It's been an interesting week. I had the revelation over the weekend that I've been becoming increasingly lazy with no real reason! If all I do all day is sit at home, why can't I work out and get myself back in shape? There's no good reason that I can't.
To be honest, I haven't been in good shape since high school. In high school, I was dancing almost daily, performing in 2-4 musicals a year, and running around with my friends all the time. I was tiny, I could eat whatever I wanted without consequence, and not have to worry. I was literally the same size (height, chest, EVERYTHING) from age 12 to age 18. It made clothes easy, I just wore the same things for years!
Freshman year of college, I dated a seemingly charming boy that was into RPGs and eating like a normal 20 year old college kid. I fell into a lifestyle of sitting around, staying up all night, and eating like I had been in high school with even more crap. It's always been rumored that at Millikin they inject the food in the cafeteria with more "nutrients" (aka calories) as college students don't eat enough, and I'm not sure if that's the case, but my weight skyrocketed. I was still dancing (thank you Millikin Pom Squad) but not nearly as much. I put on not only the Freshman 15, but the Freshman 30.
Over the summer between Freshman and Sophomore year, I met my now NYBF (New York Best Friend) who introduced me to my love of street tap. He even bought me my Alexandro Concertos! Over that summer, I went back down at least 15 pounds, and went to Millikin a lot better.
The rest of my college experience was full of stress, alcohol, late nights, and food. By the time I was done, I was back to a weight I just wasn't happy with. I was also engaged to be married at that point and really wanted to look better for my wedding. I tried Weight Watchers, gym memberships, and fad diets, but none of these really stuck. I did make it down to about 150 by the wedding which was fine, but looking back at pictures I would have liked to be smaller. I only recently was able to become okay with how I looked that day. Going to beauty school has made me more aware of what looks good on my body and hair, and I also wish I would have worn my hair down...but hey, it's not about the day in the end, it's about the wonderful Husband I gained from it. :)
So now we're 2 and a half years down the road from that day, and I'm at my weight limit. I stepped on the scale on Saturday and almost yelled out loud at myself. I had been doing better, especially with bartending as it kept me on my feet, but after the move, lots of time in cars eating fast food while we shuttled across the country had taken it's toll. I committed right then to be better, and I'm really trying now.
I've been working out all this week by trying a new system. My goal is to take 10,000 steps every day. This works out to about 5 miles. Since I don't have a job, you'd think this would be a cinch, but it's a bit harder than it seems! Monday, I walked to the library and back, which ended up being 6 miles. It was a little much to start with, so Tuesday I walked to the grocery and back, which was 3 miles. Yesterday I did Wii Fit step aerobics for a hour and some boxing. Today I'm going to take the puppy for a walk in a bit and take it a little easy as my legs and hips are still protesting from that 6 miles on Monday!
Why am I talking about this on my public blog? I guess I feel like talking about it will keep me a little more accountable. I've always been embarrassed about my weight as it's gone up and never wanted to really let anyone know how bad it's gotten. In a world with Biggest Loser and shows about people that weigh 600+ pounds getting TV time, I always thought I wasn't that bad. But it's not about other people's journeys, it's about my own. I don't need to be back at high school weight, but I would like to be back at wedding weight or lower! I'm hoping by letting this all out, my friends will be able to help me stay on track.
I am still cooking! I have been trying to be a bit more healthy about what I make and cut back on butter, cheese, and chips. I've been having a lot of chicken, veggies, and water. We'll see how I do!
Love,
Jesi