My First 5k!

Yesterday I accomplished a milestone I had set for myself several months ago when I decided to lose weight: I ran a 5k! Well, I jogged/walked a 5k, but still!

I registered for the Color Me Rad 5k as soon as I heard it was coming to this area. During the race, colored powder is thrown on all the participants, turning the race into a colorful mess. My friend Larissa created a team to run the 5k to celebrate her 8th year of surviving cancer. What a great way to celebrate!!

I'll admit, before the race started, I was nervous. I kept thinking, "I haven't trained hard enough for this... I'll end up walking most of it..." After a few minutes of psyching myself out (and almost walking away from the whole thing), I told myself, WHO CARES?! I didn't register for this 5k with the intention of being the fastest runner. The whole point was not to run the entire 3.1 miles or be the first across the finish line. I registered for this race to HAVE FUN and to do something I never would have thought myself capable of.

Once I let myself relax, I had a blast! It was so fun to see groups of friends high five-ing each other, parents running with their kids, and to see my friend celebrate living eight years after doctors gave her a diagnosis of terminal colon cancer.

Here's the crazy part... I think I've caught the running bug. I can't wait to register for another race, and I can't believe I actually had FUN while running! I think I might have to look online later today for a new 5k to register for!

My only regret about yesterday is that I didn't take enough pictures. I wasn't sure how to wrangle a camera through all the powdered mess, so I didn't really take any pictures. Thankfully, one of my fellow Team Miracle friends did take pictures. Here are some pictures of the most colorful 5k!

Team Miracle at the start line! We were throwing up the number 8, not gang signs. ;)

Here we go!!

Here's Team Miracle after all the color bombing!

Miss Larissa!

My running buddy Hilary!

My first 5k! Definitely not my last!

So much fun!

Tips for Eating Out

Eating out is great way to spend time with loved ones, celebrate special occasions, and just have a good time on a Friday night. But if you’re trying to lose weight, sometimes eating out can be a challenge. Most dishes are loaded with hidden calories and even things that sound healthy aren’t always what they seem to be. And then, of course, there’s all of those extremely delicious, but extremely bad for you dishes that are oh so tempting to order.

I’ve figured out a few tricks since I started Weight Watchers that have helped me enjoy eating out without completely ruining all of my weight loss efforts. Here are my top three tips:

1.  Plan Ahead

If you already know that you’re going to be eating out, and you happen to know which restaurant you’ll be going to, look up the menu before you go! Chain restaurants now have their menus online, and a lot of them also offer nutritional information with their online menus. Look up the menu and find a few healthy options. For me, choosing a meal before I even leave the house eliminates the temptation to order something unhealthy. Also, if you know you’re going out later, you can plan your previous meals accordingly. If I know I’m going to Chili’s later, I’m not going to have pizza for lunch. I’ll eat low-point meals for breakfast and lunch so that I have plenty of WW points leftover for dinner.

2. Cut it in half!

If you have a favorite dish at a particular restaurant, but you know it’s a high-point/high-calorie meal, you can still enjoy that favorite meal without the I-just-ruined-my-diet guilt. Just cut the meal in half! When your plate is served to you, take your knife and fork and cut the food in half. Eat until you get to that cut line, then save the rest of your meal for later. You just got two meals for the price of one! (Most restaurants now serve outrageous portions anyway, so you won’t be starved by only eating half of what is served to you.)

If you think you lack the self-control to stop eating at the half way mark, ask your server for a box when your meal arrives. Cut your food in half and place one half of your meal in the box. Tuck the box away and now that food is no longer staring you in the face, tempting you to devour it. Out of sight, out of mind!

3. When All Else Fails, Order Off the Kids’ Menu

The kids’ menu at most restaurants features similar entrées as the regular menu, but with much smaller portions (not to mention cheaper prices). And nowadays a lot of kids’ menus offer healthy side options like apple slices or mandarin oranges. If you didn’t get a chance to research the restaurant’s menu before going out, first look at the kids’ menu. If the kids’ menu only has chicken strips and French fries, though, you might as well order a regular entrée.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I’ve always been a sucker for banana bread, but since I started losing weight, I knew I couldn’t eat it anymore unless I found a healthy version.

