Doing It

So, these last couple of weeks have been what I deem a success. After many years of struggling with seeing the weight go down on the scale, I am starting to see results. It's really satisfying to know that I am eating the foods that I really enjoy eating, but balancing them with the foods that are healthier for me. I've also been working out, well practicing Bikram yoga, which makes me feel like superwoman after class.
I can't have embarked on this journey though without an immense amount of support and love. So THANK YOU to all who are encouraging, cheering and helping me along, it's really making this a lot easier for me to do.
8 down 62 to go!

Slow and Steady Wins the Weight Loss Race

Whenever I embark on losing weight, which I can count on my fingers and toes by now, I always want it to be instantaneous; and this time is not any different. I sometimes wish that I could wake up and that in my sleep all the fat just melted off my body. I know it takes time and patience to begin to lose weight and keep it off. My weight loss total is 4.5 lbs in 2 weeks, which is pretty normal, but who wouldn't, including me want to times that by like 3 or 4, just because you have been eating so good, working out and just over all trying to be better. It just gets frustrating sometimes. I was reading an article on the WW website and it was talking about how healthy weight loss averages between 1 to 2 pounds a week which means you're more likely to reach your healthy weight goal and able to maintain it which is encouraging. But the "I want it now" still runs through my head.
On a lighter note, I have been very diligent in my yoga practice.  I try to go at least 3 times a week if not more, and right now I am currently hitting that. I have noticed that my stamina is better and that my concentration is really spot on, it's a favorite part of my day. I am really excited about my standing bow pulling pose which, I can almost hold for the full 60 seconds and am almost at the point where my torso is level to the floor; I just really need to turn my kick on to get those toes behind my head. But because of Bikram, I do feel like I am toning my muscles, slowly but surely. I have more energy throughout the day and am in overall better moods; also my motivation to get into the studio and work on my art work is coming back, I guess after almost a year break you start to get nutty and have the urge to create things.
But all in all, things are looking up. I am cooking more and eating the foods I love; and still losing. I just hope that I can keep it up!

Sweat Baby Sweat

Oh man, being back in the hot room at Bikram is great, but going back is ALWAYS the hardest. It's not like riding a bike where you can hop back on and your muscles remember how to do it. I feel like you become dangerously aware of how stiff and sore parts of your body are and know that it will be some time before those parts feel better again. However, the energy and the way you feel after the class is really amazing and something I have yet to feel with any other type of workout. Going back was a bit painful, I stayed in the room, which is the most important, but doing all of the postures right through was another thing entirely. My concentration though, phew, that also gets a workout all on its own. As Zach Efron once  said in a most prolific movie, "You gotta getcha head in the game," (that's right I just quoted High School Musical...) But really, it's all about how you feel when you get into the room and then deciding that you are going to do it. It's going to take me a lot of practicing before I get to where I once was, but man did I sweat.

First Steps

Let me bring you to the beginning and the reasoning on why I want to have a healthier lifestyle. And I believe it's all about taking your first steps.

As a kid I was always kind of chunky and awkward. I was often picked on because I wasn't skinny and didn't look like the other kids at my school. I sadly started puberty at younger age than most of my peers so THAT didn't help my situation any. Think of Nia Vardalos' character, Toula, who in school would bring greek food for lunch instead of a nice turkey sandwich and because she was different, her character was shunned... Thusly, I felt because I was physically maturing faster than most of my peers made me always aware of my physical differences between us. 

When I was an early teen I took control of this situation and lost a bit of weight and became more active. But the picking on turned ugly and didn't stop, I had food thrown at me in my junior high cafeteria, it was mortifying. Those were things that only happened in the movies, right? No. It really happened and then it struck me later that it wasn't how I looked chunky or slimmer, but because I was actually different. Going to a private school and then shopping at Hot Topic I guess is something that clearly draws the lines between you and your peers. But I am sure the fuzzy, blue flame pants that I was wearing didn't help that food was thrown at me. Safely said though, I never wore those pants again. However, that kid in the cafeteria gave me the rest of the energy I needed in order to fulfill my goal. 

High school was a blessing. I found friends that accepted me for who I was and I could disappear into the art, music and drama department in which I felt comfortable in my skin. YAY! But then college came too quickly.. And so did the weight. The dreaded freshmen fifteen is due to the vast amount of carbs that is available in INFINITE quantities at all times of the day, oh and did I mention that you become pretty lethargic living in a concrete block and lose a lot of motivation to do much of anything that didn't involve going to class, homework and sleeping. Ah, it was a vicious cycle that year, not to mention that I transferred twice which due to the stress made me eat more... Great. Over the next few years I kind of "let myself go," I didn't eat the best, nor did I work out as much as I would have liked. I felt like 5 years later I looked in the mirror and was like, "Uh, so, hello double chin, when did you get there? Oh energy, where did you go?" It was awesome... oh, and so was stepping on the scale >.<

Well not really. 

So here I am. Day one. It didn't start off great, two pieces of cold veggie pizza for breakfast. I had kept telling myself over the last couple of weeks, in the new year, I will eat better. But, that had yet to happen, and the phrase, "I'll start tomorrow," kept running through my head. This morning I had decided to rejoin Weight Watchers, putting on my first points of the day was embarrassing, but the rest of the day was much better. I know though that this isn't going to be an easy task. Another thing though that I decided in the new year is that I am going to become a consistent practitioner of Bikram Yoga. I LOVE the hot room, once I started a few years ago, I was hooked, but because of school, work and multitude of other excuses I haven't been a faithful yogi. To go along with this goal, I bought some new yoga outfits and mat! And tomorrow I WILL not maybe, hopefully, I WILL go back into that hot room and begin the long sweat to a better me!