Weight-Loss Before and After

 My journey to lose weight has been a long one.  When Caleb was 2 years old, I graduated from Dental Hygiene school and we moved in with Parker's parents.  This time in my life was when my weight reached an all-time high.  Maxing out at 175 lbs.  It was during that time that I really started to hate myself.  Not like suicidal/depression stuff- but I really did hate my body.  I didn't shop much, but every time I did, I simply HATED it.  Clothes that LOOKED like they should fit me were not.  And I had to suck-it-in to button up my pants....thus producing the oh so gross "muffin top" or "spare tire" or "hangover."  Now please.  I know that my weight-loss struggle is NOTHING compared to what so many people have to go through.  And I didn't get near as big as I could have.  However.  I've decided that no matter WHO you are and HOW BIG you get, the process is so much the same.  You grow and grow, and your self image and self-esteem really starts to diminish.  Then a time comes when you decide that something has to change.  And it's WORK.  Every day work.  Mentally, and physically.  And every time I got on that scale, I had just enough motivation to get me through another day.  I was faithful at exercising for about 2 months and managed to lose about 8-10 lbs.  Then I got pregnant with Angie.  Another year went by, and I was right about where I had left off.  Actually no.  Where I had started.  172 lbs was about what I weighed when this photo was taken.

 Now I realize that the positioning of me being IN FRONT of Parker in this photo makes me look bigger than I am.  Still.  These family pictures was a BREAKING POINT for me.  I loved the pictures SO much but HATED the way I looked in them.  I remember the day before this photo shoot being a COMPLETE EMOTIONAL WRECK, and all because I was so afraid these pictures were going to make me look bad.  The week after these pictures were taken I got pregnant with Garrett.  Of course I didn't know it at the time, and I started a pretty strict diet and was able to lose about 15 lbs.  I think I got to about 155 or somewhere around that.  I was very motivated.  And also about 6 weeks into my third pregnancy.  Weight loss attempt- OVER.

After Garrett was born I took this picture below:  Please note this is NOT a "baby bump" picture.  There's no baby in there. 

This was taken in October of 2012 (at which time my weight was about 156).  I gained another 9 pounds after this picture was taken.  The holidays were NOT good to me.  New years day I started a diet.  I decided with baby Garrett still not quite sleeping through the night that I was not in a position to commit to exercising.  I work full time with 3 kids.  However.  I DO eat every day.  So I decided I could at least control what I eat.  Incase you don't recall, I'll give you a QUICK run-down on the rules of my diet:

*1200 calories a day (400 a meal).  Yes I counted every day.

*No sugar

*No deep fried foods

*No soda

*No bread

*No potatoes

*No white rice

*No pasta

*10-12 glasses of water a day

 

I made a few exceptions....I allowed myself to eat 1 roll or piece of bread if it was whole grain....but I only did it every few days or so.  I also did whole-grain pasta....only a few times though.  As long as I stayed within the calorie limit I figured it was ok once in a while. 

I did this for about 3 months and went from162 lbs to 142.  My goal was 140.  I've reached 140 a couple times....but my body seems to be trying REALLY hard to stay right around 142.  I quit fighting it and decided I'm at a good stopping point.  For now. 

Here's my AFTER pictures.

20 pounds lost!

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Now I am exercising and Garrett is sleeping through the night.  I still watch what I eat.  But I'm not counting calories anymore.  I jog for 30 minutes on weekdays and then do some stretching, sit-ups, and girly push-ups in my living room.

Here's the thing that makes it ALL worth it:

I feel great.

And I don't hate my body. 

And my Husband (who never complained before) has some new-found attraction to me.

(TMI?  Sorry.  It's true.)

And I've had 2 patients notice.  Last week one of my patients walked in and took one look at me and said, "Heather you look how THIN you are!  Is this the smallest you've been in a long time?"

I informed her that I'd lost about 20 lbs and she then went on to tell me how good I looked and it just felt so good.  Mostly because I didn't ask.  My husband compliments me all the time...and of course I enjoy that too.  But he has watched me go through it.  Coming from a patient it's different.  Because I didn't ask or even bring it up.  They noticed and felt like they should say something.

