Here we go!
I just finished watching the new season of "The Biggest Loser" and with every episode I watch I feel a little disappointed in myself. I know that it isn't realistic to expect to lose 15+ pounds in a week, but I wish I could. I don't have the time or enough energy to even try! I have been working out 3-4 times a week with fair results but the task I have put myself up to seems like it will take forever!
Let me give you a little bit of my back story. I have never known a day in my life that I have been at a normal healthy weight. I don't even know how or when my struggle with my weight started, I just know that it is a BEAST that has fought back with a vengeance. I remember getting teased as early as 4th grade by a kid named Frank. I had a great way to deal with Frank, sit on him. I remember getting in trouble(Frank got in trouble too) and I didn't feel ashamed. It felt great to have faced my bully. I don't remember ever going on any diets at the time but my weight just kept climbing higher and higher as time went by. Many years passed, many good intentions came and went with no result. At my first heaviest I weighed 381 pounds. I remember going to the doctor for a checkup and telling him that I have been trying to lose weight with little results(and little drive.) He decided to run some blood work to see if there was something else causing me the difficulty and said something about my thyroid but saying that it probably wasn't the issue. I remember getting a call saying that I need to go back in to talk with him. I remember being nervous, diabetes kept creeping in my head. He sat me down and told me that I have a disease called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism basically means that the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone, which regulates your metabolism. They started me on medicine and they had to keep increasing my dosage until they got it right. I remember starting 50mcg and I am now at 250mcg. I started to lose some weight, but nothing substantial. Around that time my sister asked if I wanted to got to Thailand and vacation for a couple weeks. I remember feeling anxious about getting on an airplane and having the seat belt fit. How embarrassing it would be for the flight attendant to have to bring me and extender! I said yes, but took action regarding my weight. I ordered NutriSystem and when the UPS man dropped off that giant box I yelled out "Thank you!" as he drove away. This was my start, this was the first day of the rest of my life. I lost about 80 pounds in the course of 6 months. I hopped on a airplane and the seat belt fit! YES!
That same summer I met my husband. I fell in love instantly and I got comfortable. I started eating whatever he ate and didn't even notice my weight climbing again. After a year and a half of being together I decided to start another diet. The pounds started dropping again and then I learned I was pregnant!! We were trying to get pregnant so it wasn't a shock. I worried about how my obesity would affect my growing baby. After I gave birth to a healthy son my diet went out the window again. I started eating whatever I could grab in my "free time." My husband and I had to make some tough decisions and moved in with my parents. As stressful as the move was, it was best for us. One night I stepped on my mom's digital scale and it came up with an error message. I was in denial and just kept thinking that there is something wrong with the scale. This happened for a few weeks. My mom invited me to go to a Zumba class with her and I loved it! Finally, a workout that I like! I finally got the scale to work after a few weeks of Zumba and I was shocked to see the number..406 pounds...406!!!!! I felt horrible, ugly, disgusted, defeated, sad, angry and I cried. I never thought I was that heavy. I didn't think that I looked that heavy when I looked in the mirror, but there it was...406 pounds. My life changed that night. I started working out more often and I made myself diet.
I learned that breakfast is an absolute must. It gets your metabolism started and sets the mood for the rest of the day. I used to struggle with eating that early, I was never hungry and I figured I was saving calories not eating it. Everyday I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks. It is so important to keep your metabolism going. I watch my carbs, trying to stay close to 30 carbs per major meal and 15 for snacks. Following this diet and exercising I have lost over 50 pounds. I can't be positive on the exact number but I'm sure that it's close.
My goal with this blog is to help me be accountable for what I eat and what I do. I make a small goal for myself, usually to be at the next lowest 10 pound range, a medium goal, to be under 300 pounds by June, and a long term goal, to be around 150 pounds and keep the weight off. I hope you all can give me words of encouragement and maybe even take something from my blog.
There is more to come, and hopefully less of me!
Weight today : 373
Next goal : 369
Let me give you a little bit of my back story. I have never known a day in my life that I have been at a normal healthy weight. I don't even know how or when my struggle with my weight started, I just know that it is a BEAST that has fought back with a vengeance. I remember getting teased as early as 4th grade by a kid named Frank. I had a great way to deal with Frank, sit on him. I remember getting in trouble(Frank got in trouble too) and I didn't feel ashamed. It felt great to have faced my bully. I don't remember ever going on any diets at the time but my weight just kept climbing higher and higher as time went by. Many years passed, many good intentions came and went with no result. At my first heaviest I weighed 381 pounds. I remember going to the doctor for a checkup and telling him that I have been trying to lose weight with little results(and little drive.) He decided to run some blood work to see if there was something else causing me the difficulty and said something about my thyroid but saying that it probably wasn't the issue. I remember getting a call saying that I need to go back in to talk with him. I remember being nervous, diabetes kept creeping in my head. He sat me down and told me that I have a disease called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism basically means that the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone, which regulates your metabolism. They started me on medicine and they had to keep increasing my dosage until they got it right. I remember starting 50mcg and I am now at 250mcg. I started to lose some weight, but nothing substantial. Around that time my sister asked if I wanted to got to Thailand and vacation for a couple weeks. I remember feeling anxious about getting on an airplane and having the seat belt fit. How embarrassing it would be for the flight attendant to have to bring me and extender! I said yes, but took action regarding my weight. I ordered NutriSystem and when the UPS man dropped off that giant box I yelled out "Thank you!" as he drove away. This was my start, this was the first day of the rest of my life. I lost about 80 pounds in the course of 6 months. I hopped on a airplane and the seat belt fit! YES!
