Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Feelin' good
I have really noticed the last week or so how good I feel when I eat correctly! I noticed when I was eating junk that I felt more bloated. I now know first had how this program helps with inflamation. I love how I feel when I make time for exercise! This has just been a great week so far!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
KEEPING IT OFF
All of us who have struggled with our weight know that the hardest part is.....KEEPING IT OFF!
Well, so far so good. It has been exactly 6 months today since I implemented this program in my life and almost 4 months of keeping that 35 pounds off forever! I really do feel confident that I have been given the tools necessary to make this life change. Does that mean it is easy....NO! Does that mean I never eat junk.....NO!
I love the way I feel about myself and I haven't had that much in my life! And I love helping others feel the same way!
Here are the before and after pics of my husband and I! What do you think? My husbands uniform hides the fact that he also lost 25 lbs, but believe me he looks good!
May 2009
November 2009
Well, so far so good. It has been exactly 6 months today since I implemented this program in my life and almost 4 months of keeping that 35 pounds off forever! I really do feel confident that I have been given the tools necessary to make this life change. Does that mean it is easy....NO! Does that mean I never eat junk.....NO!
I love the way I feel about myself and I haven't had that much in my life! And I love helping others feel the same way!
Here are the before and after pics of my husband and I! What do you think? My husbands uniform hides the fact that he also lost 25 lbs, but believe me he looks good!
May 2009
November 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Mornings affects evening
"Do you ever start munching late in the day, then snack your way through the rest of the afternoon and the evening? If you have problems with late-day eating, take a look at what you did earlier in the day. Often struggles with hunger, fatigue, and food cravings in the afternoon or evening relate to how you are in the morning."Linda Spangle
I CAN TOTALLY RELATE TO THIS SCENARIO!
Part of the answer is to eat breakfast!!! You should also eat a snack between 3 and 4 every day. Choose a snack that is a good balance of protein and carbohydrates like a cheese stick and an apple.
I CAN TOTALLY RELATE TO THIS SCENARIO!
Part of the answer is to eat breakfast!!! You should also eat a snack between 3 and 4 every day. Choose a snack that is a good balance of protein and carbohydrates like a cheese stick and an apple.
Oops, I forgot to eat!
"Skipping meals might sound like an easy way to lose weight. But it rarely works because your body outsmarts your plan. Whenever you go long periods without fuel, your body protects itself by hoarding some of the calories for later use. You also risk getting a late-day energy slump, which leads to even more eating struggles."
Saving up calories
"Our bodies know how to manage fuel sources very efficiently. When you undereat during the day, your body believes it may not get enough food, so it conserves what does come in. Even if you eat the same total number of calories as usual, your body will store a portion of that large evening meal, causing her to gain weight." Linda Spangle
Saving up calories
"Our bodies know how to manage fuel sources very efficiently. When you undereat during the day, your body believes it may not get enough food, so it conserves what does come in. Even if you eat the same total number of calories as usual, your body will store a portion of that large evening meal, causing her to gain weight." Linda Spangle
Monday, November 2, 2009
Fuel or filler
"Quality fuel provides solid nutritional content, with limited amounts of fat, sugar, and empty calories. Generally you get decent fuel from most healthy foods, such as low-fat meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Filler foods tend to add extra calories but provide minimal nutrients."
Filler drains energy
"Don't ask your body to run on junk. Filler usually harms your energy as well as your weight-loss efforts.
To improve the quality of your fuel intake, look for foods with significant nutrient density."
Plan your fuel
"Never assume you can get healthy food at a moments notice. To avoid getting trapped without fuel, pack your own meals for airplane or road trips. Carry a protein bar with you when you go shopping." Linda Spangle
Filler foods tend to add extra calories but provide minimal nutrients."
Filler drains energy
"Don't ask your body to run on junk. Filler usually harms your energy as well as your weight-loss efforts.
To improve the quality of your fuel intake, look for foods with significant nutrient density."
Plan your fuel
"Never assume you can get healthy food at a moments notice. To avoid getting trapped without fuel, pack your own meals for airplane or road trips. Carry a protein bar with you when you go shopping." Linda Spangle
Two purposes of food
"Food is wonderful! And you can absolutely enjoy food and eating, yet still manage your weight. But in order to be successful with this, you need to put food in its proper place.
