From Pennies To Yennies

I have lots of new readers from one of my favorite blogs, Run for Cookies, so I want to say welcome! Since this blog is about my expat life and weight loss, I try to balance the two, but I haven’t talked too much about my weight loss recently since I’ve been so busy traveling.

I hit an awesome milestone- down 20 lbs! Technically 21 😉
November 2011

March 2012

The difference is slight, but it’s there. Before I launch into why I’m doing this and my experience so far, I wanted to jot down some differences I’ve noticed in just losing 20 lbs:
*I feel like I’m on caffeine all the time. Where’d this energy come from?!
*I can’t remember the last time I sat indian-style. Cozy!
*This is the first winter in years I haven’t got sick. May be speculation, but I suspect my immune system has improved.
*Dan can pick me up!
*Did airplane seats get roomier?
*I can talk after walking up a flight of stairs
*I can spend a day walking all over a Disney park and my feet aren’t killing me
*I feel like I have a whole new wardrobe of clothes that are comfy- and look good!
*I don’t crave the junk I used to eat. I was just in the States for 3 weeks and didn’t touch a burger or fries! Yuck!!
*I feel prettier. I put more effort into wearing clothes I haven’t been able to, nd enjoy wearing makeup again
*I gave up dairy, alcohol, and loosely red meat (I love ramen which is pork based!)

The Start
I started to lose weight at the New Year. I didn’t feel very hopeful, but really wanted to stick with it. Ultimately, I’d love to lose 60 lbs, and focus on losing 20 at a time.

The Why
I struggled with my weight ever since I put on 50 lbs after graduating college summer 2008. For a long time I continued buying tiny clothes with the mindset of “it’ll fit… soon enough…” Fall 2009 I finally started buying bigger clothes, and it felt like I had been defeated.

For the rest of 2009 and 2010 I didn’t try too hard to diet. I put more effort into flattering clothes and standing in weird positions in pictures to look thin. Fall 2010 I did diet a bit and lost 10-15 lbs. Then while in Vegas with friends, we were in a limo in a parking lot and a guy yelled at me that I was a big fat buddha. And kept yelling it over and over. It was humiliating. I just laughed and said whatever but died inside. That would make most people start dieting and exercising more, but I just gave up. The goodness I felt from losing that 10 lbs was gone.

I moved to Japan March 2011 and naturally lost some extra weight. Smaller portions, and a lot of physical labor over the summer when I volunteered for a tsunami relief organization. That fall I visited the States for 3 months and gained it all back and then some. I was having family problems and missed Dan. I didn’t know how to deal with things. So most nights for dinner I ate fast food in my rental car and cried about it.

While perusing Facebook and eating a Carl’s Jr spicy chicken sandwich and criss-cut fries, I saw a grade school friend had just lost 50 lbs and posted before and after pics. It was incredible. I wanted to do that. We emailed a bit and she said how it couldn’t just be a diet, it had to be a lifestyle change, and told me about some of her changes. My heart sank. She’d really dedicated herself, and I didn’t think I had it in me to be so strict. I finished my burger and fries.

After the New Year I wanted to try again. Dan had been losing weight and my bad eating habits were rubbing off on him, which was just unfair to him. I decided for whatever reason to take a run. I ran 2.5 laps in my local park- about 9 minutes. I wanted to die. I hurt so bad everywhere I thought I was having a heart attack.

But then 2 days later I ran 11 minutes. And so began a love hate relationship with running, where I kept adding a minute or two. Today I can run 82 minutes without stopping, and I’m so pleased. Running has been my main form of exercise, supplemented with ballet classes and elliptical machines.

Dan and I started cooking at home, and cutting out dairy and alcohol. The pounds came off slow but steady. He’s the meat griller and I’m the veggie chopper. We’re one of those couples I mercilessly made fun of in college.

I also was incredibly motivated by a fantastic blog called Runs for Cookies (www.runsforcookies.com). A midwest girl lost over 100 lbs and struggles with distance runs and diet choices. I identified a lot with her and her cravings and overeating. I also enjoy Ali on the Run (www.aliontherunblog.com)

And that’s my story! 21 lbs down, 19 to go til I hit my next goal. I’ll update along the way as always 🙂