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| Before: 227 lbs, size 22, XXL After: 138 lbs, size 6-8, Medium |
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Top 100 most influential weight-loss blog?????
Say WHAT? This was totally random and surprising but I love it. See me at #60?!
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Vacation: Obese vs. fit
I am fresh off of a wonderful 4 day vacation to Ft. Myers Beach, FL, with my hubby. After a crazy year of some major life changes, we really needed the time away. Let me tell you, it was magnificent! One of my best vacations ever - and I can tell you that at least part of that is due to the state of my health.
When you are obese, unfit, unhealthy or any combination of the 3 (because while they often go together, there are times that they don't), vacation can be bittersweet. It's always great to get away and to relax. But it's no fun to stress over things like airplane seat belts (will it fit) and the tray that comes down (will my tummy be in the way of getting it all the way down). Even worse, it can be exhausting to do much walking and make you sweat 10x more than the average person. Getting into a bathing suit sucks. For many people, such as me in the past, doing certain things is intimidating.
Case in point: I would NEVER have went para-sailing in the past. Never. Ever. NEVER EVER. Not only is it nerve racking anyhow, but I would have been overcome with worries, founded or unfounded. Would the weight limit be enough? Would I look like a bit fat blob and be laughed at? Did my fat butt really belong up there? These things might seem, or even really BE ridiculous - but they were things I would have thought.
But not this time. Nope....hubby and I decided to go for it and it was spectacular. I was nervous, but I didn't let anything hold me back.
We also did a lot of walking - and I managed it just fine (other than the heat getting pretty tiring after being in the HOT sun for several hours a day a few days in a row - but that was mostly my wimpy Minnesota blood, not a low fitness level). One time, we were in a hurry to catch a trolley scheduled to come in, and the only way we would make it is if we ran. So we did. AND I was wearing flip flops! I really don't think I could have done that 2, and certainly not 3+ years ago. (We made it, by the way - we ran up to the trolley stop just as the trolley was arriving)!
Another new thing for me besides being more adventurous and being able to actually walk without keeling over....wearing cute swimsuits. Until now I have worn a lot of one-piece or 2 piece tankinis with built-in skirts. They were just fine, I am not knocking them so don't get me wrong. But everyone is different, and I longed to wear something "cute" as opposed to something that obviously came from the plus-sized racks. I ended up buying a red 2 piece tankini and a black/blue tankini as well as a black bikini top to go with the black/blue tankini bottom (got that? haha). And I WORE the bikini. Oh yes, I wore that sucker. I rocked it. I may not be perfect. I may have some stretch marks and a nice big vertical c-section scar. But I am proud of my hard work, and felt confident enough to go for it. It's not like it was some tiny triangle top. It provided good coverage. The bottoms didn't sit too far down. It was actually really perfect for me, without scaring others away yet still making me feel comfortable. Okay, but here is a confession - I mostly wore it in the mornings, before the days meals and drinks had a chance to "bloat me up" too much.
So there you have it. A great vacation, filled with confidence and the ability to physically do whatever I wanted to do, with no worries or paranoia. We swam, shelled, lounged, ate good food and drank cold tropical drinks, did a 6-hour private charter fishing trip during which my hubby caught a 400+ lb "Goliath Grouper" (along with plenty of other smaller fish for us both), we went para-sailing and saw a shark from up above, saw dolphins and a sea turtle, saw some beautiful scenery...it was a wonderful vacation.
Following are a couple of vacation pics. Just a couple from my phone - we haven't taken any off of our camera yet.
When you are obese, unfit, unhealthy or any combination of the 3 (because while they often go together, there are times that they don't), vacation can be bittersweet. It's always great to get away and to relax. But it's no fun to stress over things like airplane seat belts (will it fit) and the tray that comes down (will my tummy be in the way of getting it all the way down). Even worse, it can be exhausting to do much walking and make you sweat 10x more than the average person. Getting into a bathing suit sucks. For many people, such as me in the past, doing certain things is intimidating.
Case in point: I would NEVER have went para-sailing in the past. Never. Ever. NEVER EVER. Not only is it nerve racking anyhow, but I would have been overcome with worries, founded or unfounded. Would the weight limit be enough? Would I look like a bit fat blob and be laughed at? Did my fat butt really belong up there? These things might seem, or even really BE ridiculous - but they were things I would have thought.
But not this time. Nope....hubby and I decided to go for it and it was spectacular. I was nervous, but I didn't let anything hold me back.
