"The Incredible Shrinking Woman"

I promised I would post about my weight loss and I've just been too darn lazy to do it. Seems somewhat ironic, doesn't it?! Maddie has stopped taking naps, so my blogging time is greatly diminished these days. Sorry!

Before (September 2009)

After (May 2010)

The basic stats:

In 6 months (November to May), I lost a total of 67 pounds.

I dropped 5 complete dress sizes.

My Body Mass Index went from 32% (obese) to 23% (normal)

I lost inches all over my body (even my fingers and feet!), but saw the most dramatic loss in my thighs: over 7 inches lost in diameter!

My heart rate is low, my blood pressure is normal (used to border on high), and I have enough energy to play with the kids until they're tired.

How it happened:

Back in September 2008, I started going to a Step Aerobics class at my local community center. Ben was one and done nursing, and I realized with two energetic toddlers I just wasn't keeping up like I wanted to. So I joined the class (which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays) in hopes of just having more energy to run and play with them. My blood pressure wasn't great either, and since heart disease is rampant in my family, I was hoping to fight that, too. I want to see my kids grow up!

At first it was pretty hard. About 30 minutes in and I was wishing for the end. But by March 2009, I was feeling good! I found a deal at Costco and joined 24 Hour Fitness to be able to workout more than two days a week. I continued through the summer working out 3 to 4 days per week. My cardio was pretty good. I could certainly keep up with the kids for the most part. But wasn't losing any weight (which I'd hoped would be a side effect of getting healthy). Also, over the course of the summer I began really getting to know some of the girls in my Aerobics class. We started getting together for "girls night out" every month or so.

In November, at one of our infamous GNO's, I commented to Debbie (my instructor) that after a year of working out I hadn't lost any weight. She was very surprised by this and asked me about my diet. I had to admit to eating too much and not eating healthy. She decided to take me on as her new "project" ...and let me tell you, I'm thankful everyday that she did! We went back to her house that night and she got me all set up with Weight Watchers. She gave me all her materials, taught me how to use it, lent me some of her cookbooks, and sent me on my way!! I walked into my house 15 minutes later and said to Joe, "I think I just started Weight Watchers." Haha! He was completely dumbfounded. I'm sure that was not what he expected me to say :)

The next day we spent 2 hours at the grocery store while I poured over every nutrition label. He told me later that he thought it was pretty ridiculous and that he didn't really think I'd stick with it. Not that he wanted me to fail, but honestly, I have eaten terrible my WHOLE life, so he didn't think I'd be able to make a complete turnaround in one night. He is very happy to be proven wrong :) The first couple of weeks was brutal. I knew it would be. I was starving every second of the day. But I did not cheat. At all. Not even once! The first week I lost 7 pounds!! Talk about motivation! Since that November, I have not gained one pound from week to week. There have been weeks that I stayed the same, but never a gain. Woo Hoo! The cookbooks were a HUGE help. They gave us great (seriously delicious!!) recipes that everyone would like, but with appropriate calories. With the exception of some starches (i.e. Rice Pilaf) and a few things for the kids (who can live without Kraft Mac and Cheese?), we make everything from scratch. It is more time consuming, but totally worth it!

I did this completely on my own without having an actual Weight Watchers group as support. I don't say this because I'm bragging, the truth is, most people can't do it without help. I just made up my mind I wasn't going to be fat anymore. Debbie emailed me everyday for the first two weeks to check up on me. I know she hates taking any credit for my success, but I could not have done it without her. I wanted to make her proud!! I didn't want to fail and have to tell her. So I stuck to it. Every single point, every calorie accounted for. Having a mentor to listen to my struggles, give me tips/advice, and be excited by my success made all the difference in the world for me!! Thank you Debbie!!! I owe you my life and the healthy lives of my family :)

(Does it sound like I'm accepting an award? Haha!) I also could not have done this without Joe. He backed me up 100% right from the get-go. He would make the food I'd set out, measure it, and set it aside for me when I got home from working out. It was invaluable! That way I knew exactly what I was eating and didn't have to worry about figuring it out on my own. He never once told me I couldn't do it, or scolded me for eating something I shouldn't. He never once told me I was fat or ugly, when let's be honest...I *was* fat. And he is my biggest fan! He's so proud of what I've accomplished, and what I've done for our family. We ALL eat healthy now. We all eat appropriately now. I didn't just get skinny, I helped my kids learn good eating habits!

Finally, I feel like I should tell you: Anyone can do this. But you have to WANT to. You can't make anyone else do this if they aren't ready. Believe me, I was heavy and in denial for a number of years. But if you're truly ready to make a change, you CAN do it!!! I am no expert...Far from it, in fact. But if you want some advice, need some help to get started, or just want a fabulous cookbook, let me know! I'll do the best I can to help you on your journey.