Long Time No Blog

So I read an article about how blogging actually helps people lose weight, because not only do they have a support system of people who are going/have been through the same problems, but also you're held accountable. I really only obsessively read two weight-related blogs. One is PriorFatGirl and the other is my friend Emily's blog. But even just following in the trials and tribulations of these wonderful ladies inspires me every day. I want to know what they're doing, what they're eating, how they keep doing this weight loss thing every day.

I have two main tools that are helping me right now: a nutritionist, and a Suz.

I remember getting a random phone call from my general practitioner saying he had a particularly difficult patient who went to Christine and did very well, so if I wanted her number, he'd get it to me. I've always been ambivalent about nutritionists, basically because I feel like I know all there is to know about nutrition. Poorly educated, I am not. I knew what choices were the good choices, I just wasn't making them. I didn't need a nutritionist to tell me that. But on a whim, I decided to call this woman and set up an appointment. I decided I'd go to her weekly. I went two days after my 23rd birthday and may or may not have still been nursing a hangover from the debauchery that night. She kind of barked at me, and told me about fat free cream cheese and staying hydrated and all this stuff I knew (or didn't agree with). I didn't really make a big effort in trying to lose weight. Her words and guidelines were in my head, but I didn't actually listen to them. I was getting headstrong and her threats of my imminent demise if I didn't lose weight were bothering me and I almost quit several times in the first few weeks. Honestly, I didn't go to her in the first spot thinking I'd succeed. It was just another thing to assuage all the nagging people in my life that I had, in fact, tried EVERYTHING.

A month or so later (sometime after Thanksgiving for sure), something clicked, her words fell into place, her threats on my health became more real, and I started doing it. I know in my first post I laid out everything pretty strictly, but I really only use that as a guideline. I have a pretty good sense now of how to eat and all of that and as of yesterday, I've lost 34lbs with Christine (and am down a total of 40lbs since my highest weight in August 2010).

Now, the second part of my weight loss journey I've JUST barely introduced. It's so new I almost don't want to jinx it but that's Suz. Suz is actually a person, but in my life right now she's more of a symbol of exercise in general. My mother told me about a program (months and months ago) called Cto5K (shorthand for couch to 5k -- it's a running potato that takes you from sedentary to a 5k runner through different levels of intervals three days a week). I dismissed my mother and basically accused her of meddling (as usual) in my health. But the idea of being a couch potato to being able to run 3 miles was vaguely appealing to me. I'd been going on and off to yoga classes, but beyond that and the occasional long walk, my exercising has been pretty nil. Here's where Suz comes in. Suz has her own blog with her own musings, but ALSO with a podcast series to train with Cto5K with hip hop music! How perfect! So I downloaded, and honestly probably listened to that podcast sitting on my bed more times than I care to admit. Finally dragged my butt to the gym and panted through week one. Today, I actually completed week 4 day 1 -- which was a SERIOUS struggle. But I did it!

And I think that about sums up the two components of my weight loss journey so far. I'm getting a little nervous now because this is the SECOND time that I've lost weight, and I am very close to the lowest weight I was before I gained it all back (and then 12 more!). So I'm hoping to push through this, and I think with the help of Christine, Suz and now YOU, I will be able to do it!