That same summer I met my husband. I fell in love instantly and I got comfortable. I started eating whatever he ate and didn't even notice my weight climbing again. After a year and a half of being together I decided to start another diet. The pounds started dropping again and then I learned I was pregnant!! We were trying to get pregnant so it wasn't a shock. I worried about how my obesity would affect my growing baby. After I gave birth to a healthy son my diet went out the window again. I started eating whatever I could grab in my "free time." My husband and I had to make some tough decisions and moved in with my parents. As stressful as the move was, it was best for us. One night I stepped on my mom's digital scale and it came up with an error message. I was in denial and just kept thinking that there is something wrong with the scale. This happened for a few weeks. My mom invited me to go to a Zumba class with her and I loved it! Finally, a workout that I like! I finally got the scale to work after a few weeks of Zumba and I was shocked to see the number..406 pounds...406!!!!! I felt horrible, ugly, disgusted, defeated, sad, angry and I cried. I never thought I was that heavy. I didn't think that I looked that heavy when I looked in the mirror, but there it was...406 pounds. My life changed that night. I started working out more often and I made myself diet.
I learned that breakfast is an absolute must. It gets your metabolism started and sets the mood for the rest of the day. I used to struggle with eating that early, I was never hungry and I figured I was saving calories not eating it. Everyday I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks. It is so important to keep your metabolism going. I watch my carbs, trying to stay close to 30 carbs per major meal and 15 for snacks. Following this diet and exercising I have lost over 50 pounds. I can't be positive on the exact number but I'm sure that it's close.
My goal with this blog is to help me be accountable for what I eat and what I do. I make a small goal for myself, usually to be at the next lowest 10 pound range, a medium goal, to be under 300 pounds by June, and a long term goal, to be around 150 pounds and keep the weight off. I hope you all can give me words of encouragement and maybe even take something from my blog.
There is more to come, and hopefully less of me!
Weight today : 373
Next goal : 369
Lacy, I love this! Thank you so much for being strong enough to share your story because you've inspired me. I've gotten into such a terrible slump and am the heaviest I have ever been. It's hard, and it sucks. Please continue writing so I can continue reading. :-)
ReplyDeleteLacy, I'm so proud of you for deciding to write this blog, not to mention your determination to lose the weight! You're beautiful inside and out, an awesome chick, and such an inspiration to me! I know all to well how hard it is to struggle with a weight problem. Adding kids to the mix just makes it even harder, but I find that my three little ones are my number one motivator. My father passed away at the age of 51 via a massive heart attack. He was 350+ lbs, diabetic, an alcoholic, and a smoker, but such an amazing person. The day he passed happened to be my oldest child's 1st birthday and as bad as it sounds, I will always be angry at my father for this. I just didn't understand why he wouldn't change his lifestyle to be around for his family. Now that I'm 28 years old, a mother of 3, and morbidly obese, I realize that I'm following in his footsteps and it's time to fix that! I just know that your blog will help me with this journey to finding a better, healthier me. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with those next ten pounds! You can do it, girl! One day at a time!!! :)
Thanks Jen and Billie! I hope I can continue to motivate you as much as you motivate me!
ReplyDeleteJen- Slumps suck so bad! Ha! At least there is a way to fix the mistake and try to reverse our habits!
Billie-I find that Chace is a big motivator for me, as well. I don't have any desire to be the overweight mom that just sits on the bench at the playground, I want to play too!! I may do a post about motivation soon..do some research and whatnot. I'm sorry for the loss of your father. I'm sure he would be proud of you if he knew that you were trying to fix the mistakes in you, that he couldn't fix in himself. Keep positive!
I blame Chris for my weight gain! When we went on our first date I was dropping the pounds left and right, but he wanted to go to Steak and Shake. I remember ordering a kids meal cheeseburger with apple sauce and no bun. Now...I get the adult meals with cheese on my fries! It's all his fault :-) I can't wait to get back into walking and dieting after this baby gets here. Thank goodness it's a summer baby and I can walk outside!
ReplyDelete