From now on, plan that you will eat for only two reasons:
1. To fuel your body
2. To appreciate flavors
Measure your food intake against these guidelines. if you put something in your mouth and it doesn't match either of these, there's a good chance you're doing emotional eating."
Make fuel a priority
Eat more often
Linda Spangle
From now on, plan that you will eat for only two reasons:
1. To fuel your body
2. To appreciate flavors
Measure your food intake against these guidelines. if you put something in your mouth and it doesn't match either of these, there's a good chance you're doing emotional eating."
Make fuel a priority
Eat more often
Linda Spangle
Appreciate good support
"Getting support from others involves give and take. When people give you solid, helpful support, let them know you appreciate it. Be willing to talk about your goals and your plans for achieving them."
Learn to receive compliments
"Do you feel uncomfortable when you get noticed? If so, you need to practice the art of accepting compliments and praise more graciously."
Don't set them up
"Avoid hooking people with awkward questions that they can't answer honestly. here are some examples: ---Does this dress make me look fat? ---Can you tell if I've lost any weight? ---Does my fat stomach bother you? If you feel insecure or you struggle with your self-esteem, focus on dealing with these issues instead of punishing your support team." Linda Spangle
Learn to receive compliments
"Do you feel uncomfortable when you get noticed? If so, you need to practice the art of accepting compliments and praise more graciously."
Don't set them up
"Avoid hooking people with awkward questions that they can't answer honestly. here are some examples: ---Does this dress make me look fat? ---Can you tell if I've lost any weight? ---Does my fat stomach bother you? If you feel insecure or you struggle with your self-esteem, focus on dealing with these issues instead of punishing your support team." Linda Spangle
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Help me, please.....
Day 8 of 100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle
"Do you ever wish you could get more support from people around you? If only the "helpers" in your life knew exactly what you wanted them to say! Unfortunately, they don't. In fact, sometimes they just make things worse.
With good intentions, people grab cookies out of your hand as they scold, "Should you be eating that?" Or they ignore you and don't say anything, even when you wear much smaller clothes or weigh 30 lbs less than you did a few months ago."
Decide What You Want
"To get support instead of criticism from the people you love, you may have to train them. Instead of begging, "Please help me lose weight" or "Be nicer to me," clarify exactly what you mean by those words, and then be more specific in your requests."
"Do you ever wish you could get more support from people around you? If only the "helpers" in your life knew exactly what you wanted them to say! Unfortunately, they don't. In fact, sometimes they just make things worse.
With good intentions, people grab cookies out of your hand as they scold, "Should you be eating that?" Or they ignore you and don't say anything, even when you wear much smaller clothes or weigh 30 lbs less than you did a few months ago."
Decide What You Want
"To get support instead of criticism from the people you love, you may have to train them. Instead of begging, "Please help me lose weight" or "Be nicer to me," clarify exactly what you mean by those words, and then be more specific in your requests."
I can do it!
"To increase your success with this program, skyrocket your self-talk and create a strong belief you can do this. Become your own cheerleader, shouting out words of encouragement that will keep your motivation strong every single day.
To enhance your cheerleading, think about why you are so convinced you can be successful. Invent several phrases that reinforce your determination to stay on your plan for t least 100 days. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-I'm totally determined.
-I've done it before and I can do it again.
-I'm using a great weight-loss plan.
-I'm capable of accomplishing anything.
-Others have done it and so can I!" Linda Spangle
Is this helping anyone else or is this just for me?
To enhance your cheerleading, think about why you are so convinced you can be successful. Invent several phrases that reinforce your determination to stay on your plan for t least 100 days. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-I'm totally determined.
-I've done it before and I can do it again.
-I'm using a great weight-loss plan.
-I'm capable of accomplishing anything.
-Others have done it and so can I!" Linda Spangle
Is this helping anyone else or is this just for me?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Protect your program
I loved this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"No one will ever care as much about your diet plan as you. So it's your job to prevent people or events from pulling you off track. Instead of depending on others to help you be successful with your diet, make a commitment that you will protect your program at all costs."
"Here's a great way to protect yourself when you are around other people. Anytime you feel pressured to eat something, you can sidestep the food pusher by hinting that you'll eat later. Whenever someone offers you food, respond by saying, "Not just yet; I'm going to wait a little while."
If you're asked again, simply repeat this phrase or another variation of it such as, "Thanks, but I'll still wait a little bit." Saying "not just yet" gives you a gracious way to handle being pushed to eat when you don't want to. Because this magic phrase convinces people you'll eat eventually, they'll leave you alone for the moment." Linda Spangle
Isn't that a great idea!!!!