The second one came today.  From a man (shocker I know).  He sat in the dental chair, we went through the routine, "How are you today?"  "I'm good, how are you."  I said, "I'm doing well."  and then he just out of the blue said, "You look good....did you change something?" 

I said, "Well....not really, I've lost 20 lbs...but that's about it."  And then he was like, "Oh.  Ok. I thought so....but I didn't want to bring it up incase I was wrong."

Anyway. It just amazes me that my patients (who only see me 2 or 3 times a year) are starting to notice too.  All I can say, is I am grateful for the motivation and self-dicipline that it took to get where I am.  And I'm grateful for the support of my husband and my parents.  I couldn't have done it without them.

Last I want to add that Parker has lost about 15 pounds since new years as well.  He isn't following a strict diet like I did.  But simply eating LESS at each meal.  Just yesterday we discovered that several of his pants (particularly his temple pants....which we'd just gotten new a few months ago) are lose on him.  I can tell in his face the most that he has lost weight.  He has about another 10 pounds to go before he reaches his goal.  I'm really proud of him too.

Weight Loss Update

Well progress is slowing....but not stopping.  I've lost 14 lbs since the new year.  I've been told that as you get closer to your goal, the harder it is to lose.  This morning I had my lowest weight ever.

148.2 lbs.  I can't even tell you now excited I was to get below 150.  I'm breaking more rules now.  I steal a bite here or there of something sweet.  But I've decided the important thing is that it's just a bite.  I don't sit and eat a sleeve or oreos, or handfulls of chips or (my personal favorite) yogurt pretzels.  Just one or two, then I stop.  I do eat bread....every couple days as long as it's whole wheat.  And I've even had my ALL-TIME favorite: Papa Murphy's chicken, bacon, artichoke pizza twice. 

It's so fabulous!  I still always make sure I obey the rule of 1200 calories a day. 

Things are going well and I'm still not ready to stop.  I'll post before and after pictures once I reach my goal.

Fat

After about 3 weeks with no updates in the "90 day challenge" department, I decided to let everybody assume whatever they wanted to assume. Either I was still at it and quit blogging about it (I WISH that were the case) or I'd quit all together, and just never said anything. Well, it's true I quit. It all happened about the same time that school started for Caleb. And with Fall creeping in, I was no longer running in the morning sun. Around the time I quit, it was dark when I started and dark when I finished. I can't believe how much harder it got!! During this time, we also had some things going on with our back yard.....and honestly though it's nothing more than a garb of "EXCUSES"......they began to pile up. It's just too hard I would tell myself everytime I thought about it. And I LIKE to run outside. I DO NOT enjoy working out inside the house. And I don't exactly feel very safe running in the dark. Morning or night. I'm busy! I work! My kids are little! My son just started school. I'm lucky if I can make a meal at the end of the day, let alone fit in a 30 minute workout. It's something I SHOULD do, but at this point in my life it's just not possible.

But here's something that HAS happened in the last 3 weeks. All those inches that I've lost...... well they're back. No I haven't measured. I'm too ashamed. But I can feel it. And I hate it. All those size 8 jeans sitting in my drawer that I was SO CLOSE to fitting into. Now I'm back where I started. Everything is tight. And for lack of a better word, I just feel FAT. I'm sorry to be graphic, but the roll on my waist that presents itself every time I sit just makes me feel...... so awful. I know my size and the challenge it presents IS NOTHING compared to what so many others have to deal with. But it's an honest dilema for me, and it weighs on my mind heavily.

THE ABSALUTE WORST part about all of this, is that when I decide to get back with the program.....I will be back at square one. That alone was a HUGE reason to keep going. But I didn't. Now when I run, I'll be out of breath. My lungs will burn. And I will feel like I have to slow down and walk.....either that or die. And for the first week I will be sore. The first week is painful. And SO un-fun.