My mom and I searched through the Weight Watchers website and found a recipe for a healthier banana bread… It was nasty! It was really dry and not sweet at all. I was so disappointed! I kind of gave up on looking for a healthy recipe because I figured every recipe would be similar to the WW one.

This morning I was browsing through Pinterest (good ol’ Pinterest!!) and saw a recipe for banana muffins. Interestingly, the recipe didn’t use flour, but oats instead. It seemed like a simple recipe, so I decided to give it a shot.

Holy Moley. They are DELICIOUS! The only change I would make would be to use overripe bananas next time. I used some that just had a few brown spots on them. Next time, I think I’ll wait till they’re overripe so that the flavor will be a little stronger.

For the original recipe that I found on Pinterest, click here. Below is the same recipe, but with my own tips.

Enjoy!!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ½ cup oats (old-fashioned kind, not instant)

6 oz low-fat plain Greek yogurt (1 single serving container)

2 eggs

¾ cup sweetener of choice (we used xylitol)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 bananas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

(Do not use paper liners with these muffins. Since there is no flour in the batter, the paper liners will stick to the muffins after baking. I just used a non-stick spray on the pan and the muffins came out beautifully.)

2. Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until oats are smooth. 

Tip: Put yogurt, eggs, and bananas in the blender first, then add the dry ingredients. Our blender had a hard time because I dumped the oats in first, so it couldn’t really blend everything. The blade just kept spinning. I had to dump all the ingredients out, mix it up, then put it back in the blender. Lesson learned!

3. Pour batter into muffin pan and bake for about 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. I baked them for 18 minutes and they seemed almost a little too done. Every oven is different, so try starting with 16 minutes or so and then work your way up. Better to add more time than burn them!

Color Me Rad!!

I am incredibly excited because I just registered for my first 5k!!

I've been wanting to do a 5k ever since I started losing weight. I saw a pin on Pinterest for The Color Run, and I immediately wanted to do it. During the race, colored powder is thrown on all the participants. It is called "The Happiest 5k On The Planet."

Unfortunately, I couldn't register for The Color Run. The nearest race was set for August 4th, and I couldn't find anyone who wanted to go with me. (Who wants to run "The Happiest 5k" by themselves?) The clock was ticking and I still hadn't found a running buddy, so I decided I wouldn't register. I wanted to have enough time to train for the race, even though the times don't matter. I still wanted to set a goal and accomplish it.

And then...

My friend Larissa posted on Facebook that she had started a team to run in the Color Me Rad 5k. I went to the website and realized that the Color Me Rad 5k has the same concept as The Color Run: bright colored powder, no time restraints, and lots of fun! After some encouragement from another friend, I decided to register. I registered with Larissa's team to celebrate her 8th year being cancer free! What a great way to celebrate!

The race is set for September 29th. I have plenty of time to start training and trick more friends into running with me. ;)

After meeting my half-way weight loss goal, my weight loss has been rather slow and even stagnant. I realized that I had met my goal of reaching the half-way mark and needed a new goal to focus on. Now I have this 5k! I'm extremely excited to be working towards a new goal, and I can't wait to accomplish it!

My Secret Weapon: Smoothies!

If you’re anything like me, sometimes it can be hard to get five full servings of fruits and veggies each day. I have a problem with the texture of certain foods, so I don’t always eat enough produce. But I did find one way to sneak in some extra servings: smoothies!!

I’ve always loved smoothies, and my love for them grew exponentially when I worked for Jamba Juice. When my mom and I started Weight Watchers, we decided to try making smoothies at home so we could save a few bucks. Since then, I’ve found dozens of yummy smoothie recipes online and I continue to experiment with different fruit combinations.

Here are my tips for smoothie making:

1. Frozen fruit usually works better than fresh fruit.

If you want your smoothies to have a thin, runny texture, use fresh fruit. If you want your smoothies to be thicker (similar to Jamba Juice), then use frozen fruit. Sometimes I’ll use fresh fruit or a combination of fresh and frozen, but most of the time I stick to frozen fruit. If you’re going to freeze bananas, make sure to peel them first! I learned that the hard way.

2. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

If you don’t like a particular fruit, don’t be afraid to add it to a smoothie. Unless you’re using bananas or cantaloupe, individual flavors don’t always stand out in a smoothie. Most of the time everything mixes together to create a whole new flavor. So just because you don’t like mangos doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add them to a smoothie. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Worst-case scenario, you won’t like the smoothie. Oh well, try again the next day!

3.  If your smoothies won’t blend, you need more liquid.

Even top-of-the-line blenders won’t blend a bunch of frozen fruit. Liquid is key! I love adding juice to my smoothies (especially fruit punch!) because it makes the flavor even stronger. You can also use milk or water, or whatever liquid you prefer. If you’re using only fresh fruit, you may not need much liquid at all.

4. Add spinach!

I know it sounds gross, but you won’t even taste it! I have always hated leafy green veggies, but I don’t even notice the spinach in my smoothies. Just add one cup (aka one handful) of baby spinach per smoothie. Be warned: it will make the color of the smoothie kinda funky.

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite smoothie recipes. Give one of these a try and let me know what you think! And feel free to share with me some of your own favorite recipes.

Cherry Bomb

½ cup frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh strawberries

½ cup frozen, pitted cherries

½ cup milk

(I really want to try this one with juice instead of milk!)

Tropical Sunrise

½ cup fresh strawberries

½ cup fresh pineapple

½ cup fresh cantaloupe

½ cup frozen mangos

1 fresh peach

½ cup milk

Berry Good

½ cup fruit punch**

1 cup frozen berry mix (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

(This one has been my favorite for a very long time. Easy to make and very yummy!)

Popeye’s Favorite

½ frozen banana

1 fresh peach

2/3 cup frozen berry mix (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

1 cup spinach

2/3 cup milk

2 or 3 tsp honey

**By “fruit punch” I mean the Langers brand fruit punch found at WinCo. Not Hawaiian Punch. Feel free to substitute a different juice or different liquid altogether. Let me know how it tastes!

Weekly Weigh-In: July 1, 2012

Before my weigh-in, I was nervous. I thought I had done well this past week, until it came time for my brother’s birthday party. I couldn’t resist the ice cream cake my mom made. I had done such a good job earlier in the week, but on Wednesday and Thursday, I had several pieces of ice cream cake and I drank a lot of juice. (I love juice. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite things to drink.)

I did go to the gym five days out of the week, and I did eat healthfully most of the time. I hoped my efforts at the gym were enough to see some change on the scale, but after all that cake and sugary juice, I wasn’t sure.

I weighed myself yesterday morning… I lost 4.4 lbs this week!! I don’t even know how that was possible, especially with all that cake! I weighed myself at least five times on two different scales, just to be sure. I only need to lose one more pound to be back at the weight I was at the beginning of June. What a relief!!

I’m going to continue to do what I did last week, but this time without the cake and juice. ;) I was looking at my gym’s class schedule and realized that there are usually two classes per day that I like to do. So my plan this week is to try and do two classes at the gym each day, instead of just one. I like the classes because I can just show up and do what the instructors tell me to do. If I work out on my own, I noticed that I try to get away with not doing as much. But in the class setting, I push myself and get a better workout.

I know that seeing another huge loss like that this next week is unlikely, but I still want to work hard and lose as much as I can this summer. And honestly, I’m enjoying working out. I never, ever thought I’d say that. But it’s true. :)

Weekly Weigh-In: June 24, 2012

This month has been crazy! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last did a weigh-in post. I haven’t been able to weigh myself in a long time. It seems like every Saturday has been incredibly busy! I finally did weigh myself yesterday morning before all of the wedding festivities began.

Unfortunately, since the last time I weighed myself, I have gained 5.2 lbs. I know the reason behind the weight gain is my eating habits. I’ve been going to the gym pretty regularly, sometimes twice a day, so I know the weight gain is due to how I’ve been eating. I didn’t eat very well while at my grandparents’ house and since our kitchen was being remodeled, my family ate out quite a bit the past couple of weeks. This past week was especially challenging what with the bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, and wedding reception. So combine vacation, kitchen remodel, and wedding plans, and it’s no wonder I gained weight.

