The past few month have been life-changing in terms of health, and I've been searching for a way to document the things I'm learning, and how I'm changing. So, I'm going to give blogging a shot and see if it's a good fit for said documentation. I also want to share what I'm learning!!
Growing up, I lived on the edge of a small town in AZ, and did a lot of running around and playing. Eventually, I discovered books (still LOVE to read), and read more than ran, and began eating more of the unhealthy desserts and fatty foods than the salads that my amazing-cook-of-a-mother made. (I remember my salad-avoidance trick was to not put dressing on my salad, and then to put it back in the bowl when my parents weren't looking. Unfortunately, my sister got caught trying to do the same thing, tattled on me, and we both had to eat salad from then on.)
By third grade I started realizing that I was chubbier than many of the kids at school, but it didn't seem to faze me. I was never obese, but always had at least a few extra pounds. That phase petered out in high school, when I began running with the cross-country and track teams, and then got pneumonia at the end of my sophomore year. I graduated from high school at about 130 lbs, 5'8ish". I wore a 9/10 in jeans. At that point, I didn't exercise on a regular basis, but I was active, and didn't overeat very often. I was at a pretty healthy weight.
I moved to Montana for the summer right after high school, and eating ramen EVERY day took it's toll. I gained my freshman 15 before I ever began college! I went to school in Idaho, and working early morning custodial combined with the dark, cold, and junk-food-eating-college-lifestyle contributed to another few pounds. I think I got up to 160 at one point, but then kind of leveled out at 150-155 for the next 10 years, through the rest of college, a year and a half mission to Chile for my church (They sure know how to feed you there!!), and my first 4 years of my teaching career.
During these years, I would read Prevention, Self, First, and other magazines with weight-loss ideas/stories. I collected diet books and tried to eat more healthily. I started running and doing other forms of exercise (I love ballet, yoga, and other stretching exercises). I would set goals to lose weight, but even counting calories and running 3-7 miles 3-4 times a week would only get me down to 149lbs. Some of my diet book collection did help. The retro 80s diet book Lean and Free helped me be kinder to myself, learn about nutrition, and not give into self-loathing because I wasn't a size 6. Geneen Roth's books also helped with learning to love myself as I was (and to get rid of the rest of the diet books!)
A few years ago a friend told me that when I turned 30, I would have to watch what I ate. As I turned 29, my base weight started creeping up, and I was consistently at 157. Then, this past winter after a big meal (we are eaters in my family!) I weighed myself and was horrified to find that I was 163 lbs, more than I'd ever weighed before! (It was after a big meal with siblings and roommates, and my brother still laughs at how shocked I looked!!) I knew that I needed to do something different, but didn't know what. I'd been working out, and thought that I was doing pretty well, but I was gaining instead of losing!
Gratefully, my sister found a book called the Green Smoothies Diet, and told me about it. I looked up the corresponding website, and found Dr. Joel Fuhrman sited. I bought his book, Eat to Live, too, and it was the catalyst for change for me. I began following his eating suggestions about 80% of the time in May of this year (before I ever finished the book), and began losing weight that hadn't budged in years. I made my goal of being less than 140 lbs on my 30th b-day in August (139 counts, right?!) and have been between 138-145 since then. I'm sure that I be lighter than that if I'd been consistent.
My problem is that I haven't been consistent. Dr. Fuhrman recommends being totally dedicated to the program for 6 weeks. I make it for about 2 or so, and then something comes up and I give in to sugar or meat. Not the most heinous crimes ever committed, but when I do, I realize that these foods never taste as good as I thought they would, they make me sick to my stomach, and they don't really solve the tiredness, stress, or whatever else I want them to fix! That doesn't stop me from eating a ton of them, though, when I do give in.
I've been feeling recently that I really need to commit and see what Eating to Live can do for me. I do feel healthier, lighter, stronger, and more energetic, even though I haven't been consistent with it. I'm wearing size 4 and 6 jeans and skirts at 140 ish lbs, so I know that my body is changing, not just my weight. I've NEVER been able to wear a size 6 bottom before this summer!
I went a year once without sugar, and figure I can do that again, along with ditching the meat, and adding the focus on nutrition that Dr. Fuhrman teaches. Soooo, I'm hereby committing to Eat to Live (basically vegan) for a year. I have a lot going on (I teach full time, am a grad school student, and have a lot of time-consuming responsibilities for my church), but I am also committing to do a few minutes of yoga each day for a year, fitting in cardio, and more stretching as I can.
THIS IS MY DAY OF DECISION!!!
I will check in every few days or so and let you know how I'm doing with my goals. I found a blog the other day (www.happyherbivore.com) that I already love and know is going to help me.
My stats today:
Weight: 143.2 lbs as of this morning (big binge weekend)
Exercise: yoga in the am, going to do a few more poses again tonight
Food: bkfast: green smoothie (banana, frozen peaches, spinach)
lunch: spinach, chili, tomatoes, mushrooms
snack: grape tomatoes
dinner: so far, a banana. Planning on trying HH's Pumpkin Pie smoothie.
