Kelli and I want to start
sharing transformation stories with you. So, here's our first one =)
So my sweet friends
Lynette and Kelli asked me to put some thoughts together about weight
loss, health and such things!
I was always a thin person
(probably too thin!) and I've always been tall as well. My height
is deceptive because I can gain a little weight and it doesn't show
as much as a shorter person. Growing up, I did not enjoy PE (I
*think* I tried to get a doctor’s excuse note to get out of PE) or
sports of any kind and I was pretty lazy.
However, I've had 4 boys
and with each one of the pregnancies I struggled to lose the
baby-weight. But I was also kind to myself…it took 10 months to
grow a person, I did not expect to lose it all within a few weeks. I
gave myself some grace and gave myself a full year after having my
babies to begin to lose weight. I nursed all my kids, some of them
an extended amount of time…maintaining a sufficient milk supply
became much more important than getting back to my pre-pregnancy
weight. Once I hit a year, I would try to lose some weight…a few
times I followed a certain diet or plan. However, with my first 3
pregnancies, I didn't even try to included exercise into my weight
loss plan….I just dieted.
In addition to my weight
loss efforts, my sweet husband has high cholesterol, diabetes and is
overweight. He was a baseball player in high school and college…but
just like me, over the years he’s come less and less active.
Having a long life with my darling husband became #1.
Our
family moved a couple of times in the most recent years and I turned
40!!! It felt like time was ticking away for me to take care of
myself (after year and years of caring for other people). So this
year, I made a plan to really get things in order and get *our*
health under control. (I’m healthy but have developed allergy
induced asthma…did you know Chattanooga is the ‘worst’ place in
the US for allergies??? Nope, neither did I and not being able to
breathe is super scary!)
We joined a local Y during
their no-sign-up-fee event and applied for a scholarship. During the
school year, the hubs (who was working from home) would go to the gym
in the morning. I would go after my little part time job, but before
I had to get the kids from school. We met with trainers and got
work-out ideas. We’ve both lost a few pounds (weight loss was only
part of our goal). We had already taken more processed foods and
artificial ingredients out of our diets, but this year we started
eating many more vegetarian meals (like, most of our dinners are
vegetarian). No more sodas and junk food.
The hubs had his most
recent blood tests done…his A1C was within low/normal range, his
good cholesterol was better, his overall cholesterol was lower AND
his triglycerides went from over 300 to low 200's……we have never
seen results like this!!! His doctor was quite pleased and
encouraged him to continue doing what he’s doing and they would
discuss adjusting some of his meds at the next appointment!!! That
is AMAZING!!!
For me, I've noticed
that I can see muscles I've never seen before…like triceps!!
And my bat-wings (you know, the flabby part of your under arm!!)
aren't as big anymore. I can see three different muscles in my
upper arms ya’ll!!! That is AMAZING!!! I had zero definition
before this year…I can also lift much more weight that when I
started and can do more machines as well. And generally speaking, I
feel stronger!! I can carry my 30 pound 3 year old across the
parking lot without having to put him down or stop to catch my
breath. I have more energy and feel like I can keep up with my
kids!! Before, we would stay home and watch TV. Now we go for hikes
and walks and play outside.
We've had some
challenges getting to the gym during summer since all the kids are
home, but our kids keep us busy and moving!
So when it comes to weight
loss and health, here are my thoughts…
- Give yourself some grace…
- Make sure your goals are realistic!! I will NEVER be as thin as I was in college (and that’s really OK). You may not ever get back to your pre-pregnancy weight and that is OK.
- If you happen to be a nursing mom (high five to you!!), try to keep baby nutrition your priority! You need calories in order to make milk…if you’re starving yourself to lose weight, your milk supply will certainly be affected!!
- Fad diets or plans are just that…fads and they will not last.
- Vegetarian meals are really tasty and are easy to make (I use www.budgetbytes.com A LOT, A LOT!!!)
- For fitness, find what works for YOU…could be a scary gym, could be a local Y, could be a running group, could be working out at home lifting canned goods…find something that works for you and your family…it IS a team effort!
- Surround yourself with people that can encourage you (like Lynette and Kelli)…
- Forgive yourself if you make a bad decision today and start again new tomorrow.
If
you would like to share your transformation story, please let us
know! We would love to highlight your success!
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