Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tuesday Inspiration

I've been friends with Patricia (or PA as Tonya and I call her) for more than 10 years. We bonded at Starwood Hotels and Resorts doing hotel reservations and have been good friends ever since. PA is a great friend and an inspiration to me. She came to visit last year and it was the first time I'd seen her in years! It was so fun to reconnect and be in the same city as her for a few days.

A few months ago we were talking and I was telling her about the blog and my struggles to get started. We decided we needed to do a girls only cruise in the spring. I've never been cruising and was dying to go! It was agreed that if we were going to go cruising, we needed to be skinnier. I'm proud to say that PA has really taken this to heart and to date has lost more than 50 pounds! Since August 1, she has been watching what she eats, exercising and working hard to change her body. I'm so proud of this girl! She is my inspiration and she will be yours too.

The above picture is the old PA and the picture below is the on her way to being improved PA! Isn't she a fox? Va-va-voom!


Here is her story written by her:

If you are a "heavy weight" (as my brother puts it), you secretly have been hoping for years to figure out how to loose weight.  Even if you seem happy, which I am, there is still that place in your gut that wants to be heathy and not feel like your bulging out of your clothes.  People have been kind to me and generous but, you can only hear so many times what a wonderful personality you have and only if you would, "loose some weight the guys would be flocking to you..." 

Whatever.  

That is not the reason to loose weight.  We "heavy weights" need to loose weight for our health and to feel better about ourselves.  Married or not, not matter the amount you want to loose, we all need to get on the health train and hold on for dear life.  I began my my heath journey, believe it or not about a week before a cruise to Alaska in July 2010. I thought to myself, hey stupid at least if you would have waited to begin you wouldn't have to be concerned about what you ate on the crusie.  

I was at my gym and they offered 4 training sessions introductory for $129. My first thought was yeah, right. Been there done that. The trainers are looking at the skinny girls with the booties shorts and sports bras on and no one would be interested in training me.  I was told that if that happened like it had in the past my money would be refunded. So I figured why the hell not?

Then I met Eddie. I started working out with him on August 15. He is awesome and although he wasn't so sure about me and if my light had turned on, he stuck with me.  I lost five pounds before the cruise. I did OK on the cruise but of course put it back on.  When I got back from the cruise, I was discouraged and thought why I am I don't this if I am just going to gain weight I already lost.  Crap, I have to see Eddie in a few days I better get my crap together.  So, I did and after that is when it truely started to happen for me. I truely began my journey and I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you.

The last few months have had many ups and downs.  I have been amazed to see my own progress some weeks 2 pound or 1 pound losses and others I have had a great week of 6 and one week even of 7!  If you want it bad enough you CAN do it.

I had to change the way I ate, my whole eating regime. If you are eating fast food you MUST GET RID OF IT!!! If you are eating out 7 days a week, (like I was), try only to go 6 then 5 then so on. I have not eaten at a fast food resturant in 4.5 months.  You must start to wean yourself off of sweets. I had just finished a work out with my trainer and of course looked like HELL.  I had just shared with him my chocolate cake temptation from that day that I DID NOT eat even though it was that rich delicious looking chocolate cake. He said, Patti, you know that work out that we just did? I said, yes, he said, that whole work out is what it would take to burn off the cake you were describing.  I thought, no way not worth it at all.  

Each time you put something in your mouth think is it worth it? I was reading a really good book recently about health and it said, that if you must have something sweet you can take 3 bites and be done with it, wait 15 minutes and you will find you have the same satisfaction.  (Dr. Agaston, South Beach Diet book.) Although, I am not doing the South Beach Diet, I am exercising and eating better, I like to call it a life change, the book still had valuable information that I am using.  Another tip from that same book was that vinegar, and lemon slow down the digestion process so it will take your food longer to digest therefore, you will feel fuller longer. ( A VERY GOOD THING!)  So begin with small things, start by getting rid of the fast food. I am not saying you can't eat out.  I still have been to resturants and made wise choices while at the resturants but, prepare yourself before you go, check out the menu where possible online, plan what you are going to eat so you don't have to wonder what is the healthiest choice.  You will be glad you did and you will be on your way!!
 
Exercise, the dreded word. No "sain" person likes to exercise right?  Well, I actually have begun to like it.  Start with a small goal 3 times a week for 30 minutes, then work up from that.  If you can't do 30 min, do 15, just get out there and get moving. You don't need a trainer or a gym membership. Walk outside, do fitness tapes in your home. Get with a bunch of the ladies and go to a water aerobics class my friend did that and was very successful with her weightloss and made some great friends in the process. 

There are so many options. My new favorite things are the exercise balls. There are so many things you can do on an exercise ball. Get some weights and you will be all set to go. There are tapes that can show you the different things do do with the ball but, its great.  I have now worked myself up to 5 days a week. Can you believe it? I now want to add another day in, someone check my temperature!!!

Keep checking back for more progress on PA as she continues down her weight loss path. I hope she's provided you with the inspiration you need to get off the couch and to the gym!

5 comments:

  1. That is an incredible story Patti!! We are so proud of you!! Come on Chubby girls let't get to it. Love you guys!

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  2. I am so proud of you PA! I love you so much and this makes me so happy. If you can do it I can do it too! xoxo!

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  3. Awesome job! I loved what you said about planning ahead at restaurants. I did that last weekend at a favorite place. Not only was my entire gigantic meal only 500 calories, it was less expensive than any other meal at the table. You are REAL and honest. What an inspiration!

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  4. Congrats Patti!!! I am so happy for you!!

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  5. Patti, I have always loved and adored you. From the time when we were small girls playing together, you had a light and a happiness that I wished I had. You are so beautiful... and these girls are right... you are inspirational. I miss you. I did get your phone call last year about your birthday, but my life, at that moment, was pure hell, and I didn't have the courage or energy to call you back. I am so sorry. Wish we could talk now... that is when I was trying to find you and found you here... and with this wonderful news about yourself! Am so proud of you. Have always adored you.

    Love,
    The girl born 2 weeks before you and our moms would take us out into the foyer at church when we would cry

    PS Wish I didn't have to get a hold of you in a way that is so public. My mom is on FaceBook. If you want to talk, please contact her and she will tell you where I am. If not, that's ok. Much love and encouragement on your journey!

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