I have never been the person to open up to people and just lay my feelings on the table. Having a blog is a very vulnerable thing for me, even if it is anonymous. I grew up in a small town with brick laid streets and everyone sat on their front porches in the summer drinking ice tea. The type of town where everyone pretending to be perfect, but no one really was once they were inside and the doors were closed. That has led to a lot of complication in my adult life that have taken years to sort through. I've come out of it a much more positive person and now I'm ready to make a lifestyle change. One of my biggest weight loss mantras is "nothing if change if nothing changes." Not only is that true in healthy eating and exercise, but it also stands true in the habits that led to those unhealthy behaviors.
A little bit of background on me is that growing up I was a dancer and I ran track. Most people have no clue how hard or time consuming being a dancer is when you are doing it competitively. By dance I mean I was practicing almost 20-40 hours a week, on top of running, holding a part-time job, and maintaining a good high school GPA. I mainly did it to be out of my house, but it was also a lot of fun. I had the opportunity to travel all over the USA for competitions and dance camps. My team was very successful because of all of all of the hard work we put in every week. I was very active for the four years I was in high school. Then college came around and a lot of bad habits
In college I spent more time sitting around to study and I started drinking, like a lot of college kids do when they are away from their parents for the first time. Over the course of 4 years I had put on 25 pounds. The weight gain was so gradual that I didn't even notice it. My eating habits were awful as well. I didn't fall prey to the late night fast food runs or eating pizza five days a week. My problem was I went to a small school that had very limited cafeteria hours. So, I got in the habit if stuffing myself because I didn't know if I would make it to the next meal. So, once I graduated it has taken a couple of years to get adjusted to eating on my own schedule. I make my food and I can eat it whenever I want. I don't have to wait on someone else to do it for me.
That bad habit has led me to gain another 10 pounds in just over a year of having my first professional job. I sit at a computer for 8 hours a day, coach the college dance team in the evenings, and I'm not getting enough sleep. Having that lifestyle does not work well with stuffing my face at every meal. The didn't really notice the weight gain because I compare myself to other people. I am the same size as my friends.....so there isn't an issue right? Well then i saw pictures of myself with a double chin, realized I couldn't walk to the third floor of my building without getting out of breathe, and I had no energy to go home and play with my new puppy. That was not healthy.
Over the past 5 years I've tried lots of fitness plans and diets. I always fail because I lose a lot of weight really fast, but it is not sustainable. I never changed any of my habits. Well, I'm finally to the point in my life that I have to take control of my outcomes. I am married, financially stable, in the process of buying a home, and ready to take time for me. For years I've done what was needed to achieve my goals, but it was never for me. Now this is a goal that is only for me and I'm willing to put in the time and effort it takes to get me to a healthier place.
I am fortunate to work at a university because I get a free gym membership and access to a lot of free healthy services. I have never taken advantage of them, but this winter I will start. They are doing a "fit for life" challenge that isn't only about losing weight. You get points for exercising, weigh-in, attending healthy living information sessions and so much more. We are on teams of 4, so I have a support system in place, but it is with my co-workers. I need that support system on the weekends or over holiday breaks. So, this blog is here to help me set realistic goals and keep them!!
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