Alright, you've asked for this... so here is my blog! As much as I can, I will add post's that relate to my journey on weight loss so first, let me give you some background on me. I am 26, 5'6, and live with my boyfriend, Carlos. We live in a townhome 10 minutes north of downtown Minneapolis. I am very close to my three sisters and my parents. They are my best friends! I am almost done with grad school (May of 2009) and will have my Master's in Organizational Leadership (whew, hopefully if I make it!)
Growing up, I was always overweight. I have always been on diets. In fact, I can remember my mom buying me those richard simmons dancing movies! Ha...In August of 2007, I realized I was an ooompa loompa (proof below). Okay, well I wasn't as short as an ooompa loompa nor was I orange but holy goodness was I fat!
No more excuses...
I had to begin my journey somewhere, right? So I went to one of those weight loss surgery seminars! I sat there, listening to my options. I looked around and that was it. That was the dose of reality I needed!I left the seminar and decided that there was no way I was going to have a surgery that would force me to chew my food until it was liquid before I swallowed it. So in August, I signed up at a local gym and began to work out. I realized that its not about being on a diet. Its not about a quick fix surgery, its not about someone else holding me accountable. This was about me. I did this to myself, I was the only one who could fix it. It took years to get me to the ooompa loompa body, it was going to take just as long to get rid of it. For years, I used every excuse that I'm sure some of you have used.
- "I don't have time to work-out"
- "I can't afford it"
- "Dieting is unrealistic"
- "I tried a diet once, it didn't work"
- "It's just genetics that I'm like this"
- "I'm single and live alone, if I buy all that healthy food, it will just go to waste"
Guess what? These are all excuses. They make you feel better so that way you don't have to do the hard work. They give you a reason not to do something. Its called "rationalizing" (kudo's Carlos, that term came from you!)
Key lesson - if you want something enough, you will do the work to get it.
So, here we are. I lost 80lbs in the first year and daily work to stay healthy. I’ve realized this is not a get healthy and go back to my old lifestyle event. For the rest of my life, I will have to continue with the healthy habits and exercise. Accepting that has been so much easier then trying to fight it.
As you read my story and my post’s, remember to leave me comments or send me emails. I cannot do this without you and still need motivation. I also like to hear what tricks you have found, healthy habits you have, and funny stories & struggles you’ve experienced.
Jen
38 comments:
Congrats on your success! Did you mean August 2007 and not 2008? I was thinking...darn, 80 pounds in a month?!
Welcome to HYC! Congrats on your accomplishment and new healthy lifestyle!!
hey Jen! Welcome to the HYC Challenge! I'm so glad i found your blog, as to the Y i go tomorrow!!!
you look fabulous and your strength and determination is inspiring!!
xo
Hi Jen,
Congrats on you success. Welcome to HYC. It's stories like yours that keeps me going :)
I LOVE how honest you are - it's exactly what I NEEDED to hear today! I've been sitting at 40 lbs lost for almost 2 years and while I am happy that I've not gained, I know I am capable of LOSING the other 30 remaining. Good intentions and wishful thinking are getting me nowhere and it's time to buckle down again.
Keep blogging - you look incredible and are an awesome example of what can be achieved if we only work hard enough! Congratulations on your well-earned success!
congrats on your journey--- such an amazing inspiration :)
Hi! I just found your blog. Your story is inspirational and a good wake up call to any of us using those excuses. So true! You look great!
Great success and everything you said was so true. We have to literally work our asses off lol.
Congrats on your wt loss and new healthy lifestyle!!
Congratulations!! I love you story and can't wait to see you progress pictures when you get them up.
Good job!
Ok - you have encouraged me to get off of my ever spreading rump and do something. My hub keeps bothering me about joining a gym - we dont have the money to do it but garn it we have two feet and asphalt just right outside our front door! So I am hitting it - the asphalt that is!
Toodles
I just stumbled upon your blog, very inspiring! Congrats on you success!
Great job on your weight loss. I have to agree though, its never over, even when you make your goal weight, you have to keep going! I lost 60 pounds, gained it all back, and am on my way back down and I could kick myself for giving in to old temptations and habits! You are an inspiration!!
Fantastic success! I am from Minneapolis, so I'm excited to have found your blog.
I've lost 50lbs in the last year and working to lose about 15-20 more.
You're such an inspiration.
Just found your blog. Great job! Your blog is very inspirational.
