Balancing

Weekly Update:  This week is a fun one because I had my physical. I wanted to talk a little bit about weight for a minute and share the photo below.  In the past I have always struggled with my weight.  Growing up, I was over weight since about the age of 8. I always knew I was overweight but never knew what to do about it or really had any grasp on how to lose weight. I would do random diets (like once I ate cabbage soup for a week), another time I tried to give myself salmonella.    Then in college I figured out how to lose weight, I discovered fitness (I discovered I loved fitness too!) but I also developed some unhealthy body image issues and unhealthy relationships with food and fitness.  Fast forward to 2014, since I never really learned how to take care of my body, and I didn't want to go the starvation route while pregnant/nursing - I gained and gained.   The most recent photo I am a good 30 pounds heavier than my prior 'low' but so much happier.

So with that said, this week I am up 1.8lbs for a current total of 74.6 pounds. I actually am fairly certain a good deal is 'fake' because last night I decided to eat HALF a pie.   No clue what got into me, but this morning I was really regretting it because my head was pounding from all the sugar!

But despite the pie, what I'm happy about is that I talked to my doctor about my weight because it's technically still over the healthy BMI range by about 15 pounds.  We talked quite a bit and she agreed that my current weight is my ideal weight.  It's funny because she is the one that asked me (with out prompting) if I thought that a lower weight I could maintain in a healthy way.  I immediately blurted out "no".   I haven't been lower since developing my new healthy mentality, so I can't say for certain, but I will say in the past once I start to get too low, I start to get into very unhealthy habits.

Here is another great side by side that really has some meaning beyond what you'll see.  On the left it was well before kids, and I had recently 'regained' 30 of the 60 pounds I had lost in college.   I remember feeling so overweight this weekend for the wedding I was in, fixated on that 30 pound gain.   Well in the photo on the right I am the exact same weight, maybe 1 or 2 pounds more.  I feel so much better about myself and so proud to be able to wear this dress.  Same girl, same dress, same weight - different mental state.

Speaking of mental state, I wanted to share something on perspective.    I often share progress photos, and I'm usually fairly clothed meaning my shorts/bottom is usually up around my belly button.  Well, I wanted to show something very important here about perspective.  You may see the first photo and think 'wow, she lost all that weight and she doesn't have any skin, and that's not the case as you can see from the bottom photo.   What is important here however is what I chose to personally focus on myself.  For years the image in the bottom photo was all I could think about, and that thought consumed me.   But now, I choose to think about the top photo and look at the abs I have, and how far I have come. I do not ignore any part of my body, but the bottom photo does not consume me anymore. I have chosen a perspective and choose to look at what I'm proud of instead of let my little imperfections dominate my mind.

More on transformations - I wanted to share this very important transformation with the group.  This is a woman I have been coaching for about 8 months.   She herself is a coach as well now, sharing with others along her journey and helping motivate and encourage them just as I motivate and encourage others.    What I love here is the happiness in her eyes on the right hand photo.   Pam has always loved hiking, and when I met her this was one of the first things I learned about her - but her weight was definitely something that was affecting her ability to hike and do things she loved.   I look at this photo on the right and see nothing but happiness.  She has lost a total of 50 pounds so far, and regained her health and ability to do things in her life that bring her joy and to me, that is exactly the right WHY to focus on when you have a weight loss goal.  Numbers don't reflect just how much life we get when we take care of ourselves.

And finally, food news!!!

I made just one thing in terms of food prep this weekend but it was tasty!  Pumpkin curry!  I threw a ton of stuff in the crock pot and got 10 servings out of it with very little effort. 

Another new favorite food of mine recently are these Shakeology peanut butter cups!   Chocolate Shakeology mixed with coconut oil, then put into muffin liners and topped with a dab of fresh, no salt peanut butter.  Freeze/let sit and enjoy!!

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