We also did a lot of walking - and I managed it just fine (other than the heat getting pretty tiring after being in the HOT sun for several hours a day a few days in a row - but that was mostly my wimpy Minnesota blood, not a low fitness level). One time, we were in a hurry to catch a trolley scheduled to come in, and the only way we would make it is if we ran. So we did. AND I was wearing flip flops! I really don't think I could have done that 2, and certainly not 3+ years ago. (We made it, by the way - we ran up to the trolley stop just as the trolley was arriving)!
Another new thing for me besides being more adventurous and being able to actually walk without keeling over....wearing cute swimsuits. Until now I have worn a lot of one-piece or 2 piece tankinis with built-in skirts. They were just fine, I am not knocking them so don't get me wrong. But everyone is different, and I longed to wear something "cute" as opposed to something that obviously came from the plus-sized racks. I ended up buying a red 2 piece tankini and a black/blue tankini as well as a black bikini top to go with the black/blue tankini bottom (got that? haha). And I WORE the bikini. Oh yes, I wore that sucker. I rocked it. I may not be perfect. I may have some stretch marks and a nice big vertical c-section scar. But I am proud of my hard work, and felt confident enough to go for it. It's not like it was some tiny triangle top. It provided good coverage. The bottoms didn't sit too far down. It was actually really perfect for me, without scaring others away yet still making me feel comfortable. Okay, but here is a confession - I mostly wore it in the mornings, before the days meals and drinks had a chance to "bloat me up" too much.
So there you have it. A great vacation, filled with confidence and the ability to physically do whatever I wanted to do, with no worries or paranoia. We swam, shelled, lounged, ate good food and drank cold tropical drinks, did a 6-hour private charter fishing trip during which my hubby caught a 400+ lb "Goliath Grouper" (along with plenty of other smaller fish for us both), we went para-sailing and saw a shark from up above, saw dolphins and a sea turtle, saw some beautiful scenery...it was a wonderful vacation.
Following are a couple of vacation pics. Just a couple from my phone - we haven't taken any off of our camera yet.
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| Starting out with a drink at the airport |
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| One of my favorite pics from the vacation |
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| Para-sailing! |
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| Nothing like an beach sunset at the ocean. |
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| Starfish everywhere! |
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| A bird feeding one evening before sunset |
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| First day, right after we arrived. Checking out the scenery. |
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Shopping
When you lose 90 lbs and many sizes, it is inevitable that you will need new clothes. And I did buy a few things here and there a long the way, but never too much because I always knew I still had a ways to go - and why buy a bunch of new clothes that you know won't fit anymore soon anyhow?
But for awhile now I've been fairly stable in my weight. I do have a few pounds left to lose, but the major changes are done. Especially on top, I feel pretty safe in building a new wardrobe. But of course, there is another hurdle and that is finances. It isn't cheap to buy a ton of new clothes! Being that we recently moved and have had a lot of adjustments going on, new life to settle into etc, all of our extra money has been allocated towards other things such as debt payoff, beefing up our saving account, getting our kids into some (not cheap) swimming lessons, etc. These are priorities to us (yes, even the swimming lessons - it's not about fun, although my kids do love it...but no, it's about safety).
Now, finally, we had a little play room, thanks to the official closing on the house we sold and (still in shock) actually made money on. Hubby gave me a budget and said, go shopping.
YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! I was SO EXCITED. SOOOOO EXCIIIIITED. I headed to a local, very popular and kick-ass outlet mall and shopped all day long with my mom. I bought clothes from stores that I would never have dared stepped foot in before, due to knowing without even looking that they did not have my size. But on this day, I shopped my little heart out. I ended up with several pairs of shorts, a few pairs of pants, several shirts and several tank tops. It felt amazing and there were at least a couple of times where I found myself in a dressing room nearly in tears - not because I was upset, but because I was so happy. It was also amazing because I am pretty sure I have not ever bought that much clothing in one day. It was a BLAST!! But more than that - it was truly needed, and I think well deserved. I worked my butt off, and continue to work my butt off, for every single ounce I lost over the last 28 months.
My body certainly is not perfect, but it is healthy. Sure, if I could snap my fingers and get rid of the excess chub and skin and stretch marks that are still on my stomach, I would do it. But I am carrying 90 less pounds on this frame. I am strong. I can run!
Anyhow. I followed up my shopping trip with a hair cut and color a couple of days later, and then a little more shopping afterwards, primarily to find a swim suit. I ended up finding 2 actually. And I am looking forward to rockin' them during our vacation just a week from tomorrow (no kids!). We will be staying at a resort right on the ocean and beautiful sandy beach in Florida. Just a short 4 day trip, but I intend to enjoy ever moment.
Now I leave you with a current pic...me and my new do'.
