I had gained a couple of pounds the summer/winter that Michael and I broke our ankles (three years ago). I battled with both migraines and depression (the previous summer) and I put on a few more. To make things worse, I was still trying to figure out where the heck my thyroid levels were supposed to be. It seemed that no matter how many salads I ate, or how many hours were spent at the gym, I just couldn’t drop an ounce. I was 18 pounds heavier than I had been when I gotten married just six years earlier. Something had to change.
I vowed that once the holidays and traveling were over and the new year got here, I was going to do something about it. There would be no strategy off limits. I was going to do whatever it took. I made sure I talked with my dr before I started anything, just to make sure I was being healthy, but I have to admit that I did some pretty drastic things. Like what, you ask? Take a look.
I documented my progress. Not seeing any progress is like torture for me. I have to know that the work that I am putting into something is paying off. So I kept track every way that I knew how. I recorded my weight. I measured every part of my body with a measuring tape and tracked my total inches. I even put myself through the humiliation of posting “before” photos of my unflattering self. You’d be amazed…. once you get past the embarrassment factor, it just makes you want to push yourself to post a better ‘during’ and ‘after’ photo. (*confession… the following photo was taken after I had already lost about 5 lbs, so it’s not so bad as the night in the hotel room, but I still dislike how round and chubby my face is in this photo, and I have always had a pooch on my lower stomach. Ick!)
I started Juicing. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the only things I ate where vegetables. Breakfast was something simple, like an apple or similar piece of fruit. Lunch was a big salad and maybe a bowl of veggie soup. Dinner was liquified fruits and veggies in smoothie form. This was really hard, especially when my husband wasn’t juicing and I had to cook him a separate meal. It was very difficult to smell all of that delicious food and not allow myself to sample it. It took a lot of will power, but all I had to think about was the girl in the hotel bathroom mirror, and those fruits and veggies started looking pretty darn good.
I became a gym rat. I worked out at least four times a week, with an objective to hit five or six. I lifted weights to get more muscle tone, ran on the treadmill, or used the elliptical to get my cardio up and to burn fat. Thank goodness for iPods and TV programs that distract me! I never would have made it past those first few weeks on my own. But I pushed myself. I pushed myself because I knew that the girl in the bathroom mirror didn’t like the way she felt, looked, or how she fit (or didn’t fit) into her clothes. She deserved better. I eventually got to the point where I would find myself itching to go to the gym, and feeling icky and disappointed when I didn’t make it.
I took up running. I know. It kinda makes me sick too if I think about it very hard. Just kidding.. But really, There was a point in time in my life when I HATED running. The mere thought of it was enough to give me the willies. I reminded myself once again of the girl in the mirror. She deserved more, and so did her puppy. Earlier this year I had taken a training course to become a volunteer at the local animal shelter. I love animals, and this was a way for me to give of my time to something bigger than myself. They emphasized that they wanted to make sure that the dogs in the kennels got out for a little walk everyday. This gave me pause. I thought, I don’t do this for my own dog, why would I do that for someone else’s before I do it for mine?? I mean, sure. I let my dog out to go to the bathroom, and she gets to run around in the back yard for a bit everyday, but I was hardly ever taking her out for ‘walks’. She certainly deserved more than I was giving her. So I took up running. Sasha LOVES to “go for a run”. She knows the phrase, what it means, and enjoys every second that she gets to burn off her energy and stretch her muscles. And it’s something that we get to do together.
My sister has also been a runner for quite some time. She has run in a few competitive races, and she is a huge inspiration to me. One of my new year’s resolutions was to get into good enough shape that I could go for a jog with her and not get winded (much). I am proud to say that I have crossed that item off my list of resolutions three or four times now. I have since amended it to read: “Compete in a 10k race with my sister.” Okay, maybe that one will stay on the list for next year. But I am making progress, and that is key!
I surrounded myself with good influences. My friend and I talked at length about getting into shape. And while we made sure to do this when the time was “right” for each of us, it just happened to occur at the same time. She even went so far as to start a fitness community on facebook, and she posts motivational sayings, photos, and other encouragement almost every day. That was HUGE in my motivation to keep up with the fitness routine. Looking at positive encouragement all day makes it hard not to get out there and WORK!
I bought new workout clothes, and I spent a lot of money on them. I had some money saved up and I choose to spend it on some new “running clothes” from North Face. I love them. They are so comfortable, and knowing that they cost me a small fortune makes me want to get my money’s worth out of them. I find any excuse to get out there and workout in my new clothes. Plus, they are so darn cute! (I told you I did some pretty drastic things…)
I had the great love and support of my husband. He has always encouraged me to take care of my body and to be healthier, and I do the same for him (the encouraging part). One of the things that came to mind during my emotional hotel-bathroom-mirror breakdown was the thought that, he too, deserved better. Not only did I feel like I had let myself down, but I felt like a terrible wife. Even though I could follow the linear events leading up to my heaviest-weight-ever, I still couldn’t figure out how it had gotten so bad. I just kept shaking my head and asking myself, “When did this happen?” I heard my voice repeat “I’m so sorry” over and over again between sobs. While my husband has always encouraged me to be healthy and active, he also loves me…. (extra weight, emotions, flaws, and all). Honestly, I don’t know that I could have lost the weight without knowing that. I’m not sure why that made a difference, but it did and does. I am so grateful for that love. I love meeting him everyday before lunch for our walks and finding things that keep us ‘active’ and then going out and doing those things. I love that he made a deal with me that he’d do 30 situps in the ab lounger for every episode of Friday Night Lights I watch with him (I actually enjoy the show… it’s a win-win-win for me!).
So here I am… 10 pounds lighter with probably 7% less body fat. I used to look at body transformation before and after photos and admired the people that made it happen for them. I never knew I could actually make it happen for me. But here I am. The girl in the mirror couldn’t be more proud. (*I still have a little bit of a stomach pooch, but it is slowly starting to go away and reveal what I like to call “My Six” Lol.. just kidding...it really is far from that, but it won’t be too many more episodes of Drop Dead Diva until I reach my goal of having a flat, sexy stomach.
2 comments:
You look great, Jill! Good job!
what awesome before and after photos! You look great Jill! I am hoping for some awesome body transformations too. :) I am doing crossfit and LOVING it!
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