Monday, April 8, 2013

Went shopping.... and holy $*&%!

This weekend after a 5k run around our neighborhood, my husband told me I needed new running shorts. I coyly asked him why and he said, "I'm tired of seeing you have to pull them back up every few steps". I was sold...any reason to shop was okay by me..especially for fitness clothes. I work out 5 days a week, so that's usually my normal attire. I hit up the outlet and picked out a few shorts in GET THIS...size mediums!! Say what??? The girl who used to be a 2XL? Yeah, that was me...giddy in the dressing room. So afterwards, I thought, why not hit up a few more stores. I picked out a pair of linen pants I fell in love with...in my size that I've been the past few months an 11/12. Tried them on...too big. I'm all shocked...I asked my daughter to grab the 9/10's. Insert about 12 insanely wide happy faces right here!!!

As you can see on my instagram post...I was a size 22...beaming in a size 9/10. I am still kind of in shock. Still to this day when I pick out clothes and I hold them out in front of me..I always assume they won't fit...only because for years I've been holding up clothes that could be small comforter sizes. It's still hard somedays to get my brain to adjust to the new me. I've lost 3 inches in my neck. 12 inches in my waist, 12 inches in my hips. 13 inches in my bust. Not to mention...the ring that was given to me by my mother was a size 7 that I had to have resized to a size 9 because my fingers were that huge is now having to be resized to a size 5.5. I think I got whiplash when the lady at the jewelry counter told me I had small fingers. Yeah...this happened. 

Sequoia National Park

A little over a week ago we finally ventured out and decided it was time to go see the giant sequoia's. But before we went, I knew the only way to get my kids excited was to show them youtube videos of our adventure. I remember being a kid and my dad wanting me to be excited about stuff and honestly, it was never really presented in a way I could feel that excitement. It was nice to prepare the kids for what was ahead...especially General Sherman. And we saved that for last. We climbed Moro Rock and wow, what a view... A little scary for the little one, looking over the edge, I realized it was a huge drop...any falling and you're not coming back. I was sure to remind my kids the importance of staying on the trail, and of course my nine year old tested that out first thing. Which gave me anxiety for the next few days....all the stupid "what if's". Besides all that, it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen...in a whole different way. I've seen the beauty of nature when it comes to paradise..but seeing the beauty of the forest...makes you realize just how small we are on this huge planet. I am so grateful to say I have been to the Sequoia's and hopefully we have created some great memories for the kids to one day say, "hey mom, remember that one time we went to..." . I think the most important thing are our memories. I want to give them many. 


Bears? I guess we are in the forest.
 Just to give you an idea on how massive these trees are. 
 Out of order, but this is on the way up. 
 My daughter amazed on the size of the pine cone
 Look how tiny we are. 
Waiting on daddy to bring the van...didn't think the kids would appreciate five more miles of hiking.
 Moro Rock
 Here we go!
 on our way up Moro Rock
 Family shot. Thank you to the kind stranger for offering to take our picture. Framer!
 On top of Moro Rock




 Hanging out on Roosevelt


 These are so out of order. Meet General Sherman. 






100 lbs weight loss

On March 20, 2013, I officially lost 100 lbs. The picture is a bit blurry as my lil 5 year old can't seem to hold still (but really who can at that age).

I'm really late in posting this but I keep so busy between fitness classes like bootcamp, TRX, spin and just runs for fun. It's hard for me not to giggle as I write runs for fun. This girl who couldn't run a tenth of a mile without pain, loss of breath and zero stamina. It feels really good to say that. I have so many people who tell me that I've been their inspiration. It's weird feeling so lost in this world, ashamed and now being so full of confidence and able to say "I inspire people". Wow! And I'm happy to inspire anyone who was like me. Pretending to be happy but really ashamed and scared. I'm finally getting myself back. Playing outside with my kids (yes, people that sounds so cliche but it's true), hiking, being out in public! Life is good!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A year from now you'll wish you started today

I have made it! I did it, I made it a whole year of healthy eating, working out and pure dedication. They say New Year resolutions don't work and not to aim so high but I definitely needed to set my goals. I started the year making small goals for my weight loss and each time I'd reach them, I'd make another and another. It's hard to believe, the yoyo dieter me was able to continue for so long but it's because I stopped "dieting" and started eating right and working out...I stopped feeling like I was being deprived, learned portion control and became aware of how much I was overeating. Here's to all of you who want to make 2013 a healthy beginning!


