My Journey to Health

Testing, Testing.. is this thing on? I've been gone since September, and a lot has happened! As of today, I'm going to start blogging more regularly regarding my journey to a healthier me! I'm actually making fantastic progress. I'm no longer talking the talk, but actually walking the walk now. I wrote a blog post for a friend about my journey, so I decided it would be perfect to reopen my old blog with this. It is super long, but I wanted to share so much! 

1. Tell us about your journey. You’ve hit a BIG milestone! 50 pounds! Why/when did you start?

I began my quest to get healthy on November 14, 2012, the day after my 2nd wedding anniversary. I had been talking about making changes to my lifestyle for several months, starting in January 2012 when I signed up to take a Zumba class, and dived into the wonderful world of Green Monsters. My girlfriend from work (shout out to Heather!) was a Zumba instructor, and she encouraged me to try one of her classes. Zumba showed me how exercise can be fun, even if you’re terribly uncoordinated like me!

I stopped going to Zumba by June 2012, because my right knee began to bother me. And by the end of August, I had to wear a walking boot on my right foot due to a stress fracture. I felt like my body was rebelling against me, and I decided to get serious about getting into shape and losing weight. I want to have kids before I turn 30 (I’m 27), and I knew my body was not going to handle pregnancy well if I didn’t take care of myself beforehand. So I made up my mind to stop making excuses and start doing something about it. I began logging every day on My Fitness Pal, and once I finished two complete weeks of logging, I started to incorporate exercise.

2. If you’ve struggled to lose weight before, why was this time different?

I got to a point where I was sick of starting over. I had been on the diet roller coaster for years, starting with Weight Watchers at the age of 14. After probably about 8 times on and off WW over the last 13 years, my husband made me promise that I would never go back. And I haven’t. It just didn’t work for me.
A friend recommended MFP to me, and I checked it out. One of my first friends on MFP was Joy, aka Joyzy. She has such a great story to share - from a spinal cord injury to running half marathons and losing 100 pounds. She inspired me to aim for 365 days of continual logging in MFP, and to start making a real effort to lose weight, no matter how long it would take me. Even if I have a bad meal, I still track it on MFP. I treat MFP like a budget – if I go over one day, it’s not going to blow the rest of the week. When I made the decision to change, I was at a point in my life where I honestly felt like I had no control over anything other than what I put into my body. I realized that I am the only one who has 100% control over my weight, and my health. So I embarked on this crazy journey with that outlook, and I have never regretted a single moment.

3. What are your keys to succeeding? What has helped you along the way? (Consistency, finding an easier meal plan, etc)

Encouragement is a big key to success. Whether it comes from my husband, my family, my friends, or my doctor, it keeps me motivated. I have so many supporters out there, who constantly give me positive feedback on how much progress I've made. I’m doing this for myself, but it certainly helps keep me going!

The ability to adapt to any situation with the MFP mobile app has been a life saver. My husband and I like to travel a lot, and using MFP allows me to stay on track while being away from my kitchen. A lot of chain restaurants have food loaded in MFP’s database, so I can look up a menu item and decide whether it’s worth the calorie hit or not. I track as I eat throughout the day, which helps me steer clear of bad food choices in the afternoon/evening.

I actually have a healthy relationship with exercise now. I grew up as a lazy kid (still inherently lazy as an adult), who’d rather read a book or sit on the couch and watch TV instead of going outside to run around. My metabolism has always been slow, and I’ve learned that in order to lose weight, I have to move. Whether it is walking, taking a Zumba class, Yoga, or beginning to train for a 5K, I have to be active. I’m going to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life if I don’t continue this habit. Exercise has so many benefits - from balancing out mood swings (hello endorphins!), stress relief, and gaining self-confidence - it is here to stay! I love how I feel after a good workout. I actually get restless now when I haven’t worked out in a few days.

My mantra has always been that I’m not boot-camping myself. Gradual changes are the best. I’m not making myself stick to a crazy training plan, just adding in different workouts when I decide I need variety or get stuck on a plateau weight-loss wise. I don’t want to be thin; I want to be healthy and fit. I want to accomplish fitness goals that I never imagined I’d do!

4. What are some of your proudest moments along the way? (Times when you've felt empowered and in control, going down a size, etc)

I had a woman walk up to me one day in the gym two months ago, who was probably the same size I was when I started in November. I was on the elliptical, doing my usual session of 45 minutes, and she asked me how in the world I was able to do that. I told her that I started off doing 10 minutes elliptical, 10-20 minutes walking on the treadmill until I could work up to a full elliptical session for cardio. She just seemed so surprised that I was able to accomplish this. The key was to keep trying, and work on increasing the time/pace. I could relate to her, as that was how I felt when I begin coming to the gym.