"No one will ever care as much about your diet plan as you. So it's your job to prevent people or events from pulling you off track. Instead of depending on others to help you be successful with your diet, make a commitment that you will protect your program at all costs."
"Here's a great way to protect yourself when you are around other people. Anytime you feel pressured to eat something, you can sidestep the food pusher by hinting that you'll eat later. Whenever someone offers you food, respond by saying, "Not just yet; I'm going to wait a little while."
If you're asked again, simply repeat this phrase or another variation of it such as, "Thanks, but I'll still wait a little bit." Saying "not just yet" gives you a gracious way to handle being pushed to eat when you don't want to. Because this magic phrase convinces people you'll eat eventually, they'll leave you alone for the moment." Linda Spangle
Isn't that a great idea!!!!
Magic Notebook
"For many people, recording personal thoughts or actions each day provides valuable insight. It also serves as an outlet for emotions and struggles around weight-loss efforts. If you enjoy writing, experiment with tracking your thoughts and ideas about food and eating. Feel free to write as little as one sentence or as much as several pages.
On the other hand, if you don't find it helpful to write things down, don't force yourself to do this. But do keep a notebook handy as a quick tool for jotting down ideas about managing your eating patterns." Linda Spangle
On the other hand, if you don't find it helpful to write things down, don't force yourself to do this. But do keep a notebook handy as a quick tool for jotting down ideas about managing your eating patterns." Linda Spangle
Boundaries, not diets
Boundaries define your diet
"Like it or not, to lose weight, you have to follow some type of system. Your plan can be quite rigid and meticulous, or as simple as deciding you'll eat less and increase your level of exercise. Instead of getting stuck on the word diet, learn to think of it as setting boundaries for your eating plan.
Picture your diet as a road or a path. You can define the boundaries of your diet road based on the number of calories, points, or other factors you choose to follow. As you walk the road each day, your goal is to stay between the sides of the road. Unlike strict or rigid diet plans, boundaries stay flexible. They provide guidelines, but at the same time they allow common sense and good judgment." Linda Spangle
"Like it or not, to lose weight, you have to follow some type of system. Your plan can be quite rigid and meticulous, or as simple as deciding you'll eat less and increase your level of exercise. Instead of getting stuck on the word diet, learn to think of it as setting boundaries for your eating plan.
Picture your diet as a road or a path. You can define the boundaries of your diet road based on the number of calories, points, or other factors you choose to follow. As you walk the road each day, your goal is to stay between the sides of the road. Unlike strict or rigid diet plans, boundaries stay flexible. They provide guidelines, but at the same time they allow common sense and good judgment." Linda Spangle
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Do it anyway
"Right now, you may be solidly committed to your goals. But what happens when you don't feel like cooking healthy meals or following your diet plan? If you aren't careful, you can easily slide back from being committed to being just interested."
"You don't usually wait until you feel like going to work. You just go. The same thing is true for visiting your mother or changing dirty diapers. because you consider these things to be important, you do them regardless of how you feel at the moment.
In the same way, you don't have to feel like working on your weight-loss plan to stick with your program. To improve your commitment, learn to focus on your actions, not just your feelings. On days you're not in the mood for exercising or eating right, tell yourself to DO IT ANYWAY." Linda Spangle
"You don't usually wait until you feel like going to work. You just go. The same thing is true for visiting your mother or changing dirty diapers. because you consider these things to be important, you do them regardless of how you feel at the moment.
In the same way, you don't have to feel like working on your weight-loss plan to stick with your program. To improve your commitment, learn to focus on your actions, not just your feelings. On days you're not in the mood for exercising or eating right, tell yourself to DO IT ANYWAY." Linda Spangle
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Interested or committed?
"Do you feel totally determined to stick with your efforts, or do you entertain a few nagging thoughts about "having fun" instead of staying on your plan? If you tend to start and stop every time you diet, you may want to look at the difference between being interested and being committed."
"With interested, you tend to stay with your plans only until something better comes along. For example, you may decide that you're interested in losing weight, but when someone brings doughnuts to work, you quickly go off your diet."
