Hi ::waving:: I’m pretty new to Leanne’s place and when I checked her blog I was thrilled to see the Pounds2Go site. Sure, I always want to lose weight and get healthy every January, but this year it’s a little more important and I need a little more help doing it.

I was so sick with my pregnancy that I ate nothing but pringles, poptarts and pb crackers. I threw up about five times a day for eighteen weeks. It was horrible. I gained sixty-five pounds as a result of my inability to stay active or eat healthy. Out of that sixty-five pounds, I gave birth to an 8 pounds baby, lost 40 pounds pretty quickly, and have worked really hard to get ten more out of the way. I’m sitting at ten pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight and 20 over my target weight. I’d like to be 140 when I get pregnant with number 2. Only thing is, we’re going ot start trying this summer, which means I gotta get busy (not THAT kind of busy, y’all! Ok, well, yes, that kind but not yet..)

Anyway, I didn’t know if I should join since I don’t really know anyone and I’m kinda shy. However, after reading Running2K’s entries, I totally related and thought I’d like to participate, too.

So, here I am, in all my 160 pounds of glory saying that tomorrow morning I really REALLY need to work out and I’m all about pushing the water intake. From what I’ve read on y’all entries, sounds like it’s a great place to start. So, here’s to six months of hard work for, hopefully, the best reward possible.

IvoryFrog brought up a good point in a comment on my last post, one that I think many of us share—the fear of going to a gym.

I understand those fears—will people stare?  Will I be surrounded by beautiful, buff people?  Will I look like a hippo in a sea of swans?  Will I have to sell an organ to afford it?

I was a member of a women’s-only gym many years ago, and while the classes were nice enough, there was a lack of friendliness (especially when I had an injury, then you find out that they mean what they say about THOU SHALT NOT BREAK OUR CONTRACT).  I stopped going.

Fast forward to the summer of 2004, where my husband realized that his company had contracted with a gym for a special rate.  I decided to just go check it out.  Wow, the difference a “family friendly” co-ed gym makes.  People were warm and friendly, genuinely interested in me and my health goals.  By August, I was a member.

And to tell you the truth, I probably was one of the largest members they had—and no one cared.  My personal trainer was a tall, willowy woman, and it was intimidating at first, but she encouraged me not to become a skinny chick, but to improve my health on my own terms.  She gave me the tools and the confidence boost I needed to return every day.  The class instructors never once have made me feel like I didn’t belong, whether it was ballet or kickboxing.

Sure, there may be a few people who think “Who let the fat chick in?” but I haven’t met them.  I’ve found encouragement and smiles (and yes, even have been hit on a few times LOL).  And let’s face it ladies—the buff bods?  Consider it rewarding eye candy while you sweat

Granted, a gym isn’t for everyone, but here are some things I’ve discovered along the way:

See if your employer or health insurance will subsidize part of your membership.  We discovered ours would pay for a partial membership to the YMCA as well.  Another option is a city rec center.

Keep your head up and smile!  Even if I’m quivvering inside, the “fake it until I make it” attitude plays a big part in how people at the gym treat me.  And it’s in my best interest to be there.  I can’t let others keep me from enjoying and improving my life.

Remember that people are there to work out (ok, some are there to hook up too).  Chances are, they aren’t looking at you, let alone raising their eyebrows.  Unless you wear a shirt that says “Slayer in Training”. 

Not that I would know anything about that ::cough::.

Weight Lost: 24 (-1 this week)

Pounds2Go: 161

Do this. I really don’t. Mainly, I’m here trying to get motivated to do what I wish I could do if I wiggled my nose. People amaze me with 40 pounds lost, 20 lost, 65 lost…I can’t get off my duff to lose 12. It’s like not real happy, but OK enough is just not motivation enough to get my arse moving and my mouth closed. I’m trying to gear up for Sunday. Or maybe Monday. Lame, I know. I’ve just done this so many times, and then just thrown it all out the window, that I’m not sure what my goals are now. I just don’t like where I am. So there. It’s all out. Thanks for the rant.