It’s interesting though… In the past, a gain like this would cause me to lose faith in the diet plan and I’d throw in the towel. Sometimes it didn’t even take a gain for me to quit; making a few mistakes here and there would be enough sometimes for me to give up completely. But now, this gain has given me a boost of motivation. I know what I need to change and I have every intention of making those changes. I know that if I continue to eat the way I have been the past few weeks, I’ll slowly gain all of the weight I’ve worked so hard to lose. I refuse to let that happen. I don’t want to be overweight anymore. I don’t want to put my health at risk because I can’t make healthy choices. I’m determined to take control of my choices and turn bad habits into good ones.

Here are my plans for this week: I will make healthy eating choices, which means not going over my daily WW point allotment, no fast food, no junk food, lots of fruits and veggies, and no diet soda! I will also workout daily, and if possible, twice a day. With these plans, I can’t wait to see what the scale will say next weekend!

A Lovely Day For A Wedding

Yesterday, my friend Makeila got married. It’s still so weird to say that! Married. Wow! The whole day was kind of surreal. Not only was it bizarre to watch my friend experience a major life milestone, it was also weird to experience the day I had worked so hard towards. Losing weight for the wedding had been such a big goal of mine. Now that that goal has been accomplished, I need to find something else to take its place.

I think one of the best feelings of the day was the confidence I felt while in my bridesmaid’s dress. I wasn’t ashamed to be standing up in front of everyone in that dress. I wasn’t embarrassed standing next to the other bridesmaids. And I absolutely loved taking pictures with everyone. Confidence is a great feeling, and it feels good to have mine returning.

I had a great time yesterday. It was fun to watch everyone get ready and then watch my friend walk down the aisle. Below are some pictures from the day that I wanted to share. Enjoy!!

 This is the side view of my hair. My stylist did a braid around that became a side pony. Loved it!!

Side pony! 

Me and the bride getting ready 

My friend Kait, who was also a bridesmaid, did my make up. Love this girl! 

The bride and I after she got her hair done.

Kait also got to do the bride's make up. 

 This picture was taken just after all the bridesmaids got to see Makeila in her dress for the first time. We all cried!! Makeila then asked us to help her get her shoes on.

Makeila, the goregous bride! 

 

Emotional moment

Kait and I waiting for the ceremony to start. 

I absolutely love this picture!! 

There were some extra flowers from the centerpieces, so each of the bridesmaids got to wear one. 

The Bride & Groom 

Makeila with her sister Katelyn, the Maid of Honor 

At the reception with my friend Lauren 

Trista! Love this chick! 

My friend Erin 

One of my favorite pictures from the day!! Kait changed out of her bridesmaid's dress because her dress was too small for her! It took several people to zip it up, and the boning in the front of the dress was stabbing her ribcage. So after dinner at the reception, she gladly changed out of it. 

Waiting in line for cake! 

At this moment, Makeila's cousin was singing "One In A Million." He has sung that song at each of his cousins' weddings. Special moment! 

First Dance! 

Father Daughter Dance! Her dad cried through the whole thing. Precious!

Kait helped decorate the married couple's car.  

I’m very happy for Makeila and I wish her and her husband all the very best!! Thank you for asking me to be a part of such a special day. 

An Update On My Ticker

In my first blog post (to read, click here) I mentioned that I was having a fluttering feeling in my chest and that I had made an appointment with a cardiologist. The cardiologist ran some tests and I had my follow up appointment last Wednesday to review the results of that test.

Thankfully, my heart is just fine. That fluttering feeling in my chest was the result of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). PVCs are exactly what they sound like: the ventricles of the heart beat earlier than they should. The cardiologist told me they are nothing to worry about since my heart is structurally sound and still pumping blood effectively. He said to just be aware of them when they happen and then move on. He said, “If you think about it too much, you’ll go crazy.” I just have to go back to the cardiologist annually for a check up.

What a relief!! I was so worried and conflicted about the heart stuff. On one hand, I wanted to be healthy and normal. I didn’t want to have yet another health issue. But on the other hand, I knew something was wrong and I wanted answers. The cardiologist actually said, “Well, at least it’s not all in your head!” And that’s exactly how I felt, too!

I am still just as motivated, if not more, to take care of my health. It’s like I know my heart has a “disadvantage” so I want to care for it even more. Kind of like getting a puppy that has three legs. The puppy can still run and play like all the other puppies, but you just want to take care of it because the poor thing only has three legs. That’s how I feel about my heart. Poor thing can’t even beat correctly. I should really make sure to take care of it.

