Starting Off

It all started with getting married. I looked great at the wedding then I added the proverbial "freshman 15" except it was cooking for a meat and potatoes liking husband, Moo Time ice cream, and pints from Coronado Brew Company that began the slippery slope of weight gain. Then add into the mix 2 babies (not at once mind you) packing on lots of pounds with each, never losing it all with the first, busy schedules, etc... and here I am hovering around 220 lbs feeling embarrassed and disappointed in what I have let my outward self become.

So what am I going to do about it. I'm tired of back and forth weight loss so I'm going to change, not just what I do for a month, but for my life. I don't want to be a fat mom or a fat wife that can't enjoy playing with my kids the way the deserve to be played with. I want to be able to go on adventures with my husband and hike mountains and not get winded, I want to stop feeling ashamed that seats on airplanes are snug, and I want to be healthy. So for myself, for my husband, and for my kids I'm committing to change. Especially for my sweet baby Emma, I want to be an example of womanhood that she is proud to emulate.

Most of you know (if you're a friend) that I'm spending the summer between my parents home and my in-laws in Georgia. This has given me the otherwise impossible opportunity to get to a gym A LOT and to see a personal trainer. I have set up to work out with a trainer 4 times a week this month, we have had two meetings so far. Yesterday we went over medical history and diet, today we did a fitness test. Boy is she diplomatic. Her gentle way of telling me I'm super overweight and out of shape is to say that I'm, "fairly out of condition." Aiden would just say I have a big butt.

The goal we set today is to lose 40 lbs by the end of August. To do that I'm starting with cardio 7 days a week beginning at 30 minutes and working up to 90 minutes. I'll be working on toning and strength with her 4 times a week and she'll also be assessing especially weak areas and helping me correct and prevent problems now and also to keep me strong later in life. I'm also on a strict eating plan basically if it, "doesn't exist in nature, don't eat it." I'm also not to eat grains, sugar, or drink alcohol or dairy. (Does this sound fun yet?) So for now it's lean protein, veggies, low sugar fruits, and well that's about it. I'll work on cutting my coffee consumption and apparently the lattes are a thing of the past but it's just not worth it to me anymore. I'm tired of "rewarding" myself with food, what sort of reward have I ended up with. Not wanting to wear a swimsuit in 100 degree heat is no reward.

Right now I'm a little sore (and this just from the fitness test!) and slightly overwhelmed with the amount of work and commitment this is going to take. I hope this will be a bit of an outlet for me and also a way to get encouragement from my friends and loved ones. I'll take before pictures today and measurements so I can chart my progress and get them posted. So cheer me on, I have a long way to go!