Today wasn’t as great as the previous two days.  I really didn’t drink much any water today.  I didn’t exercise, but it was a day that I chose to take off anyway.  Thursdays are my busiest days as far as daycare is concerned and I am usually wiped out at the end of the day.  I did log my food and I made “okay” choices.  I feel like someone is infusing my veins with lead.  I am really tired and I mean the kind where you feel like you can’t move your limbs.  Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

I tried the chat room a couple times today, but could never catch anyone in there.  Maybe tomorrow.

I really watched my portions today and I power walked a full hour, which is probably over three maybe four miles (I’ll have to drive it sometime and set the odometer). My challenge lately is with my husband who wants meat at nearly every meal and I’m trying to eat more vegetarian meals. So tonight I made a vegetable bulgar pilaf and pan fried some seasoned beef seperately for him and we both got what we wanted! Just need to be creative in meeting both our dietary requirements.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I have not lost an ounce. I did keep up on my water intake though.

. . . and I’m already into excuses, LOL! I ate pretty well today (didn’t go over my alloted points!) but I still have yet to exercise.

Why? I’m still trying to catch up on all the schoolwork that I missed when I had mono last semester. I’m also starting work on the show that I’m stage managing this semester.

So my question to you ladies: do any of you work? And if so, how do you manage to eat healthy and continue to exercise when you have extended hours? I have classes all day, then I somehow find time to eat lunch and supper in between classes and homework, then I have rehearsal until almost midnight. When I get home I crash, then get up in the morning and do it all over again. I don’t even get weekends off – I have lots of work and I have rehearsals too. How do you work the healthy lifestyle in to all that?

Alright….the dreaded evening has arrived and I went to my first WW meeting since starting on this journey to a healthy lifestyle.

It’s the first of the year and every woman over the age of 6 is there to join. I live in a small rural community where the post office closes for an hour and a half every afternoon for lunch. There is no movie theater and only one grocery store. So I’m beginning to think that maybe this is the towns only source of entertainment.

I quickly scan the room feeling sure that I’m the fattest person there. I win! I was! The meeting begins with horn honking, and atta boys.

Miss Chirpy (names have been changed to protect the innocent) begin the celebration by asking who has some thing to brag about this week? (The room goes strangely silent and the entire front row starts looking at their shoes.) Miss Chirpy, persists…..how bout you Miss Pencil Thin, any closer to zipping up those size O designer jeans?

Well, she says shyly, “I did lose a quarter pound!” ” Whoopeee, ” Miss Chirpy shouts……that’s a whole stick of butter! (every one begins to clap enthusiastically). I look at my backside and see a whole side of beef hiding back there while she’s gloating over a stick of butter! I’m beginning to feel ill as Miss Chirpy continues to bounce over the room sprinkling endless enthusiasm and cliches.

Next the lecture begins in earnest. There are 4 questions.

Miss Chirpy: Is there any area of your life that you would like to see improvement?

Me:(hmm….let me think, I’m at a WW meetings, what could I possibly need to improve my life…..I hope all these questions aren’t going to be this hard.)

Miss Chirpy: What do you need to do to make these improvements?

Me: (….again, I’m at WW meetings what COULD I do to make these improvements? I need to write these questions down. I know I’ll write them on this little book they gave me……hey, would you look….this may be the answer to my prayers!)

Miss Chirpy: CAN you make those changes and improvements?

Me: (thinking again, I’m not over weight, I’m just under tall….taking out slide rule thingy in book….by my calculations I should be 7 feet 2 inches tall!)

Miss Chirpy: (leaping right in front of me pointing her finger accusingly) “Will YOU make those changes!” she screams!

Me: “Lord Jesus YES, ( anything just get me out of here!”)

Wild enthusiastic cheers and applause break out spontaneously as the town’s fat person has been dramatically converted to the right way, the weight watcher way! Now the towns folk can sleep in their beds tonight without fear of being eaten.

Well…..maybe it didn’t exactly happen that way….but it did to my way of thinking!