But for awhile now I've been fairly stable in my weight. I do have a few pounds left to lose, but the major changes are done. Especially on top, I feel pretty safe in building a new wardrobe. But of course, there is another hurdle and that is finances. It isn't cheap to buy a ton of new clothes! Being that we recently moved and have had a lot of adjustments going on, new life to settle into etc, all of our extra money has been allocated towards other things such as debt payoff, beefing up our saving account, getting our kids into some (not cheap) swimming lessons, etc. These are priorities to us (yes, even the swimming lessons - it's not about fun, although my kids do love it...but no, it's about safety).
Now, finally, we had a little play room, thanks to the official closing on the house we sold and (still in shock) actually made money on. Hubby gave me a budget and said, go shopping.
YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! I was SO EXCITED. SOOOOO EXCIIIIITED. I headed to a local, very popular and kick-ass outlet mall and shopped all day long with my mom. I bought clothes from stores that I would never have dared stepped foot in before, due to knowing without even looking that they did not have my size. But on this day, I shopped my little heart out. I ended up with several pairs of shorts, a few pairs of pants, several shirts and several tank tops. It felt amazing and there were at least a couple of times where I found myself in a dressing room nearly in tears - not because I was upset, but because I was so happy. It was also amazing because I am pretty sure I have not ever bought that much clothing in one day. It was a BLAST!! But more than that - it was truly needed, and I think well deserved. I worked my butt off, and continue to work my butt off, for every single ounce I lost over the last 28 months.
My body certainly is not perfect, but it is healthy. Sure, if I could snap my fingers and get rid of the excess chub and skin and stretch marks that are still on my stomach, I would do it. But I am carrying 90 less pounds on this frame. I am strong. I can run!
Anyhow. I followed up my shopping trip with a hair cut and color a couple of days later, and then a little more shopping afterwards, primarily to find a swim suit. I ended up finding 2 actually. And I am looking forward to rockin' them during our vacation just a week from tomorrow (no kids!). We will be staying at a resort right on the ocean and beautiful sandy beach in Florida. Just a short 4 day trip, but I intend to enjoy ever moment.
Now I leave you with a current pic...me and my new do'.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Confession
Underwear. Everybody (ok, most people) wear them. So I don't care if this is TMI for some people. It's just underwear, come on.
When you are obese, it is not easy to find cute underwear. Even if you do, it's still not that fun because they are uncomfortable or fit funny or whatever. Doesn't matter if they're technically your size, they still just don't feel right.
So, after years of feeling unable to buy "cute" underwear due to my obesity, it came as a welcome bonus when I realized I could finally buy pretty much any underwear my little heart desired...no problems with finding the right size and no feelings of ridiculousness or like a huge sack full of jello being squeezed into a small sandwich baggie. No more embarrassment at buying something stylish when really I feel like I look as though I should be wearing a tarp. Nope.... I can buy whatever kind of underwear I want and feel physically and mentally comfortable doing so.
And it.is.amazing. Like I say, you should embrace both the small and the big successes - while this may be "small" in comparison to good health and fitness, and being a positive role model for my kids - it's still really damn exciting, and I'm not afraid to say so!!
When you are obese, it is not easy to find cute underwear. Even if you do, it's still not that fun because they are uncomfortable or fit funny or whatever. Doesn't matter if they're technically your size, they still just don't feel right.
So, after years of feeling unable to buy "cute" underwear due to my obesity, it came as a welcome bonus when I realized I could finally buy pretty much any underwear my little heart desired...no problems with finding the right size and no feelings of ridiculousness or like a huge sack full of jello being squeezed into a small sandwich baggie. No more embarrassment at buying something stylish when really I feel like I look as though I should be wearing a tarp. Nope.... I can buy whatever kind of underwear I want and feel physically and mentally comfortable doing so.
And it.is.amazing. Like I say, you should embrace both the small and the big successes - while this may be "small" in comparison to good health and fitness, and being a positive role model for my kids - it's still really damn exciting, and I'm not afraid to say so!!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
It's a big week!
This week is the MN Wild Game that I will be attending as the Lifetime Fitness "Fit Fan". I am crazy nervous but it should be fun! I am also glad to report that I am doing fairly well eating healthy and exercising, in fact this weekend I had what I would consider a "good" weekend...the first in a long time. If I can stay "on the wagon" this week, I am excited to see another pound or two drop off. Hitting 90 lbs is so close I can taste it. I am trying not to be impatient, because I realize the last few pounds are always hard. Not to mention, when I started this journey, my goal was to lose 77 lbs and weigh 150. That seemed to be a ridiculous, lofty goal as it was. My blog even said "My journey to losing 77 lbs". Now, well over 2 years later, I've lost almost 90! I never imagined in a million years that I would get to where I am, but at least now I finally know how strong I can be. How strong ANYONE can be, if they make the changes and prioritize and balance things as needed in order to meet their goals in a healthy way.
