We actually happened to join a gym about two weeks before the engagement in an effort to "get in shape." My fiance is very into the gym. I went maybe twice.
And then everything changed. I was engaged. And I had to think about wedding dresses and photos and the regret I would have the rest of my life over arm flab I could have done something about.
Side note: Has anyone ever stopped to think that 90% of women are not going to look great in a giant white dress? I mean, it's white. People are going to notice any imperfection - from fat to acne. Anyway...
My diet started about three days after the engagement. Everyone kept saying, "You have a year, don't worry about it." But I knew if I kept saying that, it'd never happen. Plus, this was going to be my catalyst, my driving force to finally get in shape.
At first, I was on a complete crash diet. I immediately cut candy, cookies, sweets, soda, alcohol, fruit juice and many more things from my daily meals. I ate salads for lunch, sometimes without dressing.
I was also using the iPhone app Lose It! to record every calorie and every trip to the gym. My daily count was around 1,100 calories. It definitely worked. I lost about five pounds. But I was absolutely miserable. To make a horrible joke, I was going to "lose it!" I was mumbling and glaring at cupcakes and food trucks and candy and pretty much everything. I practically growled on the treadmill.
When we went home for our engagement party, my crash diet kind of, well, crashed. They had cake at the party. And Chick-fil-a nuggets. I ate them. It was our party, dammit. And since then, I've been trying to make healthy choices, but I haven't been nearly as strict. I'll have a cookie or chips if they're around. And I've added wheat crackers and other actual sustainable food to my daily snacks. Hummus and pita chips, too. Fruit pops, etc.
I've also been better at the gym. I used to not know what to do. The classes were hard to get to and not really suited to my beginner speed. I thought I was going to die at least twice during an hour and half step class. The machines were also confusing and I felt like I was making a fool of myself on them.
Then my friend recommended this book:
It's horribly embarrassing to carry into a gym full of hulking men, but I do it. I "run" on the treadmill (still growling) then take my book and set up my little station with hand weights, a step area and exercise balls. Then I go to it.
I don't know if I've lost any more weight. I'm honestly afraid to weigh myself because I don't want to have gained weight. I don't want to have to return to my crash diet. But I feel pretty decent. It's very frustrating because I still see arm fat and belly fat and I just worry that it's not working, that nothing is ever going to work. I know it takes time, but patience has never been my virtue.
My biggest issue right now is alcohol. There's not a lot to do in New York and when friends come to town or want to go out, there are always drinks involved. I need to learn to say no, even when I'd like a drink, because most of the time, it leads to a series of drinks followed binge snacking. Sigh.
I'm off to eat my salad now. Double sigh.
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