From Fat to Fit

For a year or so, I was fat. There, I said it. My husband and I were newly married and LOVED going out to eat and then, out to eat some more. I discovered things like Alfredo sauce and handmade tortillas. We both gained weight, but I put on a larger percentage of weight than my husband.

After gaining about 12-15 pounds, not feeling well, not looking how I wanted to look and getting sick frequently, my husband and I both made a commitment to regain our health. I wanted to be sure that as I approached my new life that I kept everything Up, In and Tight! 

When I was not as disciplined as I am now, I made an attempt to gain willpower through external reminders. I cut out some magazine pictures of women with healthy, toned bodies and stuck them on the fridge. My husband was (shocker!) OK with this. It gave me a visual reminder of my goal, however what needed to be changed was deeper. Simply put, I needed to decrease the amount and change the type of foods I ate.

We started running. These first few runs were short and peppered with huffing and puffing. Slowly, running became easier. Over the years, I went from an occasional runner to a marathoner-in-training. I now look forward to running; heck, I even get a bit cranky when I can't stretch my legs. I added circuit training, swimming, bicycling and yoga to my workout schedule.

Of course, no description of my transformation would be complete with out a discussion of diet. Simply put, I changed what I ate, how I ate and where I shopped for food. I stopped eating meat (other than fish) and processed foods, I became aware of proper portion sizes. I even purchased a food scale as to measure exactly how much I was eating. Also, I did the bulk of my shopping at Trader Joe's; I still do :) TJ's was/is great as it allowed us to get healthy while not breaking the bank. It became so much easier to avoid foods with preservatives and chemicals.

The message I hope that comes through is simply to START regaining your health today. Don't feel as if you are a failure if you aren't able to go from eating junk food and not exercising to a fit, toned, I-only-eat-organic everything in a matter of a week. I sure didn't. It took me a while and am still learning what works to keep me on track.

Start by doing one or two health-positive actions now. Drink more water. Take a 20 minute walk on your lunch break. Buy whole grain or sprouted grain bread instead of white bread. Easy-peasy? That is how these first small changes need to be in order to be successful in the long run. 

What small changes can you make to keep UpInAndTight?

Cathleen