Hey its great you lost 80lb. i am trying to loose weight and instead i gained it. I am so frustrated. any advise??? my exuces is i'll start on monday.. tht monday never comes
Thank you girl! I'm trying to shed some pounds myself I am a latina living in latin america that just happened to find your blog when I was searching for the meaning of "sugar coma" life's funny! God bless you, you have really inspired me to continue on!!!!
I read your story in todays paper and couldn't wait to check out your blog! What an inspiration you are to so many people! I also need to loose as much weight as you've lost and I just joined W.W. for about the 6th time! I know I have a long journey ahead of me, but reading your story gives me even more motivation to believe I can do this! Thank-you :)
Your story is totally inspiring to me - it motivates me to keep going!
Just want to say, congrats on the success so far. And I love your attitude: understanding that change takes WORK (yes real work!) is so nice to see. Everyone wants a quick fix, and it doesn't exist! Great job so far, keep it up.
Ok, I'm just starting to read your blog and story but I'm already inspired!
Thank-you for sharing your story, and congratulations on your success! You are an inspiration!
You look great!
Wow your story is such an inspiration!!
I too am beginning my battle with the pounds!
And i must say WOW!! You've done so awesomely at losing the weight! KUDOS!!
anyway I will be following your blog and look forward to learning more about you!
xoxo
Vero
Congratulations! I just want to say you look amazing. I'm really enjoying reading your blog and I'm definitely going to keep reading.
www.fitnutforever.com
I discovered your blog through holly's running blog. I've only glanced at your blog, but I just had to comment because it seems our stories are very similar. I started at 235 pounds and am down to 185 (so far!). And minneapolis is my home (though, I recently moved to denver). You look SO great in your "after" picture. It's amazing what hard work, determination and encouragement can do. Way to go! I'm going to use you as some encouragement for the 40 pounds that I still want to lose!
Hi Jen!! I came here by way of Dori's blog- actually we have been emailing all morning and talking about the Summit and she talked you up so I thought I would stop by and say HI!!!
My other halfs name is Carlos too ; )
Oh wow, I just found your blog thru Tony "The Anti-Jared", and I have to say, your story really resonates with me! I'm 5'6" and started losing weight once I hit 239 - I've lost 42 lbs since January thru good old fashioned eating healthy and exercise (I count every calorie I put into my mouth), and I've got 58 lbs to go! I don't have a weightloss blog - in fact, I actually write a sex blog, but I find your story totally kickass and inspirational!
Hy there! I just found your blog and i must say i was very impressed about your determination and your decision to share this weight-problem with so much people.
Please accept my excuses if i'm not that clear in my articulation...it's 00:15 a.m and i write you from a little and poor country from eastern Europe :P My english is awful...not to mention that i never did english @ school...mtv was my teacher in this amazing part of my life :P
So...i'm 20 (almost 21) and i have almost 110 kilograms ( i hope...in the last 30 days i was just too scared to make another measure) and 160 cm. I'm not so used with the terms of "lbs" or "inch" so...i'm sorry that i didn't make the transformation.
I was a fat girl all my life, but now it seems like i totally lost the control with my body. Day after day i feel weaker and tons of medical problems are just breaking over my head.
I was sure that i've tried everything but it seems that i never had that will to do the thing right. You totally change my point of view...and i gotta thank you for that! :)
Tomorrow i will start to fight with my weight again...once for all!
"I will have to continue with the healthy habits and exercise. Accepting that has been so much easier then trying to fight it."
Wiser words could not be said. I've managed to lose and gain the same 20-40 lbs over and over again. Maybe these words will stick.
Congrats on your success.
Well, you were super cute to begin with anyway! I can't wait to read more of your amazing story!
I wanted to let you know I just found your blog. I am so impressed with your motivation and determination. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to find out if you reach your goal in the morning. Good Luck :)
I am so proud of you. I just found your blog from Mrs. Meyer blog! I am where you were. You are an inspiration.
Congrats! You should be so proud of yourself.
One of my followers just listed you as a great blog, that's how I found you. I gotta go catch up now on what you've been up to!!
Hey there!! You know, I got to your Blog by coincidence, and you've motivated me so much that I'm already on a diet program. I'll be signing up a gym this monday..
I was a fat girl, and when I read your blog I said: "It's the story of my life!" ..
Thanks for sharing, and us prior farry chicks must stay together!
Wow, your weight loss pictures so far show a real accomplishment! Congrats!
You look great!
Hi! I think we know the same trainer. I followed the link on her homepage and have read your blog for the last few weeks. I decided to start my own blog too. Stop by loveofbreakfast.wordpress.com and check it out. Your stories are inspirational. Thanks for sharing them with us all!
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