Week VIII: Dear Diary -I mean- Readers!

Hello My Little Fit-sters,

Well, it appears that everyone is really enjoying the blog so far. My viewership was almost 3x the norm this past week!! So, thanks for tuning in, and I hope to see those numbers go up and up as people strive for a healthier life :)

Alright, let's get down to it!

So, I'm human.. as far as I know.. and I like to think of this blog as something like a journal, for not only the public to read, but for myself to take in as well- Although, sometimes I really think I AM crazy for putting this all out there! But it's done, so alas I go.. Lately, I know I've been talking more about general health topics, so I wanted to update my readers on my own health status and how I've been progressing. In other words: this week is all about ME! :p

Something I really want to stress to my readers is that the changes and efforts I'm making are not to be considered a "diet". To me, diets are quick, short-term changes that are more useful for dropping a few "el bees" for a reunion or wedding. The kind of changes I am making are life-long changes, which means that I have a much further goal date. BUT, that doesn't mean there's room for more"cheat days" or "off-weeks". It just means that I'm making progressive changes that take time for my body and mind to adjust to, and will live with for the rest of my life.

So, right off the bat, we all know by now that it's more difficult for me to lose weight than the average 23-year old (whomp whomp - Debbie Downer just arrived). I have a slight metabolic problem and a sensitivity to sugar & carbs- which made Halloween extra frightening for me. Despite these hinderances, I had dropped about 14 lbs. as of a few weeks ago. Then, I went up 5.5 lbs. in only four days. 'Tell me you're kidding', comes to mind. Honestly, I wanted to throw in the towel. I was practically killing myself at the gym, following a very healthy food plan, and yet I managed to GAIN weight. Seriously, I thought, "what the heck is goin' onnnn??? UGHH!" *throws scale across the room*

Alright, so again I stress that I'm human, and so I freaked out a little bit when I saw the numbers in front of me. Some people I know can simply cut out Diet Coke and lose 5 lbs.- absolutely abhorrent! ..I know. But, I knew in that moment that I had a choice, something my mother, aka dietition, always reminds me of.

So, I stared at myself in the mirror envisioning a chubby blonde girl perched on my left shoulder and a slender blonde girl on my right: The chub-ster bit into a slice of extra cheesy pizza and said with a mouthful, "Aw jusf giff up already! You can't do it! Look at yourself, you've giffen it all you can and you STILL can't lose the weight. It's worthless!". It was so easy to believe her, and the pizza looked heavenly enough to cross to the dark side. But, I also knew that path: The heartbreak I'd cause my own self. The frustration and self-loathing that would haunt me endlessly. I could feel the hurt turn into anger when I heard, "You haven't failed yet. It's a challenge, yes. But, you are being challenged because you're a fighter. And only those who know how to take a punch are the ones who learn to stand up again." It was clear as day. I had two choices:
1.) fail.
2.) try.

Well, I was a straight 'A' student in High School and Dean's list member in college, so "fail" was not in my vocabulary.

So, what did I do? Well, I stomped my feet a little bit. Then put "weight" out of the picture. I knew at that point I just signed myself up for a battle. But, I'd much rather be the girl who was known to fight her way to the finish, than the girl who stood in line at the food-stand cheering everyone else on.

Alright, so many of you might be wondering where my weight stands at this point. WELL, I dropped the 5.5 lbs., but more importantly, I decided that for me to be successful, I need to stay away from the scale for a little while and just see how clothes fit, how I feel, etc. (but just as an f.y.i. my jeans are falling off these days.. ;) So, someday soon I will get on that scale again, but until then I need to stay positive and not let water weight or any other fluctuations deter me from my goals!

I keep reminding myself that I could spend forever struggling with my weight, or spend the rest of my life conquering it.

Quote of the Week:
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." -Thomas A. Edison

xx,
-Kate