I hesitate to even write this post - because I am not doing it to get nods of approval or congratulations. I also don't want to offend anyone. I just feel that with all the news about obesity and its staggering statistics/projections in the news recently (here), something needs to be said.
First off - I don't think that I can ever have considered myself obese...very overweight - yes. But not obese. Many people that know me and follow me on facebook, know that I've recently been working hard at losing weight. I am at the gym 4-5 days a week, more if possible. Since my training/working-out/healthy lifestyle began in September (right when the kids started school), I have lost 26.5 pounds. Which comes out to approximately 3 pounds per month. Some months I lose the weight really fast...some months it takes what seems like forever. For example - it has taken me 3 months to lose the last 6.5 pounds...where I actually lost 6.5 pounds in a month and a half at one point. I haven't gone to any meetings or had special food delivered through a service or seen a nutritionist or a personal trainer. I did it...all on my own...except I did have a few things in my corner:
1) God. At least a year ago - I remember being in this point in my life where I was miserable with my body. I felt huge, unattractive, no energy...but I didn't have the motivation to change anything about myself. So I prayed almost daily - "God, please either make me content in this body I'm in or give me the motivation to make changes to myself." He was faithful to me. Now I'm being faithful to Him. I would NEVER be in the position I'm in right now if it wasn't for my Lord. When I am on the treadmill and feel like I can't take another step - I pray. When I feel tempted to eat my way through the day - I pray. When I lose a pound - I praise. When my clothes feel loose - I praise. God has been my personal trainer. God has been my motivator. God has been my work-out buddy. My prayer now is to not only continue on this journey of being healthy and continue losing weight (I have about 15 more pounds to go), but to also start appreciating what I see in the mirror.
2) Jeff. My husband calls me "Skinny" all the time. For example - "Excuse me, Skinny" as he passes by me. Even though my clothes are smaller and I do have more energy and feel better about myself - when I look in the mirror, about 75% of the time I still see the girl I was 25 pounds ago. I see the rolls. I see the puffiness. I don't see what I have transformed my body into. So - I've told Jeff that he needs to tell me when it is time to quit - even if my scale says I still have more weight to lose to reach my goal. I'm afraid I won't see it...and then will become unhealthy - by being too thin. I have this feeling that if I didn't have my husband to help me - I could lose another 25 pounds and still see the bigger me. Jeff has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader. If it wasn't for a sprained ankle, he would be trying to train right along with me. As it is, because I'm preparing healthier meals, and making sure we both eat breakfast, Jeff has lost 5 pounds himself.
3) Friends. I have an account on an app/website called MyFitnessPal.com (it is a FREE program and FREE app). There - I have a food diary as well as an exercise diary. I can track how many calories I've eaten and how many I've burned. This way - I can see if I have eaten too many calories earlier in the day and need to watch what I eat for dinner...or if I haven't eaten enough and will stall my weight-loss. Three of my very best friends are on this journey themselves...these are friends that I actually go on a "girls weekend" every summer. So far - the 4 of us have lost a total of 97 pounds!!! We encourage each other. We cheer each other on when we see records of good work-outs or weight lost. If they don't log on to their account for a few days - we check in with each other to make sure we are on target. I know that if I have a bad weekend, and don't log onto the site to enter my foods...after a few days I will get an email "Amy...where are you?" I rejoice when each of them lose ANY weight...because that is what they want to do. April, Mini & Monica have been my rocks and my cheerleaders. And I can't wait to get a picture of the 3 of us together this summer (Monica can't come this year)...and compare it to summer's past to really see the transformation!
Before I go much farther - I really feel like I need to say one thing. If you are overweight and are happy in your own skin. If you look in the mirror and are happy with what you see and feel sexy - then you ARE sexy. If you look in the mirror and feel pretty - then you ARE pretty. I know the doctors have told you to lose weight...and there are health concerns that have been backed up by scientific research that say that being overweight is hard on a body. HOWEVER - until you feel like the person you are looking at isn't the person that is inside of you - it won't work. I can't tell you how many diets I've been on. I even paid a LOT of money through my gym at one time to do a boot-camp. I made it 5 weeks (out of 10 I think). I got sick (upper respiratory infection) and couldn't go to a few workouts - and then quit. Didn't matter that I paid a lot of money to do it...I just quit. I spent a lot of money and bought a body-bugg to wear on my arm to track my calorie burn each day and act as a kind of pedometer. I wore it for all of maybe 3 months... It is still sitting on my desk where I left it the last time I took it off. I've been a member of Weight Watchers at least 2 times... Through those times I wasn't happy with myself - but I also didn't see how big I had gotten in the mirror. Finally - one day the person looking at me in the mirror WASN'T the person I felt like I was inside. And that is when I really got miserable...and started praying.
With all the talk about weight and healthy lifestyles in the media...and all the warped images that we as women and our children are subjected to about what makes a woman sexy - it is no wonder that most of us have body issues. We are shown by advertisers that in order to be sexy - you have to see not only your collar bones, but also your pelvic bones, through your skin. THAT is UNHEALTHY!!! Do you know what models eat? NOTHING! Celery and lettuce. Champagne and cigarettes. How in the world is that healthy??? Now - I'm not saying I'm the healthiest person in the world - but I don't deprive myself at all. If I want a cookie. I eat a cookie. If I want pizza. I eat pizza. BUT I don't eat 5 cookies...or an entire pizza. AND I don't do it every day.
I guess what I'm trying to say here - is that if you aren't happy and comfortable in your own skin - then it shows. Reach out for help. Find me on MyFitnessPal.com (MrsLadyBug1974) and I'll cheer you on and encourage you along the way. Talk to your doctor and find out what he/she thinks would work best for you. If you need to join a program (like Weight Watchers) to get the support you need - DO IT! I've got another very good friend that has lost 30 pounds with Weight Watchers!!! (Great job Laura!!!) But - most importantly - PRAY! God is an awesome God and He can do wonderful things if you just ask. Ask God to give you the wisdom and strength and motivation to make healthier choices...and He will! He won't make the pounds melt off overnight. God helps those that help themselves. This is something you have to WANT and that you have to work at...it IS work! PRAY!
Good luck.