"When you're truly committed to achieving your goals, you have an entirely different outlook. Unlike being interested, where it doesn't take much to detract you from your goals, being committed means you stick with it, no matter what." Linda Spangle
"With interested, you tend to stay with your plans only until something better comes along. For example, you may decide that you're interested in losing weight, but when someone brings doughnuts to work, you quickly go off your diet."
"When you're truly committed to achieving your goals, you have an entirely different outlook. Unlike being interested, where it doesn't take much to detract you from your goals, being committed means you stick with it, no matter what." Linda Spangle
Monday, October 26, 2009
"I used to be that way"
Day one of 100 days of weight loss is entitled "I used to be that way". Here is an excerpt!
"Change your thinking"
"Stop right there! Your past does not determine your future. In fact, your previous failures have absolutely no effect on your ability to succeed now. Starting today, eliminate the belief that things always go a certain way or that you never stay with your goals. Whenever those doubts creep back in, immediately give yourself this new message:
I used to be that way, but now I'm different!
This powerful statement completely ignores whatever you did before and instead promises you can change your outcome entirely. Rather than being fearful that you'll repeat the past, build a new way of thinking." Linda Spangle
"Change your thinking"
"Stop right there! Your past does not determine your future. In fact, your previous failures have absolutely no effect on your ability to succeed now. Starting today, eliminate the belief that things always go a certain way or that you never stay with your goals. Whenever those doubts creep back in, immediately give yourself this new message:
I used to be that way, but now I'm different!
This powerful statement completely ignores whatever you did before and instead promises you can change your outcome entirely. Rather than being fearful that you'll repeat the past, build a new way of thinking." Linda Spangle
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Take the diet Quiz
I happen to think that the program I have had such success with and am now a health coach for is fabulous and will work for almost everyone. If you would like to know more about it go to www.powerlosers.com/?ref=tiffanyjones or email me at tiffyjones@hotmail.com. But I thought that I would share something else from Linda Spangle's book 100 days of Weight Loss. In the introduction she suggests you choose "your best diet plan". Here is another excerpt.
"Think carefully about what works for you. Do you enjoy going to weight loss groups, or do you prefer meeting one on one with a counselor? Maybe you will go with a commercial diet program or hire a personal weight loss coach. Or you might even design your own system using a new diet book, an internet resource, or a plan that you've followed in the past."
"After you've chosen your diet plan, make sure you know your recommended daily calorie levels or the number of servings for each of the food groups. You'll also want to think about how you'll monitor or track your food intake to see whether you've met your diet plans requirements."
TAKE THE DIET QUIZ
If you need help with choosing a diet plan, take the quiz at www.thedietquiz.com
"Based on the amount of weight you want to lose as well as your age, history, body type, and personal preferences, this quiz helps you pick the diet plan that best matches your needs and gives you the greatest chance for success."
"Think carefully about what works for you. Do you enjoy going to weight loss groups, or do you prefer meeting one on one with a counselor? Maybe you will go with a commercial diet program or hire a personal weight loss coach. Or you might even design your own system using a new diet book, an internet resource, or a plan that you've followed in the past."
"After you've chosen your diet plan, make sure you know your recommended daily calorie levels or the number of servings for each of the food groups. You'll also want to think about how you'll monitor or track your food intake to see whether you've met your diet plans requirements."
TAKE THE DIET QUIZ
If you need help with choosing a diet plan, take the quiz at www.thedietquiz.com
"Based on the amount of weight you want to lose as well as your age, history, body type, and personal preferences, this quiz helps you pick the diet plan that best matches your needs and gives you the greatest chance for success."
Friday, October 23, 2009
100 Days of Weight Loss
Well I have been maintaining my 37 pound weight loss for 2 and a half months now! I am getting more confident that I will be able to keep it off as I continue as a health coach. I love love love seeing my clients succeed. So here are the stats for some of my clients who gave me permission to share their success.
Me 37 lbs
Jake 25 lbs
Susan 39 lbs
Ken 40 lbs
Annette 47 lbs
Karen 41 lbs
Hollie 20 lbs
Alexis 39 lbs
WOW!
I had the opportunity this week to participate in a training call with the author of a great book called 100 Days of Weight Loss. The authors name is Linda Spangle and she is now a TSFL health coach, but she has been helping people lose weight for 20 years!!! I just bought the book on Amazon and it is full of great ideas. I thought I would share an excerpt from her book. I know I relate to a lot of what she says and I thought some of you would too.