But I see other women, thin and toned. Most have had at least 2 children as well (the onces I compare myself to). If they can do it why can't I? LOOK AT HER! Does she have to try as hard as I do? Most likely not. But forget about comparing myself to others. Everybody knows you're not supposed to do that. If there's anything that will get me back into this, it's the way I feel about myself. And there are times, when the way I feel is nothing short of disgusted. I have the makings of a double-chin (shut up. It's MY blog.) I notice in some pictures of myself, and every time I look in the mirror. And my waist. The constant reminder that I am NOT where I want to be. 2 kids is NO excuse.

So now, I have to turn this.....blah feeling.....into motivation. Again. Parker keeps telling me he'll get up with me at 6:00 (seriously....it's really NOT that early. But when you're a night-owl it truly feels like it) and he'll either work-out with me or do homework. Maybe if I can get him to commit......I can get myself back to where I was. But even without him.....I've gotta do this. Because hating myself for quitting- is no way to live.

Week 6- A total FLOP

Week 6 included a trip to Lagoon, the TWIN FALLS county fair, and now it's completely DARK at 6:00 AM. Results. Terrible eating and an extreme loss of motivation to exercise. I ran at 6:00 on Monday. Then I didn't go again till Yesterday (Friday). I was gonna run today, but the kids were being so cute this morning and Parker was gonna mow the lawn this morning, so I didn't want to leave them in his care while he was trying to do that. As it turned out, the lawn DIDN'T get mowed, and I didn't run. A double negative. That's a positive isn't it? I could still go tonight and make-up for it. Of course. Tonight's the BSU game vs. Georgia, so......that's not gonna happen.

In all honesty when I weighed myself yesterday, I was SURE that I would have gained everything back. I've been eating TERRIBLE. That day we went to Lagoon was ALL fast-food. And there have been other days that haven't been much better. Thank goodness I didn't gain anything. But I didn't lose anything either.

This marks the half-way point of my 90 day challenge. I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be. I haven't even lost 10 lbs. In all honesty I'm not trying very hard anymore either. I'm not doing any muscle-building, and I only run for 30 minutes (when I actually DO go). I'm eating better....but not great. Oh well. At least I'm maintaining a somewhat-healthy lifestyle. I guess that's most important. Here's the stats:

Starting weight: 167.2
Week 1: 163.4
Week 2: 161.2
Week 3: 161.2
Week 4: 161.2
Week 5: 159.2
Week 6: 159.2

Week 2 Waist: 35 1/2
Week 3 Waist: 34
Week 4 Waist: 33
Week 5 Waist 32 1/2
Week 6 Waist: 32 1/2

I really need to get it in gear. It's extra hard to get up early when Angie doesn't sleep through the night. As lame as that sounds......this week she hasn't slept through the night once. Oh no I lied. Monday she did. And wouldn't you know? Monday is the one day this week when I went running before work.

Here's to another week!

Week 5 weigh-in

Today's stats are:
159.2 lbs

YAY! I'm hopefully OUT of the 161 slump!

32 1/2 in waist.

Sorry, I can't post the past-stats this time because I'm running out of time! Maybe I'll fix this later! Not as much progress as I'd hoped....but considering last week was fair week.....I'd say ANY loss is one to be appreciated!

Week 4 Weigh-in

I AM still at it. I didn't report week 3 because I was so busy. And there really wasn't any progress. Week 3 included 4 days at Hells Canyon and although I tried to eat right.....I did have a few sweets and other yummies. Since, then my weight has still pretty much stalled. My wonderful 156 lbs a few weeks ago was NOT permanent. It was a one-day thing. I'm stuck at 161. Here's the stats:

Starting Weight: 167.2
Week One: 163.4
Week Two: 161.2
Week Three: 161.2
Week Four: 161.2

Kinda dis-heartening. BUT even though my weight hasn't dropped, there's something that HAS!

Week Two Waist: 35 1/2 in
Week Three Waist: 34 in
Week Four Waist: 33 in

I've lost over an inch a week. And I can tell too... just by looking at myself in the mirror. I've decided I can be as heavy as I can as long as I continue to get SKINNY!!

