Be Objective

You are not anyone else you are yourself.  You need to remember that, especially once you start weekly weigh ins.  No matter how much or how little you lost this week every ounce is one less than the week before.  Every loss is to be celebrated and an encouragement to lose more.

You also need to remember that you are not your friends or anyone else.  I am 5' and my ideal body weight is 97 to 127 pounds.  My 6'4" friend has an ideal body weight of 156 to 204 pounds.  It is not only unrealistic, but dangerous for her to try to be the same weight as me.  She will never by my height, why should she be my weight?

Research your ideal body weight and figure out what your comfortable weight is between that number.  I am most comfortable between 110 and 115 pounds.  You might be more comfortable at 100 pounds or 120 pounds.  Figure out what feels best for your body.

No matter what, be objective and be kind to yourself.  Your goal is different that anyone else's and you will reach your goal when you get there.  Just continue to work towards your goal and celebrate every step you take to get closer to it.



Find What Works For you

When you start on your goal to a new you, you need to look around, try different things and see what works for you.  I have a need for order and I like lists.  I also like to physically see things written down.  So for me keeping track of everything on a spread sheet made the most sense.


When I first started keeping track I didn't make any changes in my diet (meaning how you eat NOT what weight loss fad you are currently partaking of).  I just wrote everything I ate and drank down on a notepad then transferred it over to an excel spreadsheet every few days.  I made sure to note the date, time, if it was a snack or a meal and what food or beverage I ingested.


I slowly noticed that my eating habits changed and I was drinking more water.  By keeping track I was making myself accountable for what I put in my mouth.  After 3 months, I started making my portions smaller (I actually have a small plastic cereal bowl and, for dinner, I will only fill the bowl to just below the room of what we are having for dinner.  this keeps me from over eating) and had made water my drink of choice.  I tried to up my protein.  This is a little difficult for me since I am allergic to nuts and most protein bars and drinks have some form of nut in them.  I actually use the Boost low calorie drinks as a snack or meal alternative to ensure that I am always getting protein.  I also really like those tuna salad packs you can get at the supermarket.  I never denied myself, but I was honest in my tracking and I kept my portions smaller.


I started eating something small every 2 hours or so and made sure I stopped eating by 6:30 every evening.  The point is to try to have a fasting period of 12 hours every night.  I am up by 4:00 every morning, so by 6:30 AM I am ready to have breakfast.  If you are a late eater you could stop later.  I also make sure to take a multi vitamin daily.


Like any fitness program, weighing myself became something I had to do.  I try to do it on the same day and approximate time every week.  I took my base line weight on Saturday at the end of my first week of keeping track of my food.  Then I didn't weigh myself again for 3 months.  I know it seems counter intuitive, but over those 3 months I was getting know myself and my habits.  I could tell I was already losing weight by the fit of my clothes.  I didn't want the added pressure of a number on the scale when I was learning to be honest with myself. 


When I started exercising, I started keeping track of that too.  I liked knowing that I was being active and it was easier for me to figure out what I liked doing and what I didn't.  I love my mini stepper, mini bike and fit board.  I also love my walk DVDs and I have been doing Zone pilates since I left the service.  I enjoyed my weekly adult tap class this winter, it was a good way to have fun with my friends while being active.  I am not a fan of hot yoga, but to each their own.


I purchased a fitbit to keep tack of my steps and to keep myself motivated.  I have found that I really do not get enough sleep most of the time.  Who knew 5 jobs could take up so much of your life.  :-)


I slowed down a little once it got cold this winter and I was stuck playing with the same 5 pounds.  I would lose them then get them back, so I just started up again after giving myself a month long break.  I thought maybe my body was tired from all of the changes I have made.  Loosing almost 80 pounds in a year can be hard on the body.  :-)   I have noticed that during my break I tended to stick to my healthy choices and exercise over some of the other options.


I am ready to get fit and lose those last 20 or so pounds.  I am so glad that I incorporated exercise and healthy eating to my life.  Because of the exercise, I am getting toned instead of saggy after the weight lose.  I think if I had just lost weight without toning I would have the loose sagging skin that you see on so many people these days.


Now it is your turn!  Find what works for you and get started on you ME initiative today!

A Time to Start

It always confuses me when people decide to make weight loss or healthy living a New year's resolution.  Their stomachs are stretched to the max from all of the holiday meals ingested since Thanksgiving, your body naturally eats more filling food during the cold months, and you tend to exercise less both from the weather and the amount of clothing you have to wear.


It makes much more sense to start in the summer.  Any time you feel motivated to start is always a good time, we are all different.  But the heat is a natural deterrent to eating a lot, most people are already more active and your motivation is at an all time high.


I started my journey in March of 2016, but I really started making a big difference in June a year ago.  I have found I'm still more motivated in the summer than in the winter.  Already I am starting to make up for the time I slowed down during the cold months this year.


No matter when you decide to start, the most important thing is to get started.

A Life Defined by 5 1/2 Years

Every soldier's life is shaped by the time they are in service to their country.  it begins when you are in basic and learn a routine and how to follow someone's lead and work as a team.  Then continues when you move to advanced training and you learn to stand alone in your new job.  Rounding out when you move to your permanent duty station.

Moving to your duty station is the beginning of bad habits for most, it certainly was for me.  I could eat what I wanted, drink what I wanted and interact with who I wanted.  Most of this has a minimal effect on your body due to the PT regime you still have to maintain.  Only those unlucky enough to be injured or who end up in an environment that makes PT up to the individual instead of the group really face this while on active duty.

By the time I realized I had not been kind to my body by learning how to eat healthy, life has happened.  I got married, had a daughter, my marriage culminated in an act of unexpected abuse, which results in another pregnancy, so I got out of the military, took 2 years to get divorced from my now AWOL husband and the stress adds up.

I ended up a totally single parent, went to school for a degree, started at the bottom when I begin working at a hospital, moved to a new town and a new job at a new hospital, get my job certification, and focused all of my attention on raising my daughters.  I slowly stopped exercising as I picked up more jobs to make ends meet.  I have gotten little to no child support from the donor and continue to struggle on.  It had become a habit to eat what I wanted, but now there is no exercise to balance out my terrible diet.

Before I knew it 14 years had passed and I was 210 pounds.  My height had still not changed and my 5 foot body was starting to make me aware of it's imminent shut down.  I found myself 38 and afraid I might not make it to my youngest daughters graduation when I will be 42.

It was time to make a change!

I decided to leave the worst of the last 14 years behind and bring forward the best of the military life.  I let those 5 1/2 years define me once again and help me to become who I was always meant to be. 

Let my path help you to become who you were meant to be, a Veteran Rising.

Join us in following one veteran's journey to self discovery and renewal.  You might discover that you find a little bit of yourself in her journey.