Losing It - Progress

About 3 weeks ago, I shared the beginning of my journey to losing weight and gaining a healthier lifestyle.  This is not an easy journey to go through and it is quite humbling to put out my struggles with weight, emotional eating, and feeling content with myself the way God sees me and not the way I see myself. 

Seeing myself the way God sees me is a lifelong battle.  I have a hard time with that.  Most of the time I compare myself with others without taking into account what I've specifically been through and that God made my body shape this way for a reason.  I'm not saying that I have to be completely ok with an unhealthy weight, but I am saying that losing weight has to be more about seeing myself through God's eyes and not about what the number on the scale says. 

I’ve had a lot of distractions and temptations these past few weeks.  Miles going into the hospital was hard for me.  After coming home, he was super clingy, even more so than he already was and refused to let me leave him when I went anywhere.  Tom and Jaycee started school.  This changed my flexible schedule into a routine, which is ultimately good, but was a hard transition for us all.  Needless to say, making time for exercise and trying to maintain my goals were really challenging.  But, I was determined to stay on top of my goals even with the challenges life produced. 

Here’s what I’ve been working on:

·         I’m exercising 4 times a week on average.  My favorite workout right now is Zumba!!!  If you haven’t tried it yet, you should really just take at least one class.  I know a lot of people tell me that they aren’t coordinated, but with Zumba, it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re moving.  Oh, and another plug for Zumba, the music is great, time flies by, and before you know it you’re doing the cool down and stretching. 

·         I’ve lost a total of 13 pounds since late May / early June.  That’s not quite 1 pound a week, but it is something and as long as it doesn’t go in the other direction, I’m pleased.

·         I’ve cut back on my pop intake.  I wish I could say that I’ve completely given it up, but that is still a HUGE temptation for me.  It doesn’t help that I live close to a Sonic and QT.  But it is just one more way for God to show me I need him more than I need the caffeine in the pop.

·         I’ve limited the amount of bread and pasta I’m eating.  I’ve found that those foods work against me and my weight loss efforts.  I’ve instead tried to include more fresh veggies such as lettuce wraps instead of a traditional sandwich or just not eating the noodles.  This doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s a start.

·         I finally signed up for a Bootcamp.  In September, I’m getting up at 5:00 am and heading to the Y for this class once a week.  I actually really liked it and it might be my new favorite, but I still love the music that Zumba offers.

Well, those are my updates.  I have more goals for this next month, but right now I’m pleased.  I still don’t like my body and wish certain things were not there, but my clothes are fitting me better, old clothes are actually fitting again, my legs are toned, I have more energy to keep up with my kids, I feel good about being active and healthy, and I am excited to be sharing my journey with my 4 year old daughter.  She asks me if I’m going to exercise and when can she come with me.  Her and I have also started doing some very simple Yoga moves before she goes to bed.  It’s a kind of special time for the two of us.

October

I have plans for what to do this next month.  Mainly I want to keep up with what I’ve already been doing, but maybe kick it up a notch.  Starting in October, they are offering another Bootcamp class 3 times a week for the next 3 months.  I really want to do this!!!  Also, I took a schedule from the Y close to my house and saw that they offer a class at 5:30 am every morning, so I want to take those classes on the days that I don’t do Bootcamp.  Otherwise, I plan to hopefully lose about a pound a week, tone, and firm up my body a bit.  I also plan to do a better job of tracking what I eat and being more organized so that I choose fresh fruits and veggies instead of other things that are probably not as good for me.
If you ever want to join me for an early morning class, you can find the North Y’s schedule here.  I keep track of what I eat here.  I will leave you with some motivation that has helped me.