Thursday, June 28, 2012

You're not the only one Paula Deen, I've lost 30 pounds too!

Photo Courtesy of 3Before30.com
I really don't understand why Paula Deen is big news with her recent weight loss.  Ok, I get it on one level, but maybe that fact that I just don't get star-struck is what leaves me baffled.  There are many people all over the earth who lose 30 pounds in six months and it doesn't make big news.  Paula Deen has access to all the fancy personal trainers, nutritionists and home chef's a person could need.  I'd be concerned if she couldn't lose that weight with all the help at her disposal!

You see, I've lost 30 pounds in the last six months too.  Really!  Was it that hard?  No, not really.  I didn't work with a trainer or a nutritionist or a personal chef.  But what I can tell you is it took dedication and lots of it.  With that dedication came the need to be honest with myself.  I had to really look at what in my everyday life had caused me to put on extra weight.  I couldn't put my head in the sand, just work out occasionally and say "Oh I'm trying to lose weight, see?" 


I calorie counted.  I made a strict goal of the calories I would allow myself each day that would still be healthy (I'm not one that could ever be an anorexic - I love food way too much!).  It quickly became apparent that my daily diet had to be protein heavy (with a little guidance from a brilliant friend who recently went through gastric bypass), because the carbs tasted great, but I would find myself getting hungry much faster than if my meals were protein heavy.  The carbs just ripped through my calorie allotment for the day anyway!  So I cut WAY down on carbs (and made a mental promise to myself to factor in my non-fat milk mocha as my reward for working my tail off - even if that meant getting extra cardio in each day!).


So, off I went - Calorie counting working out like a fiend at the gym.  Cardio, weight training, you name it -  I was filling up about an hour and a half a day 5 days a week at the gym.  I loved that time, just me and my iPod.  It was tiring and definitely hard work, but I saw the pounds peeling away, so it was easy to keep it up. 


I learned a lot about myself on this journey, the most important being how goal oriented I am.  Tell me where the light is at the end of the tunnel and I'll get there.  Move the light at the end of the tunnel when we were almost there and I might just bite your head off.  Give me a vague answer as to where that light is and I won't get there, I'll give up.  I'm so glad I've learned these things about myself because they factor in to all aspects of my life.  It explains why I am able to power through things.  I know the goal, dig my heels in and just get there.


Now it's Summer vacation and the kids are home everyday, so I can't spend the time at the gym I had been doing.  I'm totally ok with that because I was going at a pretty tough pace and the mental break is good.  I'm working hard at maintaining the weight loss, building more muscle (love muscle building Yoga videos!) and watching what I eat for now.  Okay, I might be reveling a bit in what I've already accomplished and psych'ing myself up for round two in the fall because I want to lose another 20-30 before I'm happy.


Now at this point you're probably wondering if the picture at the top of this post are me.  No, sigh, not yet.  It's Jen from 3Before30.com.  I adore her and look to her for lots of fitness advice.  She's a fantastic resource for how to get fit (I'm working on convincing her to write a guest post with recommendations for at home workouts for busy moms that can't get to the gym).  She's a mom to three very young kids and juggles a full time job in addition to being fabulously in shape.

What is your weight struggle or success story?  I'd love to hear about it!  Help me convince Jen we need her home exercise routine help!

9 comments:

Sally_K June 28, 2012 at 7:35 PM  

Thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of calorie counting right now too. The logic is simple and it works.It's the habits of eating when I'm bored or over eating sweets that are my issue. Journaling what I eat and counting calories helps me make better choices. Congrats on losing 30 lbs already!

sharon greenthal June 29, 2012 at 7:12 AM  

THis is a very inspiring story! I've needed to lose about 30 pounds since my second child was born...and he's twenty! I know it's about the dedication, and I just need to man up and do it...congrats to you!

Nicole June 29, 2012 at 7:21 AM  

That is a huge achievement, congrats! Was 30 lbs. your ultimate weight loss goal or are you still on the course to lose more?

Kelly June 29, 2012 at 9:31 AM  

congrats katie! that is awesome! 30 pounds is HUGE! I love that you're sharing the story of your journey. You're such an inspiration!

Unknown June 29, 2012 at 10:08 AM  

I found the 30 you lost and wrapped it right around my mid section to keep me nice and toasty!!!

30lbs is awesome Katie! Great Post!

Catalina June 29, 2012 at 1:49 PM  

When you chunk it like that it doesn't seem as daunting. My struggle is 80 pounds that I would like to melt away. I need to visit this post often to remind myself that it can be done. Congrats!

Unknown June 30, 2012 at 7:01 AM  

Great job girl! 30 lbs. is a pretty major accomplishment. Good luck in your future weight loss.

tania luviano June 30, 2012 at 8:07 AM  

For a non celebrity to loose weight it's a huge achievement, celebes get all the help, we do it alone! congrats!!!

Desiree Eaglin June 30, 2012 at 8:31 AM  

Good for you!! I will use you as inspiration, I gotta lot of weight to lose myself!

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