Losing weight. Ugh! Right? I have never had a weight problem until a few years ago. I had my third baby, turned 30, and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism all within 2 years. That's a triple threat on weight. I have never struggled with losing weight before and the only time I fought with gaining too much too fast was when I was a freshman in college. Eating ice cream every night isn't exactly the best thing to do to your body. So, I worked to get that weight off so I could fit into my Christmas banquet dress. It was snug but it fit.
My sophomore year in college, I was engaged. The college had an outbreak of mono. I had a job that required me to clean the bathrooms on our dorm floor. Students were getting so sick that they had to go home. Some dropped out because they missed so many classes. I started getting sick, too. I missed a couple weeks and ended up going home in late October. I had lost 10 pounds in 2 days and kept dropping. Eating was exhausting. Just bringing the fork to my mouth wore me out and I had to take a break between bites. I returned to school sometime in November and only had to drop 1 class. However, I was getting married in May and I did not want to be that anorexic bride so I worked at gaining. This was the only time I truly worked at gaining weight and just could not do it. I was 1 pound short of my goal by my wedding day, weighing in at 119 lbs.
Getting married caused a little more weight gain. We ate supper late, still going to school, hubby had a job that was very sporadic plus he was student teaching for a semester. The elementary education program is not for sissies! With stresses of early marriage and school, I was back up to a normal weight without a problem. I never worried about what I ate, what I drank. Weight was never a huge issue with me. I stayed in a healthy range without trying.
So, back to my triple threat. I gained 5 pounds a year since the birth of my baby. Every time I attempted to lose it, I gained 5 more pounds over night. Ok, within a week. Still, it was very discouraging to see the scale go up when I had been working very hard to lose weight. The more I tried to lose, the more I gained. Then, my body would completely give out. After a few weeks of working out, I would suddenly not have the energy to workout more than 10 minutes. I used the Wii Fit often and before I even hit the 10 minute mark, I was lying on the floor, barely able to raise my hand with the remote to turn it off. I blame that on my thyroid. So, after gaining and collapsing, I give up.
I'm back at it. Only once did I start a workout plan and started losing right away. I found a weight loss program online, bought it, and started eating and doing what it said to do. It worked. But it got expensive and the food became less and less appetizing. I hit a platteau so again, I gave up. That ended a couple months ago. It's been in the back of my mind though because I have 2 things that are pushing me to try again. 1: I made the commitment to not cut my hair until I reach my goal weight of 135 lbs. 2: I have to fit into a bridesmaid dress next July. It's already bought and in my closet. When I first tried it on, it was snug around my thighs but not too uncomfortable. But I want it to be comfortable...or even better, needed to be taken in. :)
What's my plan this time? I have joined a Biggest Loser contest on Facebook. I have done this multiple times with my college alumni site but have never come close to winning. But, it keeps me motivated to keep trying, even with those disappointing weeks of gaining! I'll add back in those healthy foods from the diet program I bought, hopefully not breaking the bank. And I'll drink more water - I've always struggled with drinking enough of anything and water is my last choice of beverage. Certainly, I'll cut down on pop, late night snacking, and junk food in general. The weekends are my weakness. I drink a lot more pop, eat a lot more snacks, and really get into the ice cream. I can't give up ice cream completely, but I could cut down. My biggest struggle is finding the time to shower after a workout. I have no problem finding time to workout. It's the stupid shower afterwards that takes so much time out of my day when I just want to get on with it.
I find it ironic that a TV that helps people lose a tremendous amount of weight is 2 hours long. Sure, they encourage viewers to get up and do some exercises during the commercial breaks, but I guarantee you that most people are sitting on their couches snacking on some unhealthy snack for 2 hours straight. Every week. As I watched the premiere last Tuesday, I had the urge to get up and workout with the contestants so I think I will do that every Tuesday night from now on. I can't just sit there for 2 hours watching other people who start out heavier than I am work their tails off and lose 10+ lbs a week.
I have taken before pictures several times and each time, I am bigger. Definitely going backwards. I will spare you these pics because they are not at all flattering. However, if I am successful this time around, I will post my after pics alongside some recent ones of myself at this weight. But I am not going to take before pics anymore because there has yet to be an after.
Pray for me if you feel lead to. There are so many discouragements in trying to lose weight and for someone who never had to worry about what I ate, I just really struggle at choosing the right things to eat. I wish I could go running somewhere, but it's hard with kids. I know I'm going to have some battles but I must press on. I don't want to gain any more. I don't want to be tired any more. I want to be healthy and energetic and fit into nice clothes, not loose big ones in an attempt to hide my belly. Thanks for your support on yet another attempt to get back to a healthy weight!
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