What is your story?

SparkPoints: (1,218)
Fitness Minutes: (566)
Posts: 164
3/28/12 12:20 P

I am alot like you in that if I have a sense of being part of a large community I tend to do better and more to meet my goals.

Lets see. I started off in the military so I was forced to stay in semblence of shape. I was never the uber healthy soldier by any means but I was healthy for the most part (I could pass my PT test). On May 1st 2008 that all changed drastically when an electrical panel I was working on blew up in my face. It shocked me with 480 volts of electricity and left me with 1st-3rd degree burns on my hands and 1st-2nd degree burns on my face. I spent a month in a burn rehab unit and a year in and out of the hospital for recovery. During that time I was not allowed out in the sun and basically couldn't do anything since I didn't have full use of my hands. My health plummetted and I gained almost 20 lbs.

After a few years I left active duty and moved to Vermont. When I got here I made the decision that I wanted to change. I started a very hard workout and diet routine that involved me tracking every last calorie and fat that entered my body and wouldn't eat over 1200 calories. I also worked out daily with maybe a day or two break in between. I was so happy with the progress I made, not only did I lose the 20 lbs I gained I also dropped an additional 10 lbs that I had wanted to be rid of for a while. Not only that but I could do so much and had so much energy! I tracked everything I did and how much I ate and really made sure that I was taking care of myself.

My husband finally left active duty and joined me here in Vermont and I continued for the most part on the path I had set for myself. Then I became pregnant. I didn't do bad throughout my pregnancy. I worked out when I could, didn't eat for two and only gained about 20 lbs. I lost all but 12 of it when gave birth. So here I am now, trying to find the energy I had when I first moved here while taking care of a 10 month old and a husband who is going through chemo and radiation treatments due to cancer here in a few weeks. I want to get back into the physical, emotional and spiritual shape I was in a year and a half ago. And that is why I joined Spark People.

SparkPoints: (545)
Fitness Minutes: (166)
Posts: 325
3/28/12 12:01 P

NOTE: For me, the more I share, the more I write, the more I think about where I am, where I want to be, and my goals, the easier it is for me to stick to my plan and meet my goals. Misery loves company, and while I'm not miserable, being part of something bigger, or a larger group all trying to meet similar goals gives me a sense of community and increases our chance of success ... which is what I want and need here.

On to my story...

I'm the normal "as I age, I gain weight" and I'm now bigger than I've ever been (not including pregnant of course). The sad part is that post-pregnancy I lost all, plus more, weight since I had to give up all dairy and soy proteins for a little over a year, which also pretty much meant all process foods. It has now been almost 2 years since I could start eating dairy again and I am here. I can see it in my belly, my face, and my arms - and I don't like it.

I have a gym membership but struggle with making the time to go - I get home from work around 6:30, work on dinner, and spend a little time with my family before going to bed. I know my 2 hours of total commute time is part of what cuts into my time, however my choice of staying in bed later verses getting up earlier is an issue too. I have spent all of 2012 thus far planning to exercise and eat better, and made very little progress. Until now...

I have started taking vitamins daily again, really started paying attention to getting all of my water in, and focusing on eating more raw frutis and veggies while trying to reduce my consumption of processed foods and dairy. The focus is more on health than weight, since I know weight will come off as I make healthier choices, but I want my habits to rub off on my daughter and health of course is more important. I know my next step is to force myself into finding the time to exercise and quit making excuses - which is my #1 struggle right now.