I got married at 21 to the love of my life. We have 4 crazy wonderful children together. My only complaint, is that my husband and I are the dreaded "baseball and baseball bat" couple. Yup, you got it. He is tall (5'9)and thin, and I am short(5'2) and round. Wasn't always like that. When we were first married, I was looking good. But after the kids starting coming around, I just grew in size. I was a size 13 when we got married. After 15 years, I have been as big as a size 24 and now am around a size 20.
Over the years, I told myself I wasn't that big. I really avoided looking in the mirror. In my head, I have this image of myself. Unfortunately, that fantastical image doesn't quite correlate with reality. I had a real wake up call in December 2011. I was doing a sleep study for my now diagnosed sleep apnea. I had all this crazy head gear and straps and wires all over the place. I had my sister take a picture of me. Yikes!! I really bypassed the get up and looked at how gross I looked! I couldn't believe it! I was huge!!!! That scared me and let's face it, depressed me. From that moment on, I decided that enough was enough! I would change that gross woman into the beautiful woman I see in my head everyday!
I started looking around for a personal trainer. In the past, I had tried Curves and looked into different diets. Watching TV, I was flooded with numerous weight loss miracle pills. But come on, those things don't really work. I figured what I needed was someone to work with me personally to help me out. I didn't want to start a class with other people who were already looking good. I didn't want to be the sad fat case everyone had to wait for, to move to the next step. And honestly, I was embarrassed to be seen in any type of work out clothes! Have you tried those things on?? They sit pretty close to your skin. Trust me, not such a pretty sight.
So back to the personal trainer idea. I wanted someone who could look at me and see potential. I wanted to know that the work outs I would be doing would be the right ones for my body and fitness level. And really, if you are gonna make a fool of yourself, wouldn't you rather do it alone?? I found a personal trainer and did my evaluation with her. Laurie was wonderful. She is tall and lean and didn't look at me like i was some kind of fat freak. Never once, did she say I was too fat or too weak to do anything. She boosted me up. I signed on with her for an 18 week course, twice a week an hour a session.
My first time training with Laurie was, in my eyes, laughable. I made it through everything she asked me to do, but I felt sheepish. I was really disappointed in my lack of muscle tone and strength. There were times I didn't want to go. But i went anyway. I knew this was my chance. I knew I was paying good money to see Laurie, and I wasn't about to waste it!! Huge motivating factor as the price. It is $40 a session. I figure if I am gonna pay that much, I will get my monies worth outta it.
Now, I have been working with Laurie and Stephanie for 8 weeks. I can not believe the improvements I am seeing myself! I started in January, weighing in at 235 lbs. Now, I weigh 223 lbs. Yes, i know, I lost 12 lbs. Some might think, "wow, awesome". Others might think, "that's it?" Here is the awesome part. It is not just weight I am loosing. The most important part, is the fat!!! I have lost over 10 inches since I started working with Laurie and Stephanie. I really haven't changed my diet drastically either. True, I am watching what I take in more than ever before. I am thinking about everything I eat and when.
Things I am doing differently. I am a huge Mt.Dew fan. Love the stuff. Used drink 3 or 4 bottles of it a day. I am talking the 16 to 32 oz size bottles. Man, did I pack on the weight with that! I have now switched to one Diet Mt. Dew a day, 16 oz size. I drink water all the time. I have smaller portions of all the food I love. I am reading labels and avoiding those things that have a crazy amount of carbs and sugars, and instead substituting with healthier options. I have fruit and nut bars in my pantry and protein bars for a quick snack. I cook with leaner meats. I use ground turkey and ground sirloin in my meals.
I joined a gym. Now I know how to use those crazy machines and what muscle groups I need to use to help combat fat. I walk. In fact, my trainer encouraged me to sign up for a 5K fun walk. Last year, the idea would be unthinkable to me. Now?? Well, I am almost ready for the event in April. I have a personal best of 55 mins for a 5K. My goal is now 45 mins. I have till April 28th to make it!
Yes, this has been rambling and what not. Perhaps someone will find it useful. There is so much I want to say, but I am not trying to write a book here! LOL
Amber, that's great! I love when people post about their personal struggles and achievements.. it gives the rest of us the feeling that we are all normal. I might not have a lot of weight on me, but I find myself feeling sick and tired too much of the time. I know it's because I need to eat better and exercise. Wish me luck!
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