"In my 20 years of working with overweight individuals, I've found that one problem shows up again and again. In spite of their initial enthusiasm, most people average three to four weeks on a diet before they fall off the wagon. The reason? Real life gets in the way!"
"As many dieters do, you probably start out strong. But then you get worn down by life challenges such as family, work, stress, finances, or even emotional struggles. At some point, the need to feel better becomes stronger than your desire to lose weight. Before long, you slip off your diet and reach for a piece of chocolate cake or a bag of potato chips."
"After you've messed up, you may have a hard time getting back on your diet. Eventually, you just give up on your goal of losing weight--at least for a while."
"Does this sound way too familiar? If so, you may need an entirely new approach for managing your weight. While a healthy diet and exercise plan can certainly help, sometimes it takes more than that. What you really need is an easy set of tools that will help you to calm , nurture, and energize yourself so that food doesn't have to do it for you." Linda Spangle
Me 37 lbs
Jake 25 lbs
Susan 39 lbs
Ken 40 lbs
Annette 47 lbs
Karen 41 lbs
Hollie 20 lbs
Alexis 39 lbs
WOW!
I had the opportunity this week to participate in a training call with the author of a great book called 100 Days of Weight Loss. The authors name is Linda Spangle and she is now a TSFL health coach, but she has been helping people lose weight for 20 years!!! I just bought the book on Amazon and it is full of great ideas. I thought I would share an excerpt from her book. I know I relate to a lot of what she says and I thought some of you would too.
"In my 20 years of working with overweight individuals, I've found that one problem shows up again and again. In spite of their initial enthusiasm, most people average three to four weeks on a diet before they fall off the wagon. The reason? Real life gets in the way!"
"As many dieters do, you probably start out strong. But then you get worn down by life challenges such as family, work, stress, finances, or even emotional struggles. At some point, the need to feel better becomes stronger than your desire to lose weight. Before long, you slip off your diet and reach for a piece of chocolate cake or a bag of potato chips."
"After you've messed up, you may have a hard time getting back on your diet. Eventually, you just give up on your goal of losing weight--at least for a while."
"Does this sound way too familiar? If so, you may need an entirely new approach for managing your weight. While a healthy diet and exercise plan can certainly help, sometimes it takes more than that. What you really need is an easy set of tools that will help you to calm , nurture, and energize yourself so that food doesn't have to do it for you." Linda Spangle
Friday, October 2, 2009
Maintenance
Maintenance is and always will be my eternal struggle!!!!
But I will conquer it this time!! I will I will I will!! Just to prove to myself that I can. I can lead a healthier life! I am really enjoying it so far! The healthy life that is! I am going to use every tool available to me to keep this weight off for the rest of my life. It is all up to me. I decide what I put into my mouth.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Transition and Beyond
After the weight loss phase of my program you take some time to transition back into eating the way you plan to eat forever(or maintenance). I have been in transition for 6 weeks or so. I have continued to lose a little and have been very happy. I started by adding more vegetables, then the next week I added fruit(yum), then yogurt(yum), then extra meat and starch(yum) and all this time my body has been very happy. I was able to take a week long vacation with my family and still lose a little weight. That never would have happened before. I now love to snack on fruits and veggies. Again, a first for me!
On Saturday I had another first. I decided to train to do a half marathon with my husband! I have always hated running because I was always carrying too much weight. It wasn't comfortable to run. Today I ran 3.8 miles with my husband. It was great. My body felt great. I could feel it in my lungs and I know that I have a lot of training to do, but I think I can do this! Doing this sort of thing was one of my motivations for losing this weight in the first place. I wanted to live a more active life. And I am!!!
On Saturday I had another first. I decided to train to do a half marathon with my husband! I have always hated running because I was always carrying too much weight. It wasn't comfortable to run. Today I ran 3.8 miles with my husband. It was great. My body felt great. I could feel it in my lungs and I know that I have a lot of training to do, but I think I can do this! Doing this sort of thing was one of my motivations for losing this weight in the first place. I wanted to live a more active life. And I am!!!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Becoming a Health Coach!!!
I can't believe I let this go so long without finishing my story!!!! I'm sorry to anyone who has actually read this blog!
Well, I had my last child on Aug. 26th of 2008. I started losing weight again with Jenny Craig(something I knew and was comfortable with) when my baby was 6 weeks old. I had success because I was dedicated and I was breast feeding. I lost some of the weight, but then came the hard part. I went on vacation with my family for Christmas and things were out of my control and I was not able to stay on my "diet". I never truly learned how to eat right and I wasn't able to get things back under control. Over the next few months I put about 10 pounds back on. Then I saw Jacqui at church!
