my journey to health...

this is long overdue! my journey to health, as i call it, truly began in february. i decided that in order to get the things i want in life, i have to pretend like i already have it. fake it until you make it, you know? i want to be healthier in all ways possible: physically, emotionally, spiritually. i decided to start with the physical.

the real idea that got me started was seeing one of my friends and coworkers pregnant. there was no way i could carry all of that baby and all of this weight! i would be a beached whale... not a pleasant sight. a baby is down the line for me but it is still a concern. and of course, i wanted to be healthier in general. lastly, i wanted to show everyone i know that i could do it if i wanted to. suck it.

my starting weight was 235, the most i'd ever been. i do want to say, though, that i loved myself (and was loved) at that weight. by february i had already lost about 5 pounds of holiday weight by doing nothing in particular except not eating cookies everyday. in february i started using an app called myfitnesspal. i entered my current weight, my goal weight, and how many pounds i wanted to lose per week. i started off easy at 1 pound per week. the app calculated how many calories i could have per day and i stuck to it. i entered everything that passed my lips; cheating the app would only be cheating myself.

in addition to tracking what i ate and keeping it under my calorie limit, i joined planet fitness. i try to go to the gym at least three times a week. my first time on the arc trainer, a machine similar to an eliptical, i almost died and only lasted 15 minutes. i went from almost zero physical activity on a regular basis to kicking ass. now, i typically do 45 minutes on a higher level of hills on the arc trainer. i went from dreading exercise to craving the rush of adrenaline and the accomplished feeling you have walking out of the gym.

from the end of february to the beginning of june i had lost another 25 pounds and was down to 205. it helped that my office had a biggest loser competition; the weekly check-ins motivated me to stay on track.

i'm so happy and proud of my progress so far. i feel stronger, happier and more energetic. the doctor was impressed by my weightloss and my vitals. as far as progress goes, i've hit a little bit of a plateau. i'm also giving myself a short break from living off of baked chicken breasts and salads (hehe). i'd like to lose at least another 20 pounds. so i will be back at it soon! and i will bring part two of my physical journey to health.

if you have any questions, please ask! i will do my best to assist!