It just takes dedication. Scratch that - you have to be stubborn! I guess I am stubborn....I am sure my husband would NEVER say so, of course ;-)
It just takes dedication. Scratch that - you have to be stubborn! I guess I am stubborn....I am sure my husband would NEVER say so, of course ;-)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Updates
I apologize that I do not update as often as I used to; I have gotten busier, plus my weight loss has slowed significantly as I've gotten closer to goal. Whatever that is...at this point, I'm still not positive.
I think I will know what I get there, although I'm sure it won't be much more than 10 lbs more.
My last official weigh in put me at 139.8. That's right folks - This former gym class failure...this lazy-ass obese woman who huffed and puffed going up a flight of stairs in my small house.....THIS GIRL...weighs in the 130's. Barely...I could have taken a big gulp of water and been up above 140 again...but hey, 139.8 is good enough for me :-)
April 11th is coming up fast - that is when I will be representing for Lifetime Fitness at the MN Wild game as the "Fit Fan". Still freaking scary, but I have faith that it will be a fun experience.
I have started training for the Maple Grove 1/2 marathon, only to decide that I won't be doing it. I'm bailing, because that weekend is the only weekend that really works for my hubby and I to take a much-needed mini vacation. Florida, here we come! We have had a crazy year, and we have another crazy year or two ahead - so we really need this. Races will come and go, but this opportunity to reconnect with my hubby is priceless and so that is where I need to be.
I did 6 miles this past Saturday and plan to do a few more weeks of 6-7 mile long runs before climbing up more in preparation for the Garry Bjorklund 1/2 Marathon in June. I figure I already am at 6 mile long runs, there is no use backing off and building back up - might as well at least maintain that base for a few weeks. Why not? After all, running is my bodies own personal weight loss bullet. I remember last year when I started training for the 1/2...that is when I started dropping weight again after being stuck. Same thing happening this year (only slower, because I have a lot less to lose).
In any case, rest assured that I work my ASS off for every pound, every ounce I lose - especially these days. When I work out, I don't go to look pretty and move my body around casually while I people watch, like some women do. NO. I WORK OUT HARD. I love to have sweat literally dripping from my nose, running down my back and stomach, pooling in my elbow crook. When I go to get a good work out in, that level of sweatiness is what I work towards. It's not easy. Sometimes, it's miserable.
But I sure feel great when it's over!!!
I think I will know what I get there, although I'm sure it won't be much more than 10 lbs more.
My last official weigh in put me at 139.8. That's right folks - This former gym class failure...this lazy-ass obese woman who huffed and puffed going up a flight of stairs in my small house.....THIS GIRL...weighs in the 130's. Barely...I could have taken a big gulp of water and been up above 140 again...but hey, 139.8 is good enough for me :-)
April 11th is coming up fast - that is when I will be representing for Lifetime Fitness at the MN Wild game as the "Fit Fan". Still freaking scary, but I have faith that it will be a fun experience.
I have started training for the Maple Grove 1/2 marathon, only to decide that I won't be doing it. I'm bailing, because that weekend is the only weekend that really works for my hubby and I to take a much-needed mini vacation. Florida, here we come! We have had a crazy year, and we have another crazy year or two ahead - so we really need this. Races will come and go, but this opportunity to reconnect with my hubby is priceless and so that is where I need to be.
I did 6 miles this past Saturday and plan to do a few more weeks of 6-7 mile long runs before climbing up more in preparation for the Garry Bjorklund 1/2 Marathon in June. I figure I already am at 6 mile long runs, there is no use backing off and building back up - might as well at least maintain that base for a few weeks. Why not? After all, running is my bodies own personal weight loss bullet. I remember last year when I started training for the 1/2...that is when I started dropping weight again after being stuck. Same thing happening this year (only slower, because I have a lot less to lose).
In any case, rest assured that I work my ASS off for every pound, every ounce I lose - especially these days. When I work out, I don't go to look pretty and move my body around casually while I people watch, like some women do. NO. I WORK OUT HARD. I love to have sweat literally dripping from my nose, running down my back and stomach, pooling in my elbow crook. When I go to get a good work out in, that level of sweatiness is what I work towards. It's not easy. Sometimes, it's miserable.
But I sure feel great when it's over!!!
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