This is a big deal to me. Apart from that time in my early 20s when I lost 50 pounds in 8 months because I stopped working pizza delivery, I’ve never had this much success at losing weight. I can’t give chronic illness all the credit for pushing me to make the change, but it did influence my decision a bit. It opened my eyes to different ways of dealing with my health. While I was on the IBD healing diet, which is full of all the foods that you don’t typically view as healthy, I experienced what it’s like to not be bloated for the first time. I had no idea that all the high fiber food I thought was healthy for me was actually puffing me up and weighing me down.
The diet helped me get myself back together, and I wanted to see what more I could accomplish if I added exercise to my plan of attack. I joined a gym so I could get good walks in on my days off regardless of the weather. Truth be told, I haven’t been as much as I’d like. Still, knowing that I have that option makes me more mindful of my activity on the days I know I can’t make it to the gym. I’ve started using a few apps and video tutorials for home workouts that don’t require any equipment.
BodBot is one app that I’ve added recently. I waffled on this one since most of the features that convinced me to install it are only available with a premium account. I may eventually buy it, but for now I’m just following the prescribed workouts. I took the fitness assessment and filled in my personal details so it could choose a plan for me. Let me tell you, that first workout was killer. You can remove or swap items from the list if it’s too hard, but I had a mighty need to push myself. By the final cooldown set, I was feeling like I’d given it absolutely everything. That’s not just me being lazy and soft, afraid to break a sweat or feel discomfort. That’s me pushing through because I wanted to check everything off the list.
I also became more aware of my meal choices and times by logging everything in Noom. I still lose weight without keeping myself on Noom’s tight budget, but just seeing the calories add up throughout the day makes me stop and ask myself, “Are you eating because you’re hungry, because you’re bored, or because it’s just that time of the day?” It also taught me to appreciate the feeling of an empty stomach not as a cue to eat, but that my previous meal had moved on and I should drink some water.
Water first for thirst!
Earlier this month, I posted some info about staying hydrated, and it forced me to confront the fact that I never get enough water. It’s not necessarily that I was drinking a lot of things besides water, I just wasn’t drinking much of anything (except for those days where I would come home and say “I don’t care what we have for dinner, as long as they have a big ol’ tea”). In an effort to better track my water consumption, I snagged this cool tumbler for $1. It has bands for every time you finish 16 oz. You can wear the bands or just slide them to the top. I find wearing them is a great reminder, and a way to get others thinking about water too.
Remember my tired “Before” shot from a few months ago? I was at my absolute worst when I took that picture and I knew I needed to get my poop in a group. Here’s the “After” I’ve been loving. You know I’m feeling better when I get up early to do my face for work. I hope I have many more good days to share with you!
Late 2 Bloom 