25 Days I see as a Mini Success

Lylaathome

25 days ago I started down this road (again). I had started previously on Oct. 31st, 2011 with a trainer at Gold's Gym. When he told me that 7 months later I would meet my goal of losing 40 lbs and finally fall back into my bmi range for height and age; I didn't believe him.

Actually, I felt....I'll believe it, when I see it! I had been trying for over 7 years to just lose 10 lbs and keep them off. I didn't want to bite of more than I could chew. (Pun intended)

I had some health issues that were not addressed in the early 2000's. Finally in 2004, after gaining 20 lbs each year, for 3 years in a row (after having my gallbladder removed in 2001), we discovered my thyroid problem and also a hypoglycemia issues. So for years I had yo-yo dieted and dealt with health problems that I didn't know I had.

In the early years, I really didn't even care about the weight as long as I could stay active and I believed I was relatively healthy because each year we would go into the high back country with our alternative pack stock (llama's and goats). As time went on though, the weight just kept on creeping on. My husband felt that 2010 would be the last year we went into the back country because of my health. When I saw some of the pictures he had taken of me as we climbed those mountainous trails...I was actually appalled, so when the groupon came around to meet with a personal trainer at the gym, I snatched it up.I told myself, I have to give it a try, at least a try. What could I lose by trying...except maybe some weight.

So there I was, with DH(trainer) telling me that my success (or failure) reflected not only on me, but also on him. That I was to eat things that grew, and eat things> that eat things that grow<....so that meant, veggies, fruit and lean meat. He worked me hard at our sessions. Sometimes I thought that I wouldn't make it through those exercises, but I would just tell myself, "Don't let him down, don't let me down" and I would push through. There's a lot that went into that journey between Nov. 2011 to June 17th of 2012, but the bottom line is I made my 40 lb weight lose goal even having several cracked ribs from a cross country skiing accident and 6 weeks off of training and getting a brand new trainer when I returned to the gym because DH had moved across the country.

Yay! I made it. So it can be done even when you're in your middle 50's like me. The sad thing is...you can never rest or let your guard down. Within this past year (starting Summer 2013) I had an injury, that caused tendonitis and I quit trail running with my husband. That coupled with work stress, late nights with lack of sleep and just eating improper again...not that it was too many calories, but calories at the wrong time and not enough water...all added up to me gaining 30 of those 40 lbs back. (4 kids in college doesn't help the stress meter either with all their life dramas.)

When you put that extra weight on your frame, it puts everything out of line and excess stress on back, hips, knees and ankles and your feet hurt and you don't feel like doing anything, but you have to get up and start again. You have to head down that road again if you want to have a rewarding life with your loved ones.

One of the best things my trainer did for me besides helping me to focus on the fuel I put in my mouth, was to have me log my food online. After awhile the site that I used through their gym had gone offline and it was switched to some other program that I never could figure out, so when I found MFP this Jan. 1st, 2014, I was ecstatic. (My sister-in-law mentioned this site and I have been so happy.)

It has been 25 days, and I am on that road to success again. I have logged my food everyday except the one day I had the flu. I am my own trainer, but I go to SNAP Fitness and Curves besides coaching a middle school basketball team. I am determined to get at least two workouts in a week if not more and to eat healthier and at appropriate times (B,S,L,S,D,S) with adequate water or herbal tea intake. I am loving all the extra this site has to offer like logging exercises and strength training, message boards, informative articles, love the recipes, and even the blogging helps. This is a great site with great helps.

So bottom line is even at only 25 days, I feel I have a mini success story here. I am 10lbs lighter than when I started. I've trimmed 7 inches off my frame over all. I can do squats again without my knees talking to me. I am feeling stronger, like I'm on my way down that road of success again to a healthier and happier me, and that's good for everyone around me. I'll be strong enough to start trail running with my husband again when the weather clears and I'll be in the back country once again later this summer.

I hope I've been able to encourage you to get out there and try, or continue, or not give up....or? with my mini success story, because if a 55+ year old lady can do it....so can you.

Signing off

Jelly Bean

P.S. Guess this still isn't the day yet, that I blog to tell you why I sign off as Jelly Bean.

minizebu

Congratulations on getting back on track.