I Said Yes To The Dress

In my very first blog post, I wrote about shopping for bridesmaid's dresses and how I was determined to lose weight and have my dress be too big when it arrived.

The day has come.

I went to pick up the dress today and tried it on… It’s definitely too big! I wanted to take a dramatic picture of me holding the dress on because it was falling off of me (much like this one)… It’s not THAT big, but it definitely needs alterations.

This was the best picture we could get of it. (Don’t mind my sunburned face and messy hair. My arm looks unnaturally large, but that’s just the angle, I promise.) The dress is too big in the chest and waist, but it looks good everywhere else. The dress has an empire waist which should fit just beneath my chest, but it actually can fit around my natural waist now, so it kept sliding down. So to show you just how big it is on me, I held the dress up where it was supposed to be. Now I just need to get it altered before the big day!

I’m very happy that I can see the results of my efforts. I wanted the dress to be too big, and it is. That was one of my major goals and it feels so good to have that accomplished. I know I’ll feel much more confident on the day of the wedding than I would if I hadn’t lost the weight.

And a thought occurred to me today: since the dress is mine now, I should try it on again once I reach my final goal weight and do a before/after picture! I love the idea of doing that!

I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty

My family and I had an event to attend today and over the weekend I realized... I have nothing to wear! All of my nicer, dressier clothes no longer fit me. I didn’t want to look like a slob, so I decided to go shopping for something nice to wear.

I ended up trying on a few dresses and found one that fit me perfectly! Seeing the dress on the rack, I didn’t really care for it, but the sales associate at the store suggested I try it on. I’m so glad she did! I wanted to pair the dress with a little shrug because I’m still a little uncomfortable with having my upper arms exposed. The sales associate found one that matched the dress perfectly.

Wearing this dress made me feel pretty, and to be completely honest, I haven’t felt pretty in a long time! And I normally don’t feel comfortable wearing a dress, but I loved wearing this one. It felt so good to try something on and have it look amazing. My weight loss efforts are paying off! I can’t wait to see what I’ll look like when I reach my goal weight! And I know shopping will be even more fun.

Weekly Weigh-In: June 8, 2012

I know today isn’t Saturday, but I’ll be flying home tomorrow and probably won’t want to blog. So I decided I should write about my week now.  I won’t be weighing this week since I’m not at home, so I’m just writing about the goals I set for myself last Saturday. I’ll weigh next week.

Last Saturday, I predicted that this week would be a challenge for me. Boy was I right! The week started out pretty well; I didn’t buy peanut butter M&M’s at the airport, which I was very proud of myself for. I did go grocery shopping and bought healthy snacks and meal stuff. I didn’t go walking like I had planned on… I could blame the cruddy weather, but instead, I’ll take full responsibility and admit that I was being lazy!

It’s amazing to me how easy it is to slip back into old habits just by changing my environment. Going to my Grandad & Granna’s house has always meant that I’d get to eat lots of sweets. Even as a young kid I knew that any time spend with G&G meant I’d get to enjoy cake, brownies, ice cream, cookies, and lots of other goodies. I’m going to have to start rewiring my brain to not expect sweets just because I’m visiting with my grandparents. Otherwise, any time I go to visit them (or any time they come to visit me), I’ll binge on junk food and start gaining again. And since I know family gatherings mean there will be lots of desserts, I should start making healthy dessert options, that way I won’t be tempted by my Aunt Desiree’s delicious cheesecake!

I must say, though, that eating junk food the past few days has made me feel like…well, junk! No wonder they call it “junk” food. Not only do I feel bad physically,  I also feel bad mentally. I felt guilty eating those peanut butter cookies, and I could feel myself slipping back into the cycle of guilt and shame that I was stuck in before. I’m looking forward to eating right and working out with a friend of mine once I get home. I know jumping back on the Weight Watchers plan will be easy because my house is filled only with healthy food, and my mom (who is my own personal cheerleader) will be there to kick my butt into high gear. I don’t want to feel like junk anymore! Like a friend of mine said, I’ve learned that the food that tastes oh so good makes me feel oh so bad! I just need to keep that in mind the next time I come face-to-face with a brownie.

