Background

I'm going to use this blog to post cool ideas, recipes, and weight loss/nutrition tips.  But before I begin, let me tell you about myself.

I've always been a chubby girl...from childhood to now.  I tried crash diets, cleanses, seemingly everything.  It bothered me off and on, but once I fell in love, I was much more comfortable with myself.  Someone incredible loves me for me, regardless of what I look like.  That was and is a wonderful feeling.  I think I had to get to the point where I was making changes for me and not for anyone else.  That point came when I got weighed in at the doctor's office for a routine checkup.  220.  I couldn't believe it.  I really had to evaluate my life and see what went wrong.

That's not the way to think of it, though.  Nothing had gone wrong...in fact, everything was going right.  I graduated college and got a great job...a desk job where my exercise was no more than walking to and from the bathroom.  I made excuses for not taking the stairs to the third floor...it was too early in the morning, I was too tired.  I started making small changes, drinking more water, finding healthier snacks.  But that doesn't cut it.  It took a few months, but I figured it out.  I don't need a diet or exercise... I need a lifestyle change.

If I want to get fit, I have to exercise.  If I want to exercise, I have to make time for it.  A gym was something I never wanted to do...being in my grubby clothes and sweating so much in front of people...yikes.  Not for me.  I bought a treadmill.  And I was determined to use it.  I started walking to build up my muscles and lungs.  Then I researched different exercises for obese (yes, though I might not necessarily fit what you might think of when you hear the word obese, in the medical world I am) people.  I found HIIT, high-intensity interval training.  And it's pushed me harder and further than I ever thought possible.

If I want to lose weight and feel great, I have to eat well.  If I want to eat well, I have to change my shopping habits.  I needed to learn to love veggies.  I started by eating a lot of fruits, which I still do, but they're more of a treat now.  They pack a lot of sugar.  After talking to a friend about the effects of sugar, I realized that I needed to cut back.  Maybe I have smaller amounts of healthier, more powerful fruits.  Maybe I exchange some of my snacks for vegetables or almonds.  All of these things have taken time...and LOTS of research, but I'm ready to make changes.

I love myself and that makes a huge difference.  I exercise and eat well to reward myself for working hard and give myself a better, healthier lifestyle where I should live longer.  I do this for myself.  When I'm ready to quit on the treadmill, I push on...not to punish myself for being heavy, but to ensure it's easier next time.  I try to remind myself that in a year, I won't regret working harder now, I will regret giving up.