Blue stripe tank: January 1, 2012
Beige tank: January 1, 2013

Sunday, December 30, 2012

1 year weight loss anniversary

I'm kind of sad to see 2012 go. It was such an amazing year and I'm almost afraid that my ride has risen as high as it can. But looking back, most of my accomplishments this year were because of ME. It wasn't luck or fate...it was pure dedication and motivation. I was in control of my own destiny. And here I am about to stare my one year anniversary in the face. I killed 90 lbs this year! It's been the best year EVER.

I started this year deciding I wanted to change. On January 1, my husband and I challenged another couple to a weight loss challenge. We all decided we would go until April which was the date of our Submarine Ball.

I started out by taking my gym membership more seriously. I worked out 4 days a week religiously. If I couldn't get a workout at the gym, I made sure to pop in a Jillian Michaels video..it didn't matter...where it was...I had to get my heart rate up. The other thing I did was download the app Myfitnesspal. It helped me track calories and I was quickly learning how much I overate when I realized how fast my calories would go with just one meal. I eventually got more dedicated and bought a food scale and a heart rate monitor. I wanted a very accurate account of my calories in and out.

Here are my day 1-70 photos. In this time I had lost about 30 lbs.


By the time April had come around, I was down 39 lbs. I was feeling so good and had the energy I haven't had in years! My confidence was bursting out of me. I would take hikes on my own, which before  I never would do because I was so tired, lazy and insecure. I started enjoying the outdoors with my children and I even started cleaning my house more...I was always a pretty tidy person but these past few years I noticed I was even too tired to do those things. I had issues with my legs and feet hurting from my weight. Around this time my snoring had stopped as well...I guess all that extra weight was causing me to snore so badly, one night my husband recorded me and it was pretty horrific. Anyways, my husband and I won the competition although to me..it really was never a competition with them...it was a competition within myself. It was kind of stupid because sometimes I felt bad for "winning" ... I sometimes wish we never entered a "competition" because our relationship became strained with our friends but over the year i've realized this: When you are successful there are two types of people in this world, the ones who are happy for you and the ones who aren't, the difference in those people are those who care for you and those who do not.  I don't like to focus on the negative and I look back at that experience as a tool we needed at the time...no regrets. After the competition ended, I found myself asking, why would I stop here? I was horribly overweight, so why would I stop when I've worked so hard? I kept going!!

Here we are before the submarine ball. I had went from a size 22 from the year before and now in a 16 by this point


During the summer I had seen so many people posting about color runs, color me rad, ect. I decided what a great way to do my first 5k. I was a horrible runner. When I first started adding the treadmill to my workouts, I could only run a tenth of a mile before I was EXHAUSTED and hurting. I signed up for the Color Run NYC for August. I was so scared and nervous. I began wondering if I would ever be able to run a full 3.1 miles...Even in high school I was a terrible runner. Everyone thought these long legs would make me fast...haha, the exact opposite. I've always been slow, even a slow walker.

Ran my first 5k! I was slow but I did it!!!

August came around and I had by then ran at least 3 or 4 5k's on the treadmill but never outside. Oh well. Ready or not!!! I was excited to pick up my packet and get my hotel room. Another trip to the city was always welcome in my mind. The night before...my running partner backed out...My heart sank...because had I known she wasn't going to be there, I would've made sure my husband would've been there with me. I gathered myself and dusted myself off and said, I still have to do it! I was proud of myself b/c the old me would've backed out. I was so scared to run out in public...but I knew I had to do this. I shed a few tears but moved on. The next day I went to Brooklyn and almost missed the entire thing. The line for the bus was INSANE!!! Finally vans started pulling up and we crammed inside...I swear I think there were about 40 people in a 15 seat van. It didn't matter...I was on my way. I got there, people had already started in their waves. It was a sad feeling sitting there by myself. Everyone around me was with a friend or a group of friends. I ended up tagging along with a group, trying to look like I blended in so I didn't look like such a loser. It was kind of an awful feeling. But once again, I like to focus on the good things...and in this lesson I learned..I found myself stronger than I ever realized. My wave finally begun...and I was on my way. I ran the entire thing, took pictures and was so incredibly proud of myself. I will never forget seeing that finish line, knowing that my life had completely changed. I was strong!

My proudest moment in 2012!! I even walked around Times Square all colored! 


