Giving FACE, lol...I attempted to contour my nose for the first time...not too shabby, it looks like I actually have a bridge, lol
I can't wait to share my official pictures with you guys! I was looking at my stats and I must say I am completely blown away that I've gotten the wee bit of traffic that I have because no one knows about this for the most part. Let's me know that I need to keep on...and with that being said...
So, during this weight loss journey one of the most important things has been keeping myself encouraged. That mean's keeping things around me that promote motivation and subtle reminders of why I'm doing this and where I want to be. One of my biggest encouragements are People magazines Half My Size issues. It started out being a new year issue but now they do them a few times a year. I have almost every one in my possession and periodically I will sit in bed, compile them all and read through them. These people are SOOOOOO inspirational. When they say they've lost weight, some of these people have lost the amount of weight equivalent to an adult. In this month's issue a woman lost 395 pounds...with no surgery! That is an obese adult! She did it following the Atkins diet and slowly working in exercise until she had a consistent regimen. I've said this before...we live in a world that seeks instant gratification. Which leads me to my next soapbox, lol.
The Biggest Loser. I have such a love/hate relationship with this show. A few years ago I SERIOUSLY considered applying. I actually printed the 8239 page application and as I began filling it out I snapped back into reality and realized it was not a good idea for me. This show is AWESOME in encouraging people to get off their butts and actually doing something about being unhappy about their weight...and I love them for that. However, not only is it numbers driven it's not giving the contestants the opportunity to lose weight in a realistic environment. Let me explain. On the ranch they do nothing but exercise all day. They're pushing their bodies and living in the gym for a weigh in that determines if they'll stay to do it all again the next day. That devastating day comes when they are eliminated and they must return home and the results they had on the ranch aren't congruent to the results they have at home. At home you can't just exercise for 8 hours a day. At home you don't have a readily available refrigerator well-stocked with healthy food. At home you don't have a trainer road mapping your day. I understand the point of being on the ranch is to give you the tools to take home and continue this journey on your own but is that really realistic? There is so much pressure to lose these astronomical amounts of weight in a short amount of time and when you get home and start losing a HEALTHY amount of weight within a HEALTHY time frame that has to mess with your psyche somehow.
Then there is Jillian Michaels. Before I state my opinion, let me first say I really respect her and the dedication she has to helping other's get in shape and get healthy. With that being said, I understand her approach is tough and in your face negating excuses...but that doesn't mean its not severe. I can remember when I first started working out, I DRAGGED around the gym because this was completely new to me and I had to break my body in. If my trainer had been anything like her, I would have certainly cussed him out and still be 120 pds away from a transplant.
If you feel that desperate times call for desperate measures then yes, I understand the need to do something as drastic as The Biggest Loser but I will always advocate that making small changes and sticking with them will lead to making BIG changes and thus changing your LIFE! This isn't about losing 200 pounds in 6 months. You want to devise a plan so you can remain free from that 200 pounds for the rest of your life. I don't plan on EVER being this big again in my life...kidney or no kidney. Progress not perfection is the only thing I hold myself accountable to everyday and it's worked...now I challenge you to try it!!! Tomorrow, park your car a little further and see if that small battle makes you feel like a winner...say no to that soda and have water instead and see how empowered you feel. Remember, Progress not Perfection!
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