Fried WikiAll things Food, Diet and Weight Related

This topic came up in conversation today, and I thought I’d share it with you while it’s still on my mind. If you’re a new reader, you may know I’m taking part in a challenge through my trainer and with a group of women. I’m doing pretty well, but if you’re wondering how I got to the trainer in the first place, let me fill you in.

I’m 100 pounds overweight.

That deserves it’s own bold statement. It’s true. It’s not something that doesn’t touch me mentally, it’s on my mind a lot. How did I get here? I got here the same way most people do. I didn’t eat good foods, I got lazy, made bad choices, sat on my behind one too many days. Now, take in mind, it’s taken me almost 20 years to reach this point. I’ve been some form of overweight for a damn long time. When I had kids, my thyroid up and quit on me, and that made my metabolism sluggish. I gained weight easily, but I really made no solid effort through the years.

I jumped on and off of fad diets, walked for a while and stopped. I ate smaller meals, I ate protein meals, I ran, I did things, but not consistently for a long period of time. A diet to me was about 3 months, in which time I’d lose 1-20 pounds and then get frustrated when things stopped. Instead of sticking in, I would quit, regain the weight and hate myself for the process.

About 5 years ago, I started thinking about Gastric Bypass. I finally pulled my courage together and decided to go for it. Little did I know, I wouldn’t be approved. That’s okay, I’ll save my money and get it done I thought. Whoops, it wasn’t the money part, I had malabsorption issues, and they couldn’t operate on me. They were concerned I wouldn’t absorb enough of the vital things I needed afterward. That was last January when the process started. After a battery of tests, and finally being told no, I was hitting the wall.
I realized there was no other option. I either had to fix it myself, or just get bigger. Getting bigger is not an option. My self-esteem had all ready spiraled, and I just couldn’t fathom the thought of gaining more weight. My husband all ready is tolerant of my weight, but what if there’s a turning point where even he isn’t anymore?

I started to get depressed, because I just didn’t know what to do. Sure I could join a gym, but who would get me there if I didn’t feel like it? Who was going to make me accountable, keep me going when I couldn’t, and help me break bad eating habits.

I had thought of a trainer, but worried about the cost. I finally decided I couldn’t afford NOT to get help. I all ready had been tagged with Diabetes, and I knew my health was taking a beating being this big. My immune system seemed shot, and I just didn’t feel good on a daily basis.

It was time. It was my time. I turned 40 last June, and I slowly started thinking about “what I could do”.

It took me until September to finally go in and meet with Danielle, my trainer.

It’s been 4 1/2 months, and there’s no looking back. I feel healthy, strong, happy and I’m on my way to a better body, mind and spirit taking care of myself.

I’m eating clean, I’m working out, and I’m proud of myself.

So how did I get here? I waited until all the other easy fixes crapped out on me. Nothing did it, because there is no easy answer. It’s hard work. I’m making changes, and I’m establishing these as life long changes.

If I don’t feel like going to the gym, I know Danielle is waiting for me. I know she’ll push me, when I don’t want to push myself. I know I have to work hard, because it’s not going to just fall off by itself.

Adding in the clean eating has not only made me feel better, and have a healthier body. It’s made me see, I’m not lactose intolerant, it was crap I was eating. I went from having irritable bowel problems, to being normal. No seriously, 20 years of this was cleared up in less than a week. I gave up the chemicals and preservatives, and my insides are no longer churning, the bathroom issue is resolved, and I drink fat-free milk regularly in my smoothies without a single problem. Go figure, maybe that crap in your food is effecting you more than YOU thought!