Getting back on track

A couple days ago at work, I was helping an older woman when mid-transaction, she asked me if this was my first time expecting. Um... I'm not pregnant. Maybe it was the way I was standing. Maybe it was the flowiness of my maxi dress. I knew I'd gained some weight but didn't think it was that noticeable. Either way... Cue awkward conversation, her retracting the statement, and the rest of my weekend obsessing over my side profile.

While I know I shouldn't let her comment get to me, it was definitely the catalyst I needed to renew a healthier lifestyle.

Some of you know that last year I did Weight Watchers Online for about 4 months to try it out. During that time, I really stuck with the program. I made food at the beginning of each week, portioning out meals for each day. I also made a stronger effort to increase physical activity, like working out, taking Bruiser on longer walks around my neighborhood, swimming, etc. At the end of the 4 months, I'd lost about 15 pounds. I was proud that I'd stuck with it, and lost the weight in a natural, healthy way.

I thought I would be able to keep the healthy lifestyle without paying to use the Weight Watchers Online platform. I successfully kept it up for about 2 months, but then slowly began letting it go. Since I ended the WW program nearly a year ago, I've gained all of the weight back, plus some.

Why am I telling you this? Well... I think it might help hold me accountable. The weather's warming up, summer's around the corner, and I'm in no shape for sundresses or bikinis. I figure if I put this out there on GJU, perhaps it will help motivate me to stay on track this summer. GJU is not about to become a fitness and health blog, for the record. I will, however, keep you posted on my progress every couple of weeks (assuming there's good news to share).

I want to stress that this is not solely about physical appearance. While I do want to look better in my clothes, it's less about the number on the scale and the size of my jeans. For me, it's more about getting back into a healthier lifestyle with good eating habits, increasing my physical activity, and feeling better about myself and my health.

Here's my starting point.

In terms of working out: I don't. It's embarrassing to admit but I never get to the gym. That's going to change. I have a 24-hour gym in my neighborhood (which is awesome considering my wacky work schedule) that I will begin to take advantage of on a weekly basis.

When it comes to food, I can't help myself but enjoy a good, hearty meal. Also, I'm admittedly a snacker. Over the next couple weeks, I need to reintroduce myself to fresh produce and proteins, and limit my carb and sugar intake.  I also need to cut back on the midday and late night snacking.

Starting weight: 157 lbs. I am not sure what my goal weight is at this point. When I was doing WW Online, I ended up in the low 140's and was happy with that... so maybe somewhere around there. On that note, I like my curves and don't want to lose them. I do want to tighten up and lose some of the fluff in certain areas.

At this moment, I don't feel great about myself. Some lady thought I was preggo, I've gained all the weight back, and my warmer weather clothes don't fit the way I'd like them to. At the same time, this moment is an opportunity for me to get it together and get back on track to a healthier lifestyle!

I'll end the post with this thought:

Amen to that!