Re-Starting After Maintaining for a Long Time

aelphabawest

Hello! About 6 years ago, when I was 21, I weighed 220 lbs (wearing a tight size 18). I was overweight, out of shape, and mildly asthmatic. The turning point for me was doing my study abroad in Southeast Asia. I had this moment when I was dragging my *kitten* up a mountain in the Cambodian jungle to see a hidden temple (I know, right?) and I was absolutely miserable. I hated every second of it, and was followed by a spry old Khmer man who seemed endlessly entertained by the fat white woman who couldn't do the mountain. Well. I did the mountain out of sheer stubbornness, but barely had time to rest before the rest of my group was already heading down.
I realized that I wanted to be able to do stuff like that - I wanted to have adventures and enjoy myself and that the state of my body was in the way.

Over the course of the following year and a half or so, I dropped down to the 160 lb range. For about 4 years (age 23-27) I hovered around 160. My lowest weight range was 155-160, my highest was 160-165. It was all the same clothes (size 8 or 10 pants) and all that was while traveling for several years and eating out every day, going to graduate school, and picking up a habit of a glass of wine or two every night. Traveling makes it difficult to have a regular work out routine as well, but I stayed largely okay through walking just about everywhere (and including active activities in my travels, I'm a big hiker as well).

At 27 and back in the city, I really struggled to get into an active routine with a new job, a new house, a new (now-ex) boyfriend, etc. My weight creeped up to 170lb - which is pretty much my Oh Hell No line. Also, it's fall now and my favorite pair of flannel lined jeans are a size 8 - I feel the pressure of the weather to fit into those before it gets too cold. I still feel like I've done a pretty good job at maintaining my weight for four-ish years though.

I discovered running. I did a couch to 5K program starting in late June and ran my first 5K on September 18th (9:35min/mile). I'm registered to do a 10K at the end of October. I've totally fallen in love with running, and it's flexible enough that I can do it anywhere I have shoes, which makes my work out routine much easier to maintain. I'm currently running 4 miles 2-3 times a week, plus one longer run to get me up to 6.2 miles, and I cross train with flow yoga once or twice a week. Now a good part of the motivation for losing weight is to be a better runner. After a few months of noticing that just running wasn't bringing my weight down, I'm back to keeping tabs on the calories here at myfitnesspal. I'm shooting for 150 this time around, but I'm not sure how much I want to invest in another wardrobe right now.

Anyway. Hello! It'd be nice to meet people electronically if any of y'all are interested in new friends. I also track my work outs on mapmyrun if any of y'all are on there.

CycleFlow

****... your story is literally a mirror image to me... Scary.
Short version...

Miserable in University - shy, anxiety problems, emotionally controlling boyfriend, alcoholic father... etc etc, ate my feelings, both happy and sad. Weight - 238 lb

University ends, Move to India - found myself, escaped the crazy family and the *kitten* boyfriend. Finally started living for myself and not other people... Lost 86 lbs...

Have maintained 160lb for 3 years... love running, started teaching spin, yoga fusion etc.

Now decided id like to loose just a little more - tone and build some muscle..

Friend me if you like!!!

S

bs240z

you're in the right place for your fitness goals. feel free to add me.

IslandRider

Im back after a summer of maintenance and always enjoy meeting new electrons... I mean friends . Sending FR.