So here are my goals for this next week: I want to lose some serious weight over the summer, so I need to jump on that and make some serious changes. For this week, I will set a goal of eating a minimum of five servings of fruits and veggies each day. Also, I will work out for a minimum of 30 minutes every day. Let’s do this!

Weekly Weigh-In: June 2, 2012

I’ve decided to do Weekly Weigh-In posts every Saturday to track my weight loss. I think blogging about my weigh-ins will create some sort of accountability, and an opportunity to map out a plan for the next week.

This week, I wasn’t expecting to lose any weight. I went out to eat several times throughout the week (including fast food- eek!) and I didn’t work out. I also had dessert a few times. I assumed that I didn’t eat healthy enough to warrant weight loss.

To my surprise, I lost one pound this week. It’s not much, but I’ll take it! One pound lost is better than nothing, and it’s definitely better than gaining.

This next week might be a bit of a challenge. Tomorrow I’m flying to Dallas to visit my family. This will be my first big trip while on Weight Watchers. Every time I fly, I always get peanut butter M&M’s at the airport, and there’s usually plenty of desserts and treats at my grandparents’ house. I’ve decided to be prepared and plan ahead. I plan on packing some snacks in my purse so I won’t be tempted to grab candy at the airport. Once I arrive at my grandparents’ house, I plan on going grocery shopping to make sure I have plenty of fruits and veggies and other healthy snacks for the week. As for exercise, I plan on daily walks/runs around my grandparents’ neighborhood. I probably won’t weigh-in next week, though, because I’ll be traveling back home next Saturday. I’m sure my Granna has a scale I could use before heading to the airport, but I’m trying to use the same scale every time I weigh myself, just for consistency’s sake. Every scale is a little different. So next week I may just write a post about the choices I made throughout the week (did I buy the M&M’s after all?) and the following week I’ll do a weigh-in.

Visualizing Your Goals

When trying to lose weight, having the right motivations is important, but it’s equally important to be reminded of those motivations throughout the process. Losing weight is hard and it can be easy to forget what got you started. Creating some sort of visual reminder is a great way to stay motivated and focus on your goals.

           

One thing I like to do is to cover my mirror with post-it notes. I wrote down things I wanted to accomplish with my weight loss on post-it notes and then covered my bedroom mirror with them. One of my notes says, “To look AWESOME in my bridesmaids dress!” Another one says, “To not get winded when walking up stairs.” I also wrote down things that I need to remember; things like, “The food will always be there. You don’t HAVE to eat it today!” or “If you eat it, TRACK IT!” I see those notes every morning when I get dressed and every night before I go to bed.  I know it sounds cheesy, but those notes have kept me focused and motivated.

Think about what you want to accomplish with your weight loss. Do you want to run a 5k? Play with your kids without getting tired? Maybe you want that little black dress to fit again? Whatever it is that you’d like to see happen, write it down! I promise, when you’re having a hard time, seeing those visual reminders will give you the boost you need.

           

Another visual reminder that has really kept me motivated is my weight loss jars. I saw a friend of mine make these and I also saw the idea on Pinterest. Here’s how it works: take two jars or vases and label them with stickers. One jar will be your “Pounds To Lose” jar and the other will be your “Pounds Lost” jar. Fill the “Pounds To Lose” jar with glass rocks. Each rock represents one pound, so fill the jar with the number of pounds you’d like to lose. As you lose weight, move the rocks to the “Pounds Lost” jar.

           

When I made my jars, I actually couldn’t find jars or vases that were the right size. They were all too big. I wanted to see a full jar of rocks become empty, and seeing a huge vase only half full just wasn’t as inspiring. I finally did find plastic tumblers from Target. They were the perfect size and pretty cheap. I found stickers in a fun font from Michael’s. Since the tumblers I bought were small, I couldn’t fit the words “Pounds To Lose” or “Pounds Lost” on them, so I shortened it to “To Lose” and “Lost.” I absolutely love my weight loss jars and I love seeing the “Lost” jar fill up as the “To Lose” jar becomes emptier.

