I DID IT! I REACHED MY GOAL!!!

FINALLY, I reached my weight loss goal! 

50 POUNDS LOST!!! 

YAY ME!!!

Can you tell I’m a little bit excited?  Well, I should be!  I’ve worked really hard over the past year and a half to lose this weight the right way, through healthy eating changes and exercise.  I don’t consider myself having been on a “diet.”  If that was the case, then the diet would be over and I would be going back to my old eating habits (and of course the weight would come right back on).  Hopefully, I’ve learned a lot since the beginning of 2009, lessons that will keep me at this weight for the rest of my life (ugh, that seems like such a long time). 

So what have been the most exciting results of losing this weight?  Well, besides the obvious of looking and feeling better about myself physically, there have been other, incredible benefits.  The first, most awesome one is how proud I am that I accomplished this goal.  I feel so empowered, which has really leaked into other areas of my life.  It has given me strength where perhaps I was lacking before.

The second one that is so amazing to me is that I have actually become a source of inspiration to others.  People at the gym and at Weight  Watchers have come up to me and told me that I have inspired them to keep working out or stay on the WW program.  I can’t begin to tell you how incredible that makes me feel.  And it helps me want to keep the weight off, not just for myself now, but because I don’t want to let anyone else down!  (Isn’t that funny how we do that?  But hey, if that helps me be accountable in keeping it off, I’ll use whatever works!)

Here you can see before and after pictures (and the sad thing is, the “before” picture is after I had lost about 10 pounds already!):

So, am I a little nervous about keeping it off FOREVER?  Yep!  But I know I can do it if I just keep everything in perspective.  Will I indulge every so often?  Of course!  I do now!  That’s what keeps me sane and on track!  Am I happier now than I was 50 pounds ago?  YOU BETCHA!!!

(Skinny) Karen

GYM ETIQUETTE!

I know it’s January, and all you people have made these grandiose New Years Resolutions to lose weight and get into shape, but do you have to do it at MY gym? Let me tell you, I am NOT HAPPY when I can’t get a bike at spin class, even though I show up a good 10 minutes early. (Well, okay, maybe only 3 minutes early sometimes, but that’s not really the point here, is it?)

So even though I know that most of you will be gone in another month or so, I feel it’s my duty (for my own sanity) to give you some Gym Etiquette Guidelines:

1. In the locker room, mind your space. This means, do not spread your stuff out on the bench like you’re the only one there. There is one bench in each row for about 75 lockers, so YOU ARE NOT ALONE! If you go to the shower, either take your stuff with you, or put it back in your locker. When you leave, put your towel in the bin. Nobody else wants to touch your sweaty towel, believe me! Oh, and I know it’s a locker room, but please cover up. It makes some people a bit uncomfortable when you walk around in the buff. Save that for home.
2. If you are saving a bike or a place in a class for somebody else, that’s perfectly fine, up until 5 minutes before the class starts. Then give it up for someone who really wants to be there. There is nothing more frustrating (okay, there are a lot more frustrating things than this, but I’m trying to make a point) than your friend not showing up and a bike or a space going unused in class.
3. This one I cannot stress enough: wipe off your equipment after you use it. Nobody wants to use your sweaty barbells or get on a wet cardio machine after you. Really!
4. You all know to use deodorant, right? Here’s another one. Do NOT try to cover up body odor with perfume or aftershave. Sweat and sweet do not mix, and we really don’t want to smell it. Ever.

Okay, I think these are the high points. As somebody who has been working very, very hard to lose weight and get into shape, I applaud all you newbie's at my gym. Really! Just remember your manners and we’ll get along just fine!

Oh, and keep up the good work!

Karen

CALLING ALL NUTRITIONISTS AND DIET EXPERTS!

As most of you know, I have been working very hard this year to lose weight and get in shape. So far I’ve lost about 27 pounds. But I’m getting a bunch of conflicting information between the gym and Weight Watchers and just what I think I know to be true.

I went to a nutrition class at my gym a couple of weeks ago (WHY won’t I ever learn that although I may discover a few facts, these classes are really just a ruse to get me to buy something?) and I basically learned that I’m not eating enough. It sounds reasonable: by not eating enough, especially on the days I work out, I am effectively putting my body in starvation mode and lowering my metabolism. Okay, now let’s hop on over to WW, where they are saying to eat X number of points, each point being approximately 50 calories, and if you work out, great, you’ll burn more calories. But it’s not necessary to eat more on those days, even though I “earn” points by exercising.

And everything I’ve been taught in my 40-something years is “eat less and you’ll lose weight.”

So which is it? Can somebody out there explain this to me because I am REALLY CONFUSED!

Karen