One of my (many) resolutions for 2013 was to finally start a blog that I could feasibly maintain. I had ideas for two separate blogs, and this is the one I'm going with first. My journey to get healthy.
Great, you're thinking. Another weight-loss blog. Okay, yeah, kinda. Deal with it. I've followed dozens of weight-loss/get-fit blogs and none of them seem to understand me: a short, chronically obese, exercise-challenged 20-something (I'm clinging to the last few months of my twenties for dear life!) with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). So, I figured I'd try my hand at writing something I, at the very least, would want to read.
So without further ado, a bit about me: (This will be long but I'll try to keep the rest of my posts easier to read!)
The Basics and Why I'm Here:
My name is Sarah. I'm 29, with the big 3-0 approaching in about eight months. I'm spunky, silly, sarcastic, and love to make people laugh. I love reading, crafting, baking, and...duh...eating. I've been fat for almost my entire life, the weight piling on shortly after my dad's death when I was five, and spiraling out of control in my 20s. I'm getting married in a little over two months (March 16, 2013) to the love of my life, Derek, and while at this point it's unreasonable to think I'll get anywhere near my goal (I'll get there in a second) by the big day, my objective is to get the ball rolling so that we can live healthily ever after (see what I did there?). Derek and I are both in need of some major lifestyle changes so I hope to chronicle both of our journeys here in an attempt to keep us on the right track.
The Challenges:
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 26, though the symptoms were apparent long before that. For those not in the know, one of the major indicators of PCOS is being overweight, with weight concentrated in the abdominal region. Very much describes me. One of the biggest hurdles of PCOS is that it is incredibly, extremely hard to lose weight. Also very much describes me.
Also, I. Hate. Exercise. I'm willing to admit that it's probably because of my current size (again, I'll get there in a minute), but most forms of exercise just don't seem fun, which makes me shudder at the thought of actually doing them. There are a few things that look interesting and that I'd love to try, but my current weight makes it hard to get moving, so my goal is to lose a little bit of weight by emphasizing changing my eating habits and just moving a little more than usual, and then, once it's comfortable, I'll step up my game.
My Goals:
Derek and I both turn 30 in September, and his parents very graciously have decided that they want to send us on a trip to DisneyWorld. Honestly, I don't know how to thank them enough for this, but I would like to start by actually being able to enjoy it. This comes in two parts:
1) I've never been on an airplane before, and this would be my first time. Oddly enough, I'm not afraid of flying -- I'm afraid of the embarrassment of not fitting in the seat. Derek has tried to assuage my fears, as a seasoned flier, but I know that the only way I'll get rid of the fear is to know that I have nothing to worry about because my ass is no longer gargantuan and is, in fact, average-sized, and;
2) The last time I was at DisneyWorld was in 2006 when five of my sorority sisters and I roadtripped to Orlando to spend spring break with Mickey and Minnie. I remember being miserably hot and tired from all the walking around, not to mention the discomfort of some of the rides... and I was a good 20 pounds lighter then. I want to enjoy this trip -- likely the first one post-honeymoon that I will take with my husband.
The (Current) Stats:
This is what you've been waiting for (and also what I've been most nervous to announce to the
Current Weight: (as of 1/5/2013): 287.5
Height: 5'4"
Highest Weight: 298.8 in June 2012
Lowest (Adult) Weight: 259.4 in June 2008
Goal #1: 250 by September 1, 2013 (which is a little over a pound a week)
Goal #2: 199 by March 16, 2014 - our 1st wedding anniversary -- (about a pound and a half a week)
Goal #3: 165 by September 24, 2014 - my 31st birthday -- (still about a pound and a half per week)
A sort of 'before' photo, for good measure:
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| February 2012: Me and my Hubby-to-Be This was after the first time I tried on wedding gowns -- hence why I look exhausted! |
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| July 2012: One of our engagement photos. Close to my highest weight. It's one of Derek's favorites but I prefer the ones that don't show so much of my tummy! |
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| July 2012: Another engagement photo: This is one of the ones I'll actually tolerate. |
And finally:
How I'm Gonna Get There:
I'm back on WeightWatchers for the umpteenth time. I've jumped on and fallen off the wagon more times than I can count, but it's the one program I know inside and out (even with all the new crap they keep adding!), and any success I've ever had with losing weight has been on WW. I'm sticking with what I know, for now. With this blog, in addition to tracking my progress, and clearing my head, I'll share any cool recipes I find, as I'm constantly on the hunt for healthy-but-not-boring meals to entice me to cook instead of running to the Taco Bell drive thru!
In June 2012, I was put on Metformin to help 'treat' PCOS. There's no real treatment for it, but studies have shown that Metformin, which is primarily used for diabetes, can help PCOS sufferers lose weight (in addition to a healthy diet and exercise, of course) and alleviate some of the other symptoms -- which I'll share another time, maybe.
Slowly but surely, I'm going to up my activity levels. I don't want to overdo it too soon, because at this point even long walks make me hurt. (Ugh, seriously? I'm ashamed that I had to just write that!) I recently bought a FitBit One and am using it to motivate me to move more. So far, it's working -- I've been eager to reach my meager 7500 steps per day, and I'm even more eager to up that goal to 10k and above! Once I'm a little more comfortable moving around, I'd like to try Zumba and other kinds of dancing, and maybe, just maybe, one of these days I'll try jogging (but don't count on it!).
Thanks for reading, and please, feel free to comment! <3
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