Moving On

Whew!

What a tough weekend for eating healthy and being active!

I spent all weekend celebrating my son's sixth birthday. Since he got to make all of the fun choices (food, movies, where to go...stuff like that) I pretty much knew I was in trouble. The good news is that I only gained 1 pound this weekend! I can work that off this week - no problem!

Here's what I ate over the weekend...

Friday Evening
Salad! (go me! i loathe salad but I actually enjoyed this one.)

Saturday (remember this is all at the little boy's request)
Donuts
Pizza
Fruit Roll Up
Cake
Pizza (leftovers)

Sunday
1 Cup Honey Nut Cheerios with 1/2 cup of 1% milk
Potato Soup
Pizza
....and then for dinner more pizza and cinnamon rolls and more things I shouldn't have

Let me just tell you, by the time I went to sleep last night I was SO miserable! When you've been eating the right portions of the right things and then go back to what you used to do - you're in for trouble!

I'm ready for a fresh start this week!

Weekend Inspiration

Each Friday I will post a picture, story or cartoon meant to help me (and you!) stay motivated over the weekend...

Here are two of my favorite looks from J. Crew!

Giveaway: Stop by Amanda's Blog, Another Prior Fat Girl, and register to win a 2-year subscription to Shape Magazine!!!

My Top 10

One of my major fights in the battle against the bulge is motivation.

As a busy working (outside the home) mom, women's ministry leader and (of course) wife...I cherish the down time I get while watching my various tv shows or going out with the girls. If given the choice between relaxing or spending 20 minutes being yelled at by Jillian - I'll 99% of the time choose the relaxing.

BUT...

I'm making a change. I need to start choosing Jillian over my couch. I need to choose broccoli over potatoes...water over root beer...

Here are my Top 10 Reasons to make the right choices...

1. I need to honor God with my body! This 230ish lb. woman is too self-conscious to do anything for the Kingdom. Besides, He created this body, least I could do is take care of it.

2. To be more healthy! I want to avoid diabetes, heart disease and other weight related illnesses.

3. Set a good example for my son.

4. So I can have a baby naturally. (We adopted our son three years ago)

5. To be able I can cross my legs again.

6. So I won't be embarrassed reconnecting with my high school friends - they knew me as a size 8.

7. So I can shop at my favorite stores: Banana Republic, J. Crew, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor and The Gap.

8. So I can get that cute choppy bob hairstyle I love so much!

9. To be able to walk up the stairs without being winded. I'd love to be able to eventually run a mile under 10 minutes!

10. So I can feel good about the body that the Lord has blessed me with!

About The Dropout

Hello there!

Welcome to Gym Bag Dropout.

The Background

When I was young (18 and under) I never struggled with my weight. I had poor body image but I was not overweight by any stretch. As a competitive softball player, I stayed active and ate whatever I pleased, whenever I pleased. I think this is where my problem got started.

After I quit playing softball, I kept eating the way I always did. Praise the Lord I had an AMAZING metabolism and didn't gain a pound.

...that is, until the first semester of my freshman year. I am pretty sure I gained it the day I registered for classes.

Life has never been easy so between emotional eating and the bad habits I had already established I quickly went from 135 lbs (at 5'2" and VERY muscular - 6 pack and all!) to 160 lbs.

Then, to the surprise of my dad, who (in a very loving way, believe me) told me if I didn't lose weight that I'd never find a husband...I got engaged. After that I threw all caution to the wind and ballooned to over 200 lbs.

Don't get me wrong...I didn't over eat so much as I ate the wrong stuff. I consider potatoes more of a vegetable than broccoli - what the heck is broccoli anyway?

A couple of years ago I decided that enough was enough. I gritted my teeth and attempted to lose the weight.

It wouldn't come off!

I tried EVERYTHING and I couldn't even lose a pound! About that time a wild little one year old blessed us with his presence in our lives and we began a custody/adoption process. Long story short...I was so busy with that mess I couldn't even think about weight loss!

Fast forward three years to February 2009. I went for my first (yes, my first!) yearly "lady" check up and found out that I had PCOS which explained SO much!

So where am I now?

I'm trying to beat the havoc wreaked upon my body by the PCOS. I have the classic, no fun, symptoms. Weight gain, difficult weight loss, male patterned hair growth, acne. Tons o' fun.

Weight: 235 (down from 240 two weeks ago)
Diet: Doing Weight Watchers program solo
Workout: Shred by Jillian Michaels (KILLER!)
Weekly Bad Habit To Drop: NO MORE COKE

So Why 'Gym Bag Dropout"

I have just quit my Gold's Gym membership. I never went and, frankly, being over 230 lbs. I didn't feel exactly welcome among all the body builders and beauty queens. One thing I am especially thankful for - no more gym bags!