I'm a Loser.

This is random, and hopefully not gloaty-sounding or lame to post. I feel a bit self-conscious about talking weight (it's one of those awkward things like money), but when in doubt, I tend to spill.

Hopefully this won't be as awkward as my Obama post a few years back (*ahem). :)

You see, one of my neighbor/friends Facebooked me and said that she'd just seen me out and was again impressed by how skinny I look (um... seriously? SUPER flattering!) and wanted to know what I did/do to get that way. She's noticed my weight loss and wanted advice so she could do the same.

I was uber-flattered.

Side note: please don't be disappointed when you see me next; I really don't look that smokin'. But this has all been a big part of my life lately, so I'm sharing it. For journaling purposes.

Anyway, this is what I wrote back (excessively wordy, go figure):

My climax of feeling icky and fat, etc, was June 1st. I remember because it was the last day of our quarter at school (I teach adults English), and we had an end-of-quarter class picture. And I was severely disappointed in my pic. I tend to be in denial, thinking I look great... and seeing how not-true that was was the last straw.

So I told Aubrey that I needed to work out (took her up on her standing offer, really), and we did. I made it my goal to work out EVERY DAY (well, minus Sunday- unless we went on a family walk or something). I would run/walk (run as much as I could, which was like 5 minutes at first... it is now more like 30, months later) for 20 minutes at least twice a week. Then I'd do SOMETHING else on the other days. Yoga, an exercise DVD, something. Yoga is super easy sweat-wise, but it really helps my posture and helps me feel fit and sexy. So I'd make sure and work out. Often. It was a big deal, and helped me FEEL tons better as well as lose about 5 lbs. Woot.

Then, in September, I decided I needed to "up" my game. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my phone (it is available online too, free as well, at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ if you don't have a smart phone; having it on your phone is significantly easier to do, though).

Anyway, MyFitnessPal is a calorie/workout calculator. I know you said you hate counting calories, and I always swore I would NEVER do it. But oh. my. gosh. It totally worked. I realized initially that so many things were WAY more calories than I ever had realized. I also realized that I snacked far too much. Then I got things under control... and was hungry. Quite a bit. For a few days. So I figured out how to eat things that were higher fiber, higher protein, etc, so I would feel fuller longer. Turns out if you eat healthy stuff- you can eat TONS more of it! So that helped. It was an adjustment, but once I figured it out (which really wasn't that long later) it was honestly pretty easy!

So that's what I do now. Well, what I SHOULD do now. The biggest thing is the calorie counting. Apparently weight loss really IS just a mathematical thing. Eat less, burn more. And having the app to do it makes my life mostly stress free. And the control freak in me actually kinda thrives on it.

So I try to run once or twice a week. For 30 minutes now (start small, then increase a month or so later). I also try to go to Zumba once a week (this kicks my butt). And while I suck lately at squeezing in other stuff, I'm trying to re-incorporate that... like Yoga in the morning or shoveling snow or something. And then I track what I eat. The more I exercise, the more I can eat. So that's good incentive. I try to eat like 200-300 calorie meals so that at the end of the day, I have calories to use for junk. :) Probably not smart, but I seriously love late-night snacking... and I seriously love ice cream and pie and candy. So I still eat it. The real stuff. Just less, and only when I can "afford" it.


Wow. See why I couldn't type that all from my phone? :) Sorry it's so long. I just want to be thorough and hopefully as helpful as I can be. Don't beat yourself up if you suck at it at first. Just tell your body "thank you" and "good job" and be glad you're not on the couch eating a brownie sundae. Anything counts.

You are gorgeous already. Really. But being more healthy is a fantastic goal (and feels super great). So good luck. And good for you.

Helpful??

PS. After I started doing the MyFitnessPal thing (counting calories), I started dropping pounds like crazy! I lost like 10 lbs in a month or something wild. I have now lost a total of like 20 (!!) lbs. We'll see if it stays off, but now I feel like it's in my control. I like control.

There's my testimony. :)

Okay, chao.

There you go. My weight-loss story, lol. I honestly do feel (and hopefully look) so much better now. It's like I'm now the right size for my body. Know what I mean? Before I wasn't nasty-fat or anything, I just wasn't "me." I feel much more "me" now... and much less inhibited by my out-of-shape body. It's pretty sweet.

And so is pie.