21 years old...that is the body I want back! Don't we all though? Well, it depends...on if you were a heavy drinker and gained a little belly from your year of partying. I was about 150 lbs when I was 21, and I will say that is my "happy" weight. At 5'8", 150 lbs doesn't look bad on you. I never had to watch what I ate though...and NEVER exercised. All that mattered was that I was happy with myself. I felt great. I didn't realize it at the time, of course. But as I look back and even see pictures from that time of my life, I loved the way I looked: confident and happy as hell; always a smile on my face.
Then...I met a boy. There's always a boy, right? We met and dated when I turned 19...and then broke up right before I turned 21. I had my single year and my fun, and then we started dating again. He ended up proposing and we were together for a total of 7 years (5 of those years being engaged). We lived together, naturally...and what always happens when you move in with a boyfriend and get comfortable? You slowwwlyyyy start letting yourself go; without realizing it. It happened so slowly and gradually, before I knew it, it was 2005...2006...and I was pushing 200 lbs! I couldn't believe I had let myself gain almost 50 lbs in a matter of a few years. I went from being a size 8/9 to being just about a size 16 at 196 lbs. It was unacceptable to me. Needless to say, he gained as well...a LOT. My efforts in helping him trim back down were futile.
So, I just focused on myself. The first thing I did was register with SparkPeople.com. I can't recall how I heard of the website, but it was my savior. I got so many tips and advice, and make a few really good friends. I was ready to lose weight. I completely cut out soda. Him and I were drinking 2-liters a day...and I don't mean just one...multiple 2-liters! I may have had one on the weekend, one soda, not one 2-liter! I drank a ton of water. I bought a cheap elliptical and started working out just 3 times a week for 30 minutes; seriously busting a sweat on that elliptical. I'm lucky to say that the weight just poured off me. I was also tracking my food every day with SparkPeople. Their food tracker is my favorite. It puts into perspective what you eat everyday. I can't remember how many times I entered something and said, "Wow, that has THAT many calories?! Yikes." I made smarter choices. I will say that I NEVER dieted. I merely cut down my calories and just made better choices. If I wanted a piece of chocolate, I would have one. I do not believe in completely depriving yourself. Nothing saddens me more when you are out with friends and someone says, "Oh, I'm on a diet, I can't have that." Nonsense! You're setting yourself up for failure!
I quickly lost approximately 36 lbs. I was quite proud of myself. I felt better, cleaner, healthier, and more energetic. The best thing about working out is that afterwards you feel awesome about it. You won't regret working out, but you will regret sitting on your butt and procrastinating about it!
So after losing 36 lbs, I kind of hit a plateau. The scale was not moving. I was between 160 and 163 for the next 5 years or so. I wasn't motivated, so I didn't do anything; no tracking and no exercising. I am lucky I didn't gain all that weight back! Which brings us to 2012. I am currently at 169, and 30 years old. I gained about 10 lbs of that weight back; which I don't think is that terrible. Then again, I never had a scale, so I don't really know how much I weighed after moving here. I could have been 175! Who knows. I decided I needed to do something. I started feeling disgusting about myself. Not to mention, disappointed. So I recently started walking trails in our town, starting on easy ones and moving up to harder ones, and using the gym that we have on site at our apartment complex. It's free, I have ZERO excuse not to use it. I am back at logging my food as well; which can be kind of frustrating. I'm still trying to get the hang of staying within my calorie range. I do pretty good 90% of the time. Sometimes, I go over. But hey, I don't beat myself up over it anymore. It happens. I have cut way down on snacking. In fact, I don't do it at all. I don't have a huge sweet tooth, which plays in my favor. My only downfall is bread and pasta. Carbs...sweet, sweet carbs. I don't think I will ever give them up. I just need to figure out how to eat the right portions. I am pretty good with measuring portions of my meals. With the exception of dinner; especially if it is in pasta form. Sigh. I tend to gorge myself on it at dinner. I make it about once a week. So, once a week I pig out. Then feel completely bloated and horrendous. Sometimes ya never learn...
Now I could go on about sugars, carbs, good fats, trans fats, all that confusing stuff...what you CAN eat, what you CAN'T eat...but it's really all about you. It depends on the person that's losing the weight. I can't tell you what I ate, because I don't remember...but even if I did remember, I wouldn't say, "Oh, eat this and do that and the weight will just pour off you." Everyone is different. I think the key to being successful in being healthy and losing weight, or maintaining your "happy" weight is just to be SMART about it; make GOOD choices. It's not that hard once you get thinking about it. You can even start small...if you absolutely must go to a fast food restaurant, order a kids meal! They have healthy choices now: apples, milk, etc.
I'm not here to lecture or to tell you what to do and how to do it. I'm just here to tell you about how I did it in the past and how I'm TRYING to get back on the wagon...and maybe I could use some help too!
Oh! Since the "boy-who-made-me-fat" (yes, I can blame him...), I have been in 2 serious relationships, and a couple flings... But in December 2011, I made a huge decision and left my friends and family in New York to live in Washington state in January of 2012 with my fiance, Russ, and I couldn't be happier. WE couldn't be happier. We miss our New York life sometimes. But it's all good. Life is pretty darn good <3
