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Health & Fitness

A Journey to Thin

One woman's journey to weight loss and a healthier life.

Welcome to the new Health and Fitness blog!

I am personally on a journey to lose fifteen pounds per quarter - every three months - until I reach my goal!  I would like to invite you along with me, as we talk to people in the community who have personally lost a significant amount of weight, as well as local nutritionists and weight loss gurus. I will also feature healthier versions of favorite foods, with a list of where to find good deals in the area.  If you are interested in being featured, send me an email :)  

Up until I hit 24, I never struggled with my weight.  My mom always cooked delicious, nutritious food for dinner, and I always ate more than my dad.  In fact, my mom really instilled a love of food and dinner time in me, because she was such a good cook (although she always hated cooking.)

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I grew up in the Netherlands as the daughter of missionaries.  At that time, there weren’t many grocery stores in Holland. You really had to work to get your food by traveling to the cheese shop for cheese, the butcher for your meat, the bakery for your bread, etc…  My brother and I rode on the back of my mom’s bike when we were still tiny.  I think he rode on the front and I rode on the back, in little bike seats I guess.  She would balance the bags on the handlebars.  There were no pre-packaged foods.  My mom would literally have to mash up the tomatoes and add spices for spaghetti.  She brought home a suitcase full of brownies whenever we visited the States.

Anyway, dinner time was always a huge deal.  We ate early because my dad had late meetings.  He would put on some light jazz, maybe the Rippingtons or Jesse Cook, or, if my mom got sick of that, some contemporary Christian.  My mom would sometimes light candles while we ate, and she would ask us questions about our day at school.  And it wasn’t enough to tell her what we did that day; we had to tell her how we felt about it.  Haha.  My brother always, always spilled his drink at some point during dinner.  The phrase, “Oh no! Get a toooooowel!!!” is forever etched in my brain’s ear.

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My parents were very involved in an international church, and in the refugee centers over there.  So we grew up eating very diverse, odd, spectacular food.  My favorites were Greek domadas and chicken satay. 

Needless to say, I really love food and all the memories it evokes.  But, too much of a good thing…

I am now 60 freaking pounds overweight.

That is a lot of fat clinging to my bones.  Or muscle, whatever that nasty stuff clings to.  I don’t know.  I know it looks nasty when it comes through the liposuction tube on TV.  <shiver>

My kids weight 30 pounds each.  I totally just realized that; I have the equivalent of two toddlers of fat.  <face palm>

I don’t think of myself as fat.  (Although I might now, geez.)  I think of myself as a lovely person with fat on me.  I really don’t have self-esteem issues.  (Thanks mom.)  And yet, my wardrobe has become useless because I can only wear stretchy pants and large, large shirts. 

I have tried dieting for the past couple of years, but the prospect of having so much to lose is too daunting.  So I am going to focus on losing 15 pounds every three months.  Next Halloween, I am going to dress up as… I don’t know, something insanely sexy.  This Halloween I resembled something baggish.  (My hair looked pretty great though.)

My Stats
29 years old
5’2
178 pounds
No waist to speak of

Health Concerns
Achy knees
Aching legs
Aching back
Always tired
Weak heart
Sugar imbalances

Problem Foods
Pizza
Chips
Pizza (yeah, I know it’s on here twice.  I eat a lot of it, OK?)
M&Ms
Pasta

Challenges
Finding the motivation to exercise
Always in front of a computer, whether for school or work
Two kids, ages 2 and 3

Motivations
My best friends run marathons <eye roll>
A newfound thirst for life

Wow, some of this info is so TMI, but PLEASE join with me on this trip to a thinner me!  I'm a little nervous, because if I don't reach my goal, you all are gonna be like, "Girl, you still weight 178 pounds, don't you?!"  

<deep breath>  I'm ready for some change.  Are you?

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