Obese. Overweight. 10 lbs to lose. Wanting to get fit and healthy regardless of weight. She represents it all. I may not have had as much weight to lose as she does, but she is ME. I am HER.

We should always respect and support each other. We have the same goals. The same fears. The same struggles.

We are the same.

Still strange

I still am not used to seeing myself look "normal" in photos. It is foreign to me that I finally am okay with the way my pics turn out, rather than being forever mortified at how awful I look and UNphotogenic I am. I still can find things to "pick at" about pictures of myself...who can't...but at least I dont feel disgusted and embarrassed anymore.

Commitment Day 5k!

I live in Minnesota. It gets cold in the winter. Today was one of those days...about -8 when I woke up. So what did I do? What any insane person might do. I went out and ran an organized 5k fun run, called commitment day, through my gym Lifetime Fitness. I wasn't planning it, but things just worked out that I did it, and I'm glad. It was fun! Cold, but fun. Not timed...which was fine, as it was so cold and crowded anyhow.

I'm glad to have started out 2013 with a 5k under my belt already!!

Bonus-who doesn't like race goodies (swag bags)? I got a shirt and a cool hard covered 2013 commitment day journal out of the deal. You wrote your commitment and keep track of your progress in it. I'm totally going to use it. I wrote several commitments:

-To run 500+ miles in 2013
-To run at least 3 half marathons
-To run a sub-26 minute 5k
-To eat healthy most of the time
-To get to the gym 2-4 times per week.

And the mother of all my commitments- to lose the remaining bit of my weight. I started this journey after New Years 2011. Two full years ago now. It's time to finish what I started and officially move to the next phase...which will last forever...and that is maintaining.