Jacqui had lost quite a bit of weight and it was very noticable. She was also writing about losing weight on facebook and asking people to join her. I contacted her and the rest is history. I found out all about the program she was using. I had some concerns because I was still breast feeding, but we figured it out and i got started the beginning of June. I was a health coach a week or two later because i liked what I saw!!! The way that this program teaches you to eat 6 times a day and balance your blood sugars so you are not hungry was just amazing to me. I was able to lose the last 35 pounds in 10 weeks and I will never go back!!! The convenience of the portion controlled meal replacements and the support of a great health coach makes such a difference. I truly believe this is the best program out there. I am now in transition and I will write about that in my next post. i promise not to take so long this time!
Well, I had my last child on Aug. 26th of 2008. I started losing weight again with Jenny Craig(something I knew and was comfortable with) when my baby was 6 weeks old. I had success because I was dedicated and I was breast feeding. I lost some of the weight, but then came the hard part. I went on vacation with my family for Christmas and things were out of my control and I was not able to stay on my "diet". I never truly learned how to eat right and I wasn't able to get things back under control. Over the next few months I put about 10 pounds back on. Then I saw Jacqui at church!
Jacqui had lost quite a bit of weight and it was very noticable. She was also writing about losing weight on facebook and asking people to join her. I contacted her and the rest is history. I found out all about the program she was using. I had some concerns because I was still breast feeding, but we figured it out and i got started the beginning of June. I was a health coach a week or two later because i liked what I saw!!! The way that this program teaches you to eat 6 times a day and balance your blood sugars so you are not hungry was just amazing to me. I was able to lose the last 35 pounds in 10 weeks and I will never go back!!! The convenience of the portion controlled meal replacements and the support of a great health coach makes such a difference. I truly believe this is the best program out there. I am now in transition and I will write about that in my next post. i promise not to take so long this time!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Marriage and babies
This picture was taken Sept. 21, 2008, 4 weeks after my last baby was born.
The first couple of months that I was married I gained back 20 lbs. I went on a feeding frenzy! Then I became pregnant with my first child! I was able to keep my weight gain to about 35 lbs with this pregnancy. So after she was born I was practically back at my worst. It was time to try to lose weight again. I worked really hard and I had the extra bonus of breast feeding and I was able to get back to pre-pregnancy weight by the time she was one. But I couldn't get back to my pre-marriage weight! Then I got pregnant with child #2. I gained about the same amount of weight as the first time and I was back in the same boat. Again I worked hard and got back to pre-pregnancy but not pre-marriage. Then I got pregnant with #3! This time I at and ate and ate. I gained 55 lbs. It was disgusting! After she was born I was full of self loathing. I went back to Jenny Craig and did something I knew and was comfortable with. I did pretty well and lost more than I had before, but was unable to maintain. And I still did not get back to pre-marriage weight. Oh, and then I got pregnant again!! I ended this pregnancy just shy of 200 lbs once again!!! That was just under a year ago and that leads us to the next entry....
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The teaching years
My first year teaching elementary school was a lot of fun and hard work. I worked with an amazing team of ladies who loved to eat. We ate lunch together every day and we made it a party as often as we could. We used every excuse to have a party and parties mean food! I don't really remember how much weight I put on that first year, but I do know that I associated a good time with good fattening food. Well, that year ended and half of our student body went to a brand new school which meant half the teachers had to go too.
I got a job teaching 6th grade at a different school and I wasn't excited about it. To make a long story short I decided to go to Taiwan and teach English instead. The first 6 months n Taiwan I was miserable. I didn't speak Chinese and things were hard. So I found comfort in food. I found the foods I liked and I ate lots of them. I enjoyed the second half of my time there, but I continued to eat. I came home from Taiwan the largest I have ever been other than being pregnant. I was almost 200 lbs by this point. It is hard to even write that number down!!!
I came home and got a job at my old school, but not with my old team so I wasn't happy. I kept eating. The following year I got back to teaching 3rd grade with the team that I loved and I decided it was time to take control of my life!!!! This was the first time I got serious about losing weight. This was the first time i went to Jenny Craig. And it worked for me. I lost over 60 lbs and I was confident and secure. My life was totally on track and I was doing great.....but I didn't learn how to change my mindset.
