It's been a crazy summer thus far. My teens are both involved in a summer theater consortium and I've been chauffeuring them to and fro for the past several weeks. On top of this, we made a quick trip to Albany, NY for my niece's high school graduation. And, when I say quick -- it was leave home at 5:30pm on Thursday and return at 2am on Monday (total of about 23 hours driving.) Can we say whirlwind??? Then, to top off everything, my sweet lil' Disney (doggie from previous post) has had some health issues in the last week and a half causing lots of worrying and stress. She seems to be doing much better now, thankfully, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that she'll be okay.
Just celebrated my 24th wedding anniversary. Wow!! As I look back on the last 24 years and all of our ups and downs - I can honestly say that I am married to one AMAZING man who has loved me throughout this crazy journey that we're on. He's loved me skinny, obese, and every size in between. He's supported every hair-brained idea of how to lose weight and been my loudest and most supportive cheerleader.
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| Here we are, way back in 1990. So young and in love :) |
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| And, here we are just a couple of months ago, not as young but still very much in love :) |
I can't imagine doing this without his support. In fact, not only is he supporting me -- he's actively participating. You see, as in most marriages, when one person gains weight, the other joins in on the fun. So, thankfully, he's also decided to join in on the fun of taking the weight back off again. Do I want to get back to my wedding day weight? Well, of course I do -- but I'm also aware that may not be a realistic goal for me. I struggle to lose weight, I struggle to stay thinner - I think more realistic is just to get into my "weight range." Right now, if I had to pick a number I'd like to reach - it's 140lbs. Why this number? Well, it's where, I think, I will look and feel good for my build, age, and the fact that I'm trying to add muscle while losing fat.
On the day of my wedding so many years ago, I weighed 125lbs. I don't think I could maintain that weight now. First of all, I'm gaining more muscle while, hopefully, losing fat. Secondly, even back then, I was just over 130lbs. in the weeks leading up to my wedding - but with stress and constant motion in the week before the big day I lost about ten pounds - my dress was baggy on my wedding day (sigh.) Thirdly, I'm 24 years older now and I'm just not willing to starve or workout constantly to maintain that weight. I believe I can be fit and healthy while weighing slightly more than I did on that wonderful day so many years ago.
So, what did I do to get through my plateau? Well, to be honest -- nothing special. I ate regularly, normally, watched my calories -- but some days I went on the higher side of my calorie range and some days I went a little lower. I continued to exercise, tried to do something everyday, but at the minimum I did cardio five times per week. There's no magic bullet, no mystical pill, no genies in a bottle. It boils down to hard work, determination, and not giving up.
As I look forward to many more years with my wonderful husband, I keep thinking of one of the messages I heard repeatedly at my niece's graduation: "Dream Big. Sweat Hard." Nothing worth achieving is going to come easy -- you're going to have to work for it and work hard. It's true in so many aspects of life... work, raising children, and yes, even marriage. And, it's true in weight loss. While there are many "diet aids" out there claiming to be the magic remedy needed to lose weight, guess what? Not going to happen without putting in hard work! And, so, that's what I'm doing - working hard, sweating hard, and dreaming big!
