Epiphanies! What have yours been?

Katalyst77

I just absolutely love this site! I have been on for a little over a week now and have had three major epiphanies already!
1. Logically I have always known that in order to lose weight, output has to be greater than intake. Yet somehow, seeing it in writing has finally made it click for me!
2. Things I used to indulge in, thinking that they were healthier choices, have more calories than I thought! Things like pretzels and raisins and yummy wonderful triscuits and hummus... may be healthier alternatives to potato chips and fruit snacks... but they still pack a punch on my daily calorie intake. So I can still enjoy them I just need to be aware that just because they are a better choice doesnt mean that I can eat twice as many of them
3. I have an inner beast! I was always an active child; they called me "busy". I am more than a little hyper active Something about hitting puberty caused my activity level to decrease immensely. Along with less activity I was feeding my adolescent angst with all things fat and wonderful and definitely using food to keep myself busy. By the time I graduated from High School I weighed almost 200lbs. After high school I went into AmeriCorps and my activity level jumped up quite a bit. I was building and roofing and doing trail work and I was a pretty buff girl. My appetite increased right along with my activity level... When I finished with AmeriCorps two years later I went to college and kept the appetite and lost the activity. Instead of a Freshman 15, I packed on 30lbs my first semester and over the next few years the numbers just kept climbing. The day I married my wonderful husband I weighed 285. 8 years and two children later I found myself tipping the scales at 326 and my feet hurt and I was always tired... I figured it was time to fix things. 1.5 years later I weigh 295lbs and I have discovered MFP. I have been going to the beach with my boys (who are finally old enough that I actually get to swim without one of them attached to me) every day that the sun shines this summer and walking, riding my exercise bike, and using my rowing machine. I noticed when I woke up this morning that my body is starting to CRAVE exercise. Yay!! Somewhere... underneath all of the chub... the active girl lives... I have found her and I am working on getting her out! I cant wait to be able to run again without having 3 seperate landings (my feet, my butt, and my chest ;P)!

AwesomelyAmber

First: Good for you!!!

Second: My epiphanies are that
I can get outside and PLAY with my son, not just watch tv and play board games
No one cares what I look like when I go for a jog, they are busy with their own lives
Coffee creamer is an issue for me
and a biggie that took me a while to understand... Just because two people weigh the same, it doesn't make them the same size! Compare yourself to no one but the person you USED to BE. :flowerforyou:

GodsGirl37

mine is to look at the big picture ! instead of focusing on how long you have to go to reach your goal instead look at home far I've come. when I started out in January I weighed 220 pounds. I am now at 180 pounds. that is coming a long way in such a short time.

Katalyst77

It really is! Congrats to you!

Katalyst77

Very good advice! I also have a thing for coffee creamer, which is in remission right now because it is unsweetened iced tea season