I'd rather be healthy!

Howdy!
I've been a bit AWOL for the last month and a half or so.
I was offered a short term position as a production coordinator for a film studio, and couldn't really say no! The hours were long, the job was fun, but it severely cut into my work out times.

That is to say, all of them.

I would get off work near 7:30 - but no amount of racing from the office would get me to my 8pm closing time at the gym. Even if I did- what good is 5 minutes on a treadmill?

Now, with the gig over and life settling back down into utter chaos, there are a few big things lurking behind curtain number 2.

My boyfriend, who is currently living across the globe and running up my internet bill (I kid! flat rates FTW)- very well might be renewing his contract for another year. If that happens, the Quest for the Visa is back on!

And oh man, have I got some work to do.

Visa requirement for health is a female's waist measurement to be under 34.25" to pass without extra blood work tests, etc.
I'd like to avoid the extra tests, thank-you-very-much. Even with them, there is no guarantee they'd give the go.

So, it's back to the grind.

On Sunday, I went grocery shopping for the first time in over a month. Loaded up on fresh fruits and veggies, fresh fish and Greek yogurt (...and maybe some sugar free coffee creamer)

Before the backslide, I was down to 180 and loovvvvin' it. My jeans were loose, my shirts fit great, and my face was thinning out again. Over the course of a month, I gained 10lbs.
Birthday cake, Easter goodies, non-diet soda, a table of snacks and goodies at work and absolutely NO physical movement. I was Jabba da Production Coordinator.
By the time I was peaking at 190, I knew it was time for the backslide to end. Conversations with the boyfriend about visas were progressing, but I wasn't anywhere near ready!

Simple things helped.
I requested diet soda for the office. (Not great for me, but better then dr. pepper!)
I started bringing fruit with me to snack on.
I stuck to one cup of coffee a day.
And I invested in a new pretty water bottle with an intake meter.
Best yet- I started getting off my train 2 stops early and walking home.

I love my city. I love walking downtown on Market (well, parts of it!). I love running into people I know or finding new shops that have emerged from the rubble. Plus, as I was completely out of groceries, getting off at a stop near a salad bar gave me better options for dinner. Win-win.

Knowing I'd slowed the trend wasn't enough.
It was time for a complete reboot.

Monday rolls around, and I'm at the office- for a half day (only til 6 is a half day, apparently)- but I finally made it back to the gym!
I was sluggish and discouraged over the size of my renewed gut. I noted this to my friend at the front desk and he kind of smiled, and asked,


"Do you remember when you first joined?"

He's right. When I started at the Y, I was 230lbs. It showed. The difference is stark- 40lbs!
I've kept that much off, and I can do even better.
My boyfriend admitted to me, although he loves me more then he thought possible- if I had stayed that weight, he wasn't sure how long he could stay with me. It hurt.

I needed to hear that.

It wasn't as shallow as you might be thinking. He loves me at any size, but there is a practicality there. How long can you go on loving someone who is killing themselves? We're not married, there is nothing keeping us together except ourselves and our own determination. My determination is to be able to keep up with him in our many adventures in life.
I want to be that sporty wife, the fit mom, the gal with boundless energy (and puns!)
I am her.
I want the rest of the world to see it, too.

So, the next time my boss asks me if I'd take on a gig that involves overtime every night- I'll just flat out tell him:

I'd rather be healthy.