Bettering BAP

A very important shift has happened in my life over the past couple of weeks. I'm not sure of the precise moment it happened or what even triggered it but I am determined to make it last. A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a blog by Amanda, entitled Another Prior Fat Girl. Don't ask me how I found her because I honestly don't even know but I do know it significantly impacted my life. After I read all of her posts about her dramatic weight loss, I read from her inspiration and friend Jen, the original Prior Fat Girl. These two ladies' amazing journey through their loss of a significant amount of weight coupled with the fact that they are around my age inspired me to again attempt the journey myself. The only difference? This time it seems to have stuck.

In all the prior diet attempts I've made, I reduce the amount of all the things I'm eating and do some cardio exercise. Only 1 of those multiple attempts has ever been successful for me and then I lost about 35 lbs. only to gain it and more back when my disciplined lifestyle ran away to hide for awhile.

But after reading those blogs and seeing the techniques that every day people (like me) use, I truly am inspired. I can't tell you how many things are on my list to try or that I have tried due to the exposure just from those two girls (including but not limited to chicken, bacon artichoke deLite pizza; aluminum water bottles; 45 calorie bread; triple fruit white chocolate pudding; Hungry Girl daily e-mails & cookbook). My eyes have been opened to so much-especially how many calories I was eating (WAY too many) and how the foods I ate so drastically affected my life, mood, relationships, etc.

And now, here I am. I've been tracking my food/calories since February 22, 2010 and have been consciously making better choices in many areas of my life and just plain thinking healthier. Z and I have researched so many healthy options and I can't wait for my next paycheck so I can go to the store and explore them. There are fruits and veggies that I'm dying to give a chance and soups and dairy products I never dreamed about putting in my cart but I can't wait! The really awesome thing is that since I began this journey a little over a week ago, I feel so much better! At first I was a little scared of getting hungry and not being able to fill up but now, I can hardly eat all things I prepare ahead of time.


I start my day with my travel mug of coffee & creamer ('cause I just haven't been able to give that up) and on work days am having a banana by 9am. At 10:15 or so I fill up with either a fiber or nut bar that helps me make it to lunch. So many options are available for lunch-which I eat at 12 or 12:30 but one of my faves is a pb&j on 45 calorie bread with low sugar grape jelly (which I grew up on and has now caused me to not be able to eat regular jelly-FAR too sweet for me). I usually have that with 27 Cheez-its = 1 serving and an apple immediately following or shortly after. Today for lunch I had leftover taco soup from last week that was seasoned perfection and 4 saltine crackers along with my apple. For a snack I may have some peanuts or some chocolate cheerios-which are new & fabulous by the way-if I get hungry around 3pm. By the time I get home-and I bring at least 2 extra snacks home that I didn't eat throughout the day-I'm pretty hungry so I may snack on some light butter popcorn or some carrots and a little honey mustard. For dinner, Z and I usually cook during the week so we'll have MUCH smaller portions than normal of a well-balanced meal and I'm learning the art of low-cal dessert options (like the triple fruit white chocolate pudding I mentioned).

As usual, the hardest place for me to cutback is at restaurants. Like last night, I met one of our youth and her mom at Cheddar's and I REALLY wanted to eat. Not just nibble but EAT. However, I had just walked 1.25 miles and made myself eat carrots and honey mustard (I am not a rabbit fo' sho' y'all) and I surely didn't want to ruin all the progress I had made. So I did what any fat girl trying to be healthy would do: reviewed the menu for something semi-healthy and then ordered the smokehouse burger, no pickles, sauce on the side and no side to go with it. When it came I cut it in half, took off the bottom and then ate that 1/2, 5 of my friends' fries, and 3 onion rings from the appetizer. When I finished, I wasn't bursting at the seams and was kinda tempted to eat the other half but I could definitely tell that if I did, I would be miserable. I even just drank water with my meal-not the sugary sweet tea that I am so fond of. Arriving home, I had an attack of my sweet tooth so I had a small dessert of the triple berry pudding from Monday and drank more water (I had 84 ounces of H20 yesterday).

I was so proud of myself for not giving in and eating too much. I am doing my best to make sure this lifestyle change sticks and even push myself through the processed food aisles at the store faster so I can linger with the fruits and veggies. I am drinking SO MUCH AGUA but my body is finally adjusting to it = I don't have to excuse myself to the restroom every hour anymore. And I am determined to get more exercise in. More and longer walks paired with some Hip Hop Abs (cheesy as it is) and some usage of the exercise ball are my plan of attack. That's what worked in the activity department last time I lost weight and I'm planning to incorporate those into my plan now.

Wow, this is a long post. Sorry-didn't mean to be so verbose but I hope you can see my excitement about getting my body and mind in shape. :) This won't become the focus of my blog but it will impact what I write about so please forgive the ups and downs of this 'BAP on her beat the belly campaign'. Words of encouragement or helpful info are welcome so feel free to throw the comments in and thanks for sticking with me through this journey to a better me. I wanna be a prior fat girl!

Blessings,
Bethany

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17