In November we moved from Connecticut to California. I was so stressed about the road trip because I wasn't sure how I was going to keep eating as healthy as I had been. After 2 weeks of traveling and even some cheating, I came to face my scale and hadn't gained a single pound. I think I was keeping track more than I realized and was staying pretty active.


On our road trip, maintaining my weight


Here it is..the end of the year. It's been a great year. I started out at 267lbs and I've lost a total of 90 lbs and am now 177 lbs. I went from a size 22 to a size 12. I love love love how every pound shed has been like a piece of me unpeeling. I feel more like myself than I have in so very long. I wanted to make it to the 100 lbs mark and probably would have if we hadn't went on this insane long trip and then spent a month trying to adjust in our new home. I'm okay with it because I know 2013 will bring me my goal weight. I cannot wait to celebrate my 100th pound lost!


This was the submarine ball from the previous year, here is me trying on my Khaki ball dress. At this point a difference of 85 lbs. 
 The picture on the left was me in 2011 at my daughter's fifth grade graduation. At the time I had no idea how large I was...I was in absolute denial
This is one of my favorite side by sides. 
And this is me just yesterday. I was shopping for my outfit for an upcoming holiday party. I couldn't pick so I bought both to bring home to get my husband's opinion. We both decided on the dress for the party but I'm keeping the second outfit just because I LOVE IT!!! 


Friday, December 28, 2012

From Connecticut to California: Viva Las Vegas

This was our last stop before making it to our home for the next 2+ years. We wanted to spend a few days in Las Vegas. We've never been and I was a bit nervous for what our children may see. Before we even left I did a ton of research for hotels and found the Venetian was what were were most looking for. We wanted somewhere we could sprawl out since being on the road for so long. Las Vegas was pretty amazing and we knew we wouldn't be near home for Thanksgiving so we thought, why not spend it in Las Vegas. We got to the Venetian which was gorgeous, although getting from the parking garage to the check in to our hotel room was quite the workout. Las Vegas was pretty amazing, we walked the strip, saw the fountains at the Bellagio & went to the Hoover Dam. Our hotel stay was not all that great. Our room was wonderful except the very first night we were awoken by a horrible loud sound, the ac unit. I called and they said someone would be up...an hour later someone finally showed up. They said it was fixed, we decided to just stay up and get ready for our day (this was Thanksgiving day). I decided I wanted to go to the best buffet in Vegas...which probably wasn't the best idea on Thanksgiving but my mind kept thinking..who does that? I've always been about family..and on Thanksgiving you spend with family cooking, cleaning, chatting...I didn't realize most of Vegas would be out at the buffets. Ya...we stood in line for the Caesar's buffet for 4 hours. Four hours later...we were so tired, beat, our feet hurt and it hurt so much that none of us really enjoyed our food. I promised my family I would never put them through that kind of torture ever again. So we take that walk back to the hotel...we dreaded the walk after standing in line for four hours....only to come back to our room with a  that sound we were awoken to but 500 times worse. I called the front desk and they said they would move us...I'm thinking maybe they'll upgrade us...no we got the same room one floor up. Whatever...I was beat! I had to gather all of our things by myself (remember my husband's hand just had surgery) and my 3 exhausted children. We finally get settled...and go to bed....when around 3am, I'm hot, the kids are hot...everyone is miserable. Our AC was broken. I couldn't believe it...I call front desk again...maintenance comes up and says the motor has to be replaced...I'm thinking wow...what kind of luck is this? I don't ever complain...but this definitely made me want to. Our last day we went to Madame Tussaud's wax museum & took the kids to M&M world. All and all...even with the crappy luck at the hotel and I look forward to going back to Vegas without the kids someday. I don't think they were scarred too badly from the naughty cards all over the ground...we kept saying, just don't look down. haha. But then the truck that advertised the girls had my lil one saying, "ewwww, gross, butt".

Ryan and I in front of Serendipity
 The beautiful Christmas tree in front of the Venetian
 This was on my to do list. Gondola ride with Ryan.
 Had to take a picture with Bradley Cooper because of Hangover and the fact that I just listened to him on Howard Stern a few days prior.
 Ol' Blue Eyes & Lil C
 B ready to take over as president someday
 Our hotel room
 Watching the fountains at the Bellagio

Hannah & B
 Waiting for our meal at Serendipity

 The lobby of the Venetian
 Hoover Dam
 Hannah & the Hoover Dam