Running takes a mental pep-talk every morning. It's not very easy. But I've kept at it. I've been eating BETTER but these past 2 weeks have been hard. Last week was Hells Canyon, and THIS week is FAIR week. Complete with Fair FOOD! Scones, funnel cakes, maple bars, and Gyros. Not very healthy. But I've tried not to be excessive in the fair food. And I think my waist will survive. Although my week 5 weigh-in is likely to have the exact same numbers as week 4. I guess I didn't actually think to myself will I continue to work-out even if NOTHING happens? I suppose the answer is yes. Even without quantifiable results......I'm still living healthy. I'm 1/3 of the way through. And it's still hard. But My body is getting used to it. My lungs and joints don't protest at the beginning of each run. And I really don't get side-aches much either. And it's easier to push myself to run faster and lengthen each stride when my lungs aren't begging me to stop.

This post is about 3 days late this week.....so week 5 weigh in is only a few days away. We'll see if I can get anything to change by then.

YAY!

I just HAD to post this...because after my rather discouraging weigh-in post yesterday, I got out of bed this morning and went for my run again. When I got back I got onto the scale before getting into the shower. Wanna know what it said?

156.6 lbs!

I thought it was wrong! So I reset it and got on again. Nope. Same thing! YAY! Horray for me! That's 11 lbs lost in 2 weeks and one day. I was so excited, I just HAD to share.

Week 2 Weigh-In

I'm 2 weeks into my 90 day challenge to get into shape and lose some weight.....or inches. Both hopefully. Here's the stats:

Starting weight: 167.2 lbs
Week One: 163.4 lbs
Week Two: 161.2 lbs

When I got on the scale, I won't lie......I was pretty dissapointed. I was REALLY hoping to break 160 after two weeks. It's kinda discouraging that I've only lost 6 lbs in two weeks. However, I know it took more than 2 weeks for the weight to get there. And I've been told time and time again that it's not really the scale that you should measure your progress, but your waist size. I didn't measure my waist at the beginning, or after week one.

Week Two Waist: 35 1/2 inches

I think I've lost AT LEAST a half an inch allready, but I'll never know for sure. I know I shouldn't expect too much too early. After all, I only jog for 30 minutes 4 days a week. BUT! Last weekend I got a new bike, and I've decided to add a 15 minute bikeride in the evenings. It's really relaxing after the kids have gone to bed and doesn't quite take as much out of me as a 30 minute work-out. But doing so will make my total exercise time 45 minutes a day instead of just 30.

I've decided if I want more results on the scale, that I need to spend more time working muscle. Biking is really good for that, but I'll start doing a few more crunches, lunges, and rubber-bands. Building muscle increases your metabolism, and therefore helps you burn more fat- hence better results on the scale. I'm not a fan of this part of the workout, but as long as I AM working out, I might as well do it in a way that I'll get the results I want. After all- half the battle is convincing yourself to do it.

The last thing I've decided to change is a NEW RULE. No eating within 2 hours before going to bed. Parker is the KING of this. He ALWAYS has a bedtime snack. And I get the munchies too. But Parker has an uncle who lost 10 lbs doing nothing but NOT eating after dinner. Takes a little discipline....but if it'll take a few more pounds off the scale, I'll try it.

Here's to another week! PEACE OUT!

Week 1 weigh-in

Today it's official. I've been exercising for one week. How'd I do? I got up 4 days last week. I ran for 3 of them and biked for one. BIKING IS HARD! I learned quickly that it's more muscle-building exercise than cardio (which I seem to enjoy more). However building muscle mass increases metabolism, and therefore helps you to lose weight faster. So....I'll bike one day a week....I know I should do more, but I am REALLY not a fan.

Ok I know you're all curious. My current weight is:
163.4 lbs.
So five down. That's pretty good, since my son had a birthday party this weekend and we ate HOTDOGS! Not my number one choice when I should be choosing "Healthy" foods. But I guess the hotdog bun WAS whole-grain (or at least that's what Sara Lee said).

