My Whys & Wherefores

Yesterday Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit asked us to tell him the Why & Wherefores of our recent weight loss journeys. Some of the questions really made me stop and think...so I wanted to answer them publicly because even though it's been over a year since I made this lifestyle change, I am nowhere near having it dialed in.


Why do you suppose you let your life be less than you imagined it to be?

I wasn't unhappy when I was fat. I was totally ok, most of the time, being the chubby friend. I had been that person for so long and had tried to lose weight so many times before, I never imagined I could be anything else.


Why do you stumble so often despite all your good intentions?

Quite simply, because I'm a klutz.


Why do you sabotage yourself?

I tend to sabotage myself when I'm in a panic for some reason or overly stressed. I use overindulgence of food and even alcohol sometimes to numb my feelings instead of just embracing them and dealing with them. It's something I'm working on.


Why are you here anyway?

Because blogging keeps me accountable. I don't want to tell the 67 subscribers to my blog that I ate 2 double cheeseburgers on the way home from the grocery store before cooking dinner. I didn't do that recently, that is just an example of my past behavior.


If you’re making it, if you’re succeeding on this weight-loss journey, tell me why this time is different than all the others. Why are you going to make it this time when you’ve fallen short before? Why are you going to keep it off this time when you’ve gained it back before?

I choose to make it different. I choose to do the work, eat the right foods and take care of myself. If I don't choose to make it different, it won't be. That, and I'm actually enjoying myself this time around. I found that I love running, fitness and cooking healthy foods. I made the lifestyle change fit my life instead of revamping my whole life to fit the lifestyle change. I swear that made sense in my head.


Why are you a different person now than you were before?

The past year has changed the way I think about things. It's changed my personality, it's given me the confidence to say "I can accomplish the goals that I set for myself". Confidence is a powerful thing. Something I never had before.

I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that this will never be easy. I will always have to make an effort to be active and not eat too much. I think knowing that, accepting the fact that there is no magic quick fix and accepting the fact that if I stop, the weight will come back helps to me keep me going.

And since I'm answering questions today, here are some I've gotten on Formspring. Remember you can ask me anything!


How long did it take for you to build up your mileage / speed?

I started running in May of 2009, it's March of 2010. I feel like I still have quite a ways to go. I think it's important to stress that I still take short walk breaks as needed for 30 seconds to 1 minute to catch my breath.

how do you warm up before a run?

Good question! Let me preface that I was "taught" to run, this is just my warm up. I usually walk at a brisk pace for about 5 minutes, then stretch, and then I run. I start at a slow pace and then gradually pick up speed as my muscles warm up.

What things make you the happiest?

Running, my dog Chaser, my family and friends and really good food (in no particular order) :)



Ok, that's enough of the inside of my head for one day! Time to go try to get a run in before hitting the town to run errands. Oh joy. :)