Here’s a picture of my weight loss jars right after I made them (I had already lost 16 lbs when I made them):

Here’s a picture of my jars now:

I told you, seeing that progress is so satisfying!

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness

In my previous post, I briefly mentioned that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. I would like to share more about the syndrome, not to draw attention to myself or have a pity party, but to spread awareness because, if left untreated, PCOS can become life threatening. I want to do my part to help others, and awareness is the first step to finding a solution.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (also called polycystic ovary syndrome) is the most common endocrine disorder, affecting 5-10% of the female population. PCOS is also the number one cause of infertility among women.

In a nutshell, here’s what happens: In a normal female body, hormones are produced that signal the release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation). Once the egg is released, progesterone is released from the mature follicle (a follicle is a fluid-filled sac in the ovary that releases the egg). The progesterone causes the uterine lining to thicken, leading to menstruation. In a female with PCOS, the body doesn’t make enough hormones for an egg to mature. The follicles grow, but none fully mature. These immature follicles can become cysts. Because no egg is released, no progesterone is released, and the uterine lining doesn’t thicken. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but many now believe the disorder is genetic.

Complications

Because PCOS causes many women to be overweight, and because it interferes with metabolism, having PCOS can increase your risk of the following:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Endometrial cancer
• Breast cancer
• Gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Metabolic syndrome
• Infertility
• Miscarriages

Women with PCOS are 4 to 7 times more likely to have a heart attack, regardless of if they are thin or not. More than half of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes by age 40. Most women with PCOS crave sugary foods, and eating those sugary foods only increases your risk of other health problems.

The more I read about PCOS and the long-term conditions it can cause, the more I come to realize is this: PCOS makes it very easy for you to gain weight (i.e. sugar cravings), but it makes it very difficult for you to lose weight. PCOS puts you at risk for other serious problems, then makes it harder for you to reduce that risk.

As For Me…

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16. Early diagnosis is very beneficial because it can help lower your risk of long-term complications. An ultrasound was done during the initial diagnosis and no cysts were found. I have been on medication since then and I hope that because I’ve been on medication, I won’t have any cysts develop… But it is called polycystic ovarian syndrome, so I’m sure I’ll have to deal with cysts at some point.

I’m not sure why I didn’t take better care of myself when I was first diagnosed. When I first started taking the medication, I lost quite a bit of weight… 60 pounds in about three months, actually. I felt great and was proud of my dramatic weight loss. Because I was young and ignorant, I guess I felt that if I continued to take the medication, my weight would no longer be an issue. So I didn’t really make any efforts to change my eating habits. I slowly gained back all of the weight I had originally lost, plus a little more.

So why now? What changed? In my previous post, Motivation, I explained how various health factors encouraged me to lose weight. Then…

I was cruising through Pinterest the other day and I saw a pin that said, “I wear teal for me. Support PCOS awareness.” Wait, what? PCOS awareness? I had no idea there was an awareness ribbon. When I was first diagnosed, PCOS wasn’t a well-known disorder. I did do some online research back then, but I mostly found medical information on sites like WebMD.com. I didn’t find any sort of awareness or support sites. After seeing that pin on Pinterest, I googled PCOS and found all kinds of new information. I even ordered a workbook from one site so I can learn how to take better care of myself. Now that I know there is a whole community of women with PCOS who support and encourage each other, I feel empowered.

When I was 16 and told I needed to change the way I ate, I was overwhelmed by the thought of such a dramatic change. My doctor was suggesting all kinds of foods I had never heard of. And since I was already losing weight thanks to the meds, I figured I didn’t need to change after all. But now, since I’m already learning healthier eating habits because of Weight Watchers, I know I can take it one step further and learn how to eat as a woman with PCOS. Diet is so crucial with this disorder. I now want to learn how to eat properly. I never wanted that before.

I want to be proactive. My health is in MY hands, no one else’s. I am responsible, ME. No one else. I’m determined to take good care of myself and live a healthy lifestyle. PCOS will NOT determine my future. I will.  

For More Information

If you’d like more info on PCOS, I’ve found WebMD and Mayo Clinic helpful when trying to understand the physiology of the disorder. For nutrition information, I've found the PCOS Nutrition Center to be particularly helpful. If you'd like PCOS awareness wrist bands or other jewelry, Aerabella's Boutique has some great stuff. 