Thank goodness I'm not sore anymore. That is the miserable part about the first week. And getting up at six?.....not quite as hard as I thought it would be. It is getting darker in the mornings though. It won't be long before I'm running in the dark.

Ok we'll keep it short. I hope I can lose that much by next week!

90 day challenge

Well lets face it. I've been wanting to get back into shape since.....well after Caleb was born. About 8 months after graduating DH school.... I did really well. I went running 4 days a week and I was eating really well. I was also living with my in-laws. I didn't have to worry about cooking every day and the pressures of caring for your own home were not there. And lets not forget, it was just Caleb. But I noticed results very quickly, and was quite excited about it. But not long after that, I started my job in Twin Falls, and then got pregnant with Angie. Progress completely halted. I've had a few feeble attempts over the past 2 years....and obviously we all know where that went. Here's a few things that I'm FED UP with.
* My clothes not fitting. I have a large selection of clothes that are about 1 to 2 sizes too small. And here's the kicker.....THEY USED TO FIT! Which means I'm not shrinking....I'm growing.
* I HATE the way I look in pictures. My face, my arms, and OF COURSE my waist. It all looks wrong. Too big. All pictures of me taken since Angie was born....I hate.
* I'm tired of bending over a roll anytime I need to pick something up. Or how it pooches out when I sit.
* When I bought those shorts I mentioned about 2 posts ago.....they are SIZE 14!! Now I realize I'm not in High School anymore. 2 kids takes its toll (obviously) but I'm pushing plus-sizes now. That's where I draw the line. I will NOT wear plus-size clothes.

So here we go. This time is different because I'm setting a time limit. This is for 90 days. If I WANT to continue after that. Then I will. If I DON'T want to continue after that, then I won't. But for some reason it's quite motivating to know that there's an END to this challenge. Because it IS VERY challenging!

Some rules.
#1 NOTHING is AGAINST the rules. If we're having a family night out at the restaurant, or a free lunch with the office. I'm getting what I want. No guilt. I'll do the best I can while preparing my own meals, but I'm not gonna make myself miserable. If I want a cookie. I'll eat a cookie. But here I draw the line at eating LOTS of cookies (which I usually do when I eat cookies...or any snack for that matter).

#2 Exercise 4-5 days a week. And another challenge....I'm doing it in the morning. It's too hard after work. Hungry, tired and cranky kids make this IMPOSSIBLE. And by the time they ARE in bed, the LAST thing I wanna do is work out for 30 minutes. So I get up at 6:00 and am done by 6:30.

#3 Pack my lunch every day, so I'm not tempted to eat out.

#4 Weigh-in once a week, and photos every 3 weeks. I still haven't decided if the photos will be posted or not. I want to make myself accountable in hopes that it'll keep me going. I WILL show them all at the end if I decide to NOT post them right away.

#5 Goal: 2 lbs a week (hopefully more). Target weight: 135 lbs. (I know that doesn't add up once you see my starting weight....but we'll just see how it goes ok).

So that's it! Cut out as much fat as possible, complex carbs whenever possible. But most importantly....no eating out (which will cut out deep-fried foods and hence, a MAJORITY of the calories from fat that tend to enter my system).

OH! #6 Drink lots of water. I've heard you'll lose an average of....(I don't actually know how much) but SOME pounds each year just by drinking water regularly. I can do that!

So today is actually DAY 2. Cuz I didn't have time to blog yesterday. But I've been getting up and running in the morning. And can I just say that I'm SOOOO SORE! It hurts to bend over, or squat, or walk, or stand up. I can't WAIT for this phase to be over. It's quite painful.

Starting weight: 167.2 lbs Yeah can you BELIVE it's that much?! Ick. Here we go! Motivation right there!

I promise not to talk about this ALL THE TIME. But I will report my weekly weight, and possibly a picture every 3 weeks just to keep myself accountable. Wish me luck people! This time it's for real. I WILL be a success story.