One of my original goals was to shop in Loft with my sister Jackie. I have never been able to wear anything in that store, and about a month ago, I was able to go in and try on clothes with her. I can wear an XL top in Loft now. That’s just crazy! I nearly started crying, because it just showed how far I’ve come. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with shopping, and now I’m starting to find it more enjoyable especially to see my progress in the dressing room. I posted this status a few months ago on my Facebook page – I love trying on clothes now. I don’t even have to buy the clothes; it’s just visualizing the progress and seeing the sizes go down from where I was in November.

I’ve had two pairs of jeans, which were smaller sizes that I bought 4-5 years ago as motivation to lose weight. Until recently, they sat in the bottom of my dresser, brand new, with tags on them, as a reminder of what I wanted and what I’d yet to achieve. I was able to get into the larger pair about 2 months ago. The smaller sized pair is just waiting to be tried on (and I’m fairly certain they fit now). It feels awesome to be able to see the progress, especially through items I’ve had for a few years, just waiting for me to make these healthy changes.

5. Have you had any struggles along the way? How did you overcome them? Can you avoid them/or will it be easier to overcome by knowing what to do next time? How have you kept motivated?

I’ve definitely had a few struggles here and there - mainly with making bad food choices. But unlike in the past, I refused to let it overrun my progress. I just picked up the next day and aimed for healthier choices, and tried to stop shaming myself about eating one bad thing. It happens, and it most likely will continue to happen. There will be slip ups. But it is not an excuse to stop eating healthy. If I really want something, I'll have it, but I won't keep having it for the next several days. And I’ll try to have the smallest size/portion so I can keep it under control. A girl has to have her chocolate! Thankfully I’ve found that Dove Dark Chocolate and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares satisfy that craving, and I take out whatever the serving portion is, track it, and put the bag back in the cabinet, and I don’t go back for more.

I’ve hit a few plateaus with my weight loss - my body had become accustomed to what I was eating, and the regular exercise, and I wouldn’t see a loss on the scale for a few weeks. One time, I decided to give myself a few days to stray from my regular regimen, did not exercise, and it seemed to help reset my weight loss. Our bodies get accustomed to our routines, so to keep moving, sometimes you need a break, or you need a new routine. Right now I’ve begun focusing on clean eating (less processed, more whole foods), and the Couch to 5K running program in order to throw my body something new - strenuous cardio! I’m a pro on the elliptical, but when it comes to running, it is completely different. It is pretty crazy that 7 months ago I could barely complete 10 minutes on an elliptical.
I've kept motivated to keep going because I can see the progress – my clothes are getting loose, I can see the changes in the mirror, and I can feel the difference when I workout. I take measurements once a month so if the scale is being stubborn, I know my body is changing regardless of the scale, and I feel stronger and healthier every day.

6. What’s next? How will you approach the next part of your journey?

I'm still a work in progress. My ultimate goal is to lose somewhere around 127 pounds. Ideally, I've made a promise with myself to lose at least 100 pounds, and then see where my body takes me. And I’m halfway to that initial goal! Just absolutely crazy! As long as I'm active and fit, I will be thrilled no matter what the scale says.

I'm focusing on fitness goals in addition to the weight-loss goals, and running is one of those things I've never been able to do. My original fitness goal was to run a 5K before my birthday next year, and now I’m considering signing up for a 5K run/walk this fall. I used to love hiking, but with my knee and the added weight, I had to stop. I want to get back into hiking, and I can’t wait for this fall. I’m in much better shape than I’ve been, even when I was at a lower weight.

I'm at the point in my journey that all of these changes have become second-nature for me. I don't have to fight with myself to go to the gym, or to not eat that cookie in the office. My mentality towards food is gradually shifting towards healthier decision making – what is the best fuel for a workout, for a breakfast, etc. It feels awesome to finally have control over my health. I made excuses for years and now I'm at a point that I can't imagine going back to my terrible habits. This is going to be a challenge for me – to not let myself slide back off, but at the same time, I don't feel that any of my habits are that hard to maintain. It's just consistency day-to-day, and keeping a healthy mindset towards my future. I’m working hard to establish a healthy lifestyle that I can maintain for the rest of my life. I want my children to grow up and know healthy habits, and not struggle like I have. I’m excited to see my progress, and where I will be on my one year “Fitaversary” on November 14, 2013! 

You can find me on My Fitness Pal as StaceyMarie86! Looking forward to sharing more of my journey!