Thursday, May 1, 2014

Weight Loss Journey

Since January 2014 I've found myself on a rather arduous weight loss journey. I had a baffling realization when I started a new job and had to order their uniform pants and shirts. 

"What's your pant size?" 

I don't know. Their sizes went by inseam and your waist in inches. I deliberately avoided stores like Vanity, and jeans like wrangler and levi because I didn't want to know. So I said I didn't know,  let's try a 32 and a large shirt. I try that on and the shirt was so tight every time I sat down the bottom buttons would unsnap. The pants were a huge fail. I couldn't get them close to buttoning or pulling them up. 

34? Nope.
36? Nope.
38? Nope.

I refused to put on a pair of pants with a 40 inch waist. So I begrudgingly put on my tight 38 inch pants. I stand at only 5'2". There was my moment of clarity. Why did I feel so depressed all the time? No energy, poor self esteem. My head was so displaced it affected my parenting abilities and I failed my college classes.

So I started walking two miles a every day because I couldn't even run a block. When I started in January I could not do one push up - not even a girl push up. My stomach was so big I couldn't do a sit up. I could struggle and finish five if I grunted and painted. By then I was sweating bullets with barely any work done. 

I worked out every day. I cut out all processed sugar, fat, and carbs unless they came from vegetables. It sounds extreme and it was very difficult at first but with the help and support of my husband we found and created quite a few filling, healthy, and tasty recipes. We made healthy kung pao chicken and a simple green bean casserole. I'll post those recipes if anyone is interested. 

And again - I kept working out always striving to make my body stronger. I started out in January walking an 18 minute mile. Then I progressed to running a block (as far as I could at the time) and walking in 16 minutes. I ran farther and felt better at a 12 minute mile but still needed more strength. More power. 

I remember the day I ran a full mile without stopping. I felt like a beast. I might've yelled Adrien.  I ran that mile in 8 minutes and 22 seconds. Never in my life have I ran an 8 minute mile. Even in high school during the presidential fitness parts of gym it was a 10 minute mile. I wish I could bottle that feeling of accomplishment up and mail jt to you all to open when you just feel beat down and tired. 

I didn't step into a gym for any of this. I didn't take fancy classes, hire someone, step into a fad diet or buy expensive equipment.I didn't starve myself or over exert. It's me, my drive, my supportive husband. I go outside and I keep going. I feel so strong and so accomplished. I started at a weight of 232lbs and damn near a 40 inch waist. Now I weigh 180 and have lost 9 inches on my waist. I still have a ways to go but I'm so happy with how far I've come. Now none of my clothes fit and I look like a hobo LOL.

I will try to find some relevant before and after pictures. I hope I can be an inspiration to any one of you!

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