Motivation

When you want to lose weight, you have to have the right motivations. Without proper motivation, you'll just be running off of willpower, and we all know that willpower only lasts for about two milliseconds. (Did you ever read Frog and Toad Together as a kid? Best lesson about willpower right there.)

I've tried losing weight numerous times before. I tried diet pills, Atkins, counting calories, diet smoothies, the blood type diet... You name it, I probably tried it. But all of those times that I started a new diet, the only thing motivating me was that I didn't feel pretty. I wanted to be thin like my friends. I wanted to look in the mirror and feel happy. That motivation, while it did get me started, did not last long. I would start a diet, do well for a few weeks, then something would happen: I would splurge and eat dessert, or I'd get stressed and start eating anything and everything I could find. Then the guilt would set in. The voice in the back of my head would be saying, "You can't do this. You're such a loser. You have no control!" And pretty soon, I'd be back on the couch with my Ben & Jerry's and a large spoon. I've learned it has to be more than that. You have to have something bigger pushing you than just wanting to be pretty. Because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? What does "pretty" even mean?

I may not be at my goal weight yet, but I know that I will reach that weight. Why is this time any different from the others? Two reasons: 1. Weight Watchers and 2. Motivations.

I highly recommend Weight Watchers because it's not a diet; it's a lifestyle. I can't expect to lose weight and keep it off by doing some crazy fad diet for a few weeks. I've tried it. It doesn't work for me. Weight Watchers is teaching me better habits: proper portion sizes, nutritional value, etc. I could go on for days as to why I would recommend WW over any other weight loss plan or diet, but that's not the point of today's blog. I'll write another post about that later. 

When I set out to lose weight at the beginning of the year, I had several motivations. First, I had just applied to nursing school. I knew that to be a good nurse, I would need to be in better physical shape. Nursing is a physically demanding job, and I didn't want my weight to hold me back from my dreams. But this was only one small thing pushing me towards my goal.

A bigger motivation for me was being asked to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. When I found out who the other bridesmaids were, I cringed. I knew I was the biggest one. The other girls are all a size zero. I'm certainly no where near a zero. I knew that the wedding pictures would look awkward; four skinny minis and me. The true slap in the face came when we went shopping for our dresses. I went to try on one of the sample dresses and quickly realized it wasn't going to fit. It wouldn't even make it over my boobs! I started checking the sizes on the dresses and discovered all of the dresses were at least five sizes too small. The boutique didn't have sample dresses in my size. Ouch. My eyes welled up with tears in the dressing room. I couldn't try on anything. I had to offer my opinion based on what the other girls tried on, and then order a dress not knowing if it would fit or how it would look on me. I was so embarrassed. To add insult to injury, the boutique called me a week or two later and informed me that my dress would cost an additional $50 because it was larger than a size 16. Double Ouch. I then became determined to have my bridesmaid's dress NOT fit me when it arrived, only this time, the dress was going to be too big, not me.

However, the biggest motivation of all came when I started experiencing a fluttering feeling in my chest a few months ago. I went to the doctor and after some tests, the doctor told me I just had some rhythm irregularities and he sent me on my way. I'm 22 years old! I should not have heart rhythm irregularities. I asked for a referral to a cardiologist. I just saw the cardiologist earlier this week and he wants to run more tests. I'll be sure to write a post later with the results and all that jazz. The heart stuff just made me realize that my poor choices were hurting my health. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (google it) when I was 16, and my doctor told me the best thing I could do was lose weight. I did lose weight after my initial diagnosis, thanks to the medication I was put on. But it didn't take long for me to slowly start packing on the pounds again. So when I started feeling that fluttering in my chest, I knew I absolutely had to make changes. If I continued to live my life the way I had been, things would only get worse. I was, and still am, determined to take better care of myself. 

So on January 5, 2012, I rejoined Weight Watchers. Yes, I had tried WW before, but because I didn't have good motivations, I never stuck with it. Like I said, willpower only lasts for two milliseconds. Now that I have multiple reasons to keep going and my motivation is coming from something bigger than just my appearance, I know I can do this. I've never felt this motivated before. I've lost 39.2 pounds so far. Only 38.8 lbs left!