I met my future husband that year.We ate out more and more and once we got married the weight started coming back. And them I got pregnant with my first child. This is where the teaching years end and the baby years begin. I will continue the story in my next post.
I got a job teaching 6th grade at a different school and I wasn't excited about it. To make a long story short I decided to go to Taiwan and teach English instead. The first 6 months n Taiwan I was miserable. I didn't speak Chinese and things were hard. So I found comfort in food. I found the foods I liked and I ate lots of them. I enjoyed the second half of my time there, but I continued to eat. I came home from Taiwan the largest I have ever been other than being pregnant. I was almost 200 lbs by this point. It is hard to even write that number down!!!
I came home and got a job at my old school, but not with my old team so I wasn't happy. I kept eating. The following year I got back to teaching 3rd grade with the team that I loved and I decided it was time to take control of my life!!!! This was the first time I got serious about losing weight. This was the first time i went to Jenny Craig. And it worked for me. I lost over 60 lbs and I was confident and secure. My life was totally on track and I was doing great.....but I didn't learn how to change my mindset.
I met my future husband that year.We ate out more and more and once we got married the weight started coming back. And them I got pregnant with my first child. This is where the teaching years end and the baby years begin. I will continue the story in my next post.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The college years
I don't think I weighed myself much if at all the first two years at college. I should have!!! My clothes just kept getting tighter and tighter. But somehow I still had a pretty healthy self esteem and I just didn't understand why the guys weren't interested in me. I enjoyed my first couple years of college, but I slowly began to become less and less social. And then of course I became more and more self-conscious.
My third year at college I moved away from student housing and just kept gaining weight. A little at a time. I would go through phases where I would work on it, but basically I just didn't care. I really don't know what I weighed during those years, I just know it wasn't pretty. It didn't help that I worked at a burger and ice cream place. I ate a lot of burgers, fries and of course ice cream!!! I ended up going to school part time and working almost full time and gaining weight. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but I could have had so much MORE fun.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, I just want to write my story down. So there it is up to the college years!
My third year at college I moved away from student housing and just kept gaining weight. A little at a time. I would go through phases where I would work on it, but basically I just didn't care. I really don't know what I weighed during those years, I just know it wasn't pretty. It didn't help that I worked at a burger and ice cream place. I ate a lot of burgers, fries and of course ice cream!!! I ended up going to school part time and working almost full time and gaining weight. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but I could have had so much MORE fun.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, I just want to write my story down. So there it is up to the college years!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The beginning of my battle with my weight
I first put on weight my senior year of high school. That was almost 18 years ago. Up to that point in my life I had been pretty active playing soccer and other sports. My senior year things changed for me. I decided to become more involved in choir than in sports. You don't burn nearly as many calories singing!!!!
I can pinpoint exactly when the weight started piling on. We had a fundraiser for choir where we sold king size candy bars.....I got 50 cents for every one I sold so I figured they were only costing me 50 cents. Therefore I ate A LOT of them!!! I can't even tell you how many I ate but i can tell you that I vividly remember lying in bed at night eating candy bars. I have a terrible memory so the fact that I can remember that says something of the impact it had on my life. I have been over eating ever since!
I gained 20 lbs that year. I wasn't "fat" yet but I was overweight according to the BMI chart. I guess if I am going to write about this I may as well be totally candid and honest. I am 5'6" and when I graduated from high school I weighed 160 lbs. I was 17 years old. So, that it where it all began. I will share more of my story in subsequent blogs. I will also track down a picture of me my senior year! Lucky you....
I can pinpoint exactly when the weight started piling on. We had a fundraiser for choir where we sold king size candy bars.....I got 50 cents for every one I sold so I figured they were only costing me 50 cents. Therefore I ate A LOT of them!!! I can't even tell you how many I ate but i can tell you that I vividly remember lying in bed at night eating candy bars. I have a terrible memory so the fact that I can remember that says something of the impact it had on my life. I have been over eating ever since!
I gained 20 lbs that year. I wasn't "fat" yet but I was overweight according to the BMI chart. I guess if I am going to write about this I may as well be totally candid and honest. I am 5'6" and when I graduated from high school I weighed 160 lbs. I was 17 years old. So, that it where it all began. I will share more of my story in subsequent blogs. I will also track down a picture of me my senior year! Lucky you....
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