Measure That Body! You'll Thank Me Later.

Happy Saturday!

I want to encourage all of you, NOW .. while you're reading this, to take measurements of your body. The first time I took measurements of myself was in May of 2013 and I WISH I would have done it sooner. I had already lost 30 lbs. I can only imagine what the difference in my numbers from the very beginning, because I don't have anything to compare it to.

First - You don't have to tell anyone your measurements, if you are self conscious! Keep it written down tucked away.

Second - You'll say you "don't know how" ... listen, even if you use this guide and think you're doing it wrong: at least you'll be doing it wrong consistently and see "difference" numbers correctly!
[ does that make sense? ]

{Source}

 
Third - Do it for yourself! You'll be so glad you did when you are down the line, meeting your goals and you have this notebook tucked away for yourself with all your previous measurements. You'll be so proud once you get there ... and you'll say: "Thanks, Tara!!! " haha 

My 2013 I was busting my butt at the gym ... 5-6 days a week (almost all cardio) all summer and not eating right so I was doing a really "good job" maintaining the scale. All the while I was lying to myself and saying that I was still so "stuck". While I am more obsessed with the scale than I care to admit {not proud} I feel like I wasted most of my 2013. I was "getting no where" and only ended up getting serious September - December 2013 again and losing my last 15 lbs.

BUT: I looked back at my measurements, my first ones from May 2013 and I've lost some inches! It's up to you how often you measure. Maybe you do it once a week with weigh ins, maybe you do it once a month, maybe you do it after every 10 lbs you lose.

You'll see that it is goes slowly, but after some time you see huge differences

I don't have anything fancy - just one of these

And so ... 

From May 21, 2013 to my January 20, 2014 measurements I have a difference of:

-1.5" in my left upper arm

-1.0" inches in my right upper arm

-3.5" inches in my chese

-4" inches in my waist

-3.5" inches in my hips

-1.75" inches in my left thigh (yea, I get lazy at the end and only do one thigh ..sue me)

Remember, that's only 15-17 lbs lost ... but a huge difference in my waist, hips and chest!! 

Something to think about, no? 

"You Should Write A Blog"

Sooo many people have been telling me this lately .. it's kind of funny! I don't know that I have enough content for a blog! But hey ... I'll try!!

So ... here I am with my blog!


So today I thought I would write about "starting" .. "getting started" .. "starting over" ... whatever the case may be.

I think the first part you need to do is "get ready" .. no I don't mean grocery shop and make sure your work out gear has been through the laundry {although .. do those!}. I mean get your HEAD ready. You have to decide that losing weight and/or working on your health is for yourself and that you are ready to make a change. You have to make that commitment of change to yourself. When I had my "start" in January 2012 I was 190lbs and unhappy with the way I felt in my own skin. I remember in August 2010 .. more than a year before I made my changes, we were leaving to go on a family vacation and I truly had no summer clothes to pack that would fit me. I cried and cried and my mom came home (because she rocks ... Hey Mom!! ) with XXL summer clothes for me ...

Here are a few pictures from that trip August 2010:

Ummm.

Then Jeff and I went on our first trip to Disney World in November 2010 .. had an amazing time .. and when I came back, my pictures looked like this:

"What the heck" is all I could think. I was wearing men's Tigers shirts (GO TIGERS) and the only pair of (elastic waist) shorts I owned ...Cute? I think not.Seriously, look at how sad my body language is in the middle picture (and I was at the Happiest Place On Earth!! Hello!!) and how uncomfortable I look in the last picture.

Let me tell you, that both of those instances weren't even getting me to my breaking point yet. One day I was trying on some of my clothes and my XXL stuff wasn't comfortable anymore .. and I thought to myself "Tara .. it's one thing to wear XL clothes and have them fit .. but when XXL clothes don't fit and you feel this way about yourself, you have a problem." It took me still more than a year before my head was "ready" to do something about my situation. Don't take offense to my writing this .. I'm simply telling MY story. Explaining how I FELT when I was there.

Soon there after that moment we talked to my cousin Katie about Weight Watchers. She had been doing it successfully and we wanted her help! She came over and explained how it worked and things she did. I was crazy lucky because when I had my "ah-ha moment" Jeff and my parents all had one too. Now I know that all the people in your life magically deciding they want to get on the bandwagon would be nice, but I'm sure it doesn't happen often.

 I just found this journaling card from my Project Life ... dated January 23, 2012

I did whatever amount of time I could, as fast (which was slow .. think quick walk) as I could on the treadmill and counted WW points. That is how I got from 190lbs to 160lbs. I cheated. I had ups and downs. But the main thing was, counting those points and busting my butt on the treadmill was working ... working enough to make me keep on keepin' on. So I did!

By the end of March of 2012 I had lost 21.4 lbs ...

Another point I want to make is to make sure that you don't bite off more than you can chew ..  start your changes slowly. Add more water into your day, cut out the pop, add in vegetables as sides with each meal, eat smaller portions, walk a bit if you're starting with no exercise. Ease your way into it or your "change" won't stick. It will be too much too fast of a change and you'll want to quit. There is NO shame in starting off slow. If you go from eating Mickey-D's for three meals a day and dessert after dinner to a "chicken only .. no dessert" kind of change ... you'll make yourself nuts and get in a car accident when you drive by Mickey-D's! See where I'm going with this?

You don't have to start off full blown sprinting running (shoot, I still don't really run) I would walk on the treadmill on the highest speed I could and then slow it down .. up, down up down ... WALKING is better than SITTING ON THE COUCH. Don't discredit yourself and think YOUR CHANGE isn't "THE BEST CHANGE" ... You'll get there.

In my classes at the gym they always say "this is your work out .. work at your ability" and that is completely true for starting your fitness journey too. Everyone who is trying to make a change is on a different path. Make sure you are challenging yourself and taking care of yourself with your plan to do better .. do what you can ... because as long as you change ONE thing per day, you're doing alright!