Weight Loss

Hi blog world! I am having the absolute best summer I have ever had!!! Sometimes I spend a lot of time updating the great new things my kids have done or show pictures of my beautiful family. But today, I wanted to be truly real for one of the first times.
I really felt led to discuss my weight loss adventure on my blog to either help someone else or to gain accountability for my commitment to myself. I know so many woman struggle with their self esteem/weight due to warped body images and massive societal pressures. So hopefully me sharing some of what I have gone through will help at least one person.

This is me my senior year of high school. I danced for 6 years and literally worked out 5-6 days a week for 2 hours straight each day. This is almost impossible once you get out of high school and into college. I started taking 16 hours at DBU and working 20-30 hours a week at the bookstore. Working out was not on my radar at all. So I gained about 10 pounds like that-snap! This wasn't too noticeable because I was so toned right out of HS. Then I met the man of my dreams and married him real quick! :) Well, new marriage = complacency about your body and another 10 pounds got on. I realized that I wasn't happy with my 20 extra pounds so I joined WW with my mom. I lost 14 of the 20 (she lost 85!!) and felt a lot better about myself and my eating habits.

Senior year of college rolls around and student teaching hits full force- I have absolutely no time for WW or for eating right! You see- for me the number one excuse for my weight was/is time! There was never the time to work out/eat right in my 'grown up' life. I was traveling to Denton for school (TWU by this time) and then GP for student teaching- I had to eat on the go and gosh forbid I actually get into a gym or run around my neighborhood! I was exhausted! So the weight started packing on. 4 years into our marriage and here comes Baby #1. By the time I got pregnant with #1, I was probably 25 pounds over my HS weight.

Well for me being pregnant the first time was all about eating! I ate a lot and I gained 60 pounds pregnant! Yes I said 60 pounds!!! So once Mikah was born, I was all about getting rid of the weight! I only lost about 25 of Mikah's 60 when he was born so I had a long way to go. 60 pounds to get back to my HS weight!!! 7 months go by and I have lost 10 more...surprise baby #2 is on her way!!! I obviously couldn't lose any weight being pregnant with Feliciti but I did manage to only gain a healthy 30 pounds with her. I lost pretty much all of her weight once she was born and about 10 more. Whew!

So at this point I am 45 pounds away from HS weight but I realize that isn't a healthy weight goal for me anymore. Along with my doctor we come up with a healthy weight goal which was about 35-40 pounds away. This goal was attainable- small goals are good for motivation! I started eating better at this time and tried to gain consistency with working out but it was hit or miss. We couldn't afford a gym membership and Justin was at class all the time working on his Master's so I pretty much maintained my weight during this period.
13 months go by and Baby #3 is coming! I only gain a healthy 25 pounds and it falls off with her delivery- praise!
We knew Madilyn was our last blessing so as soon as I got pregnant I started telling everyone that I was getting my body back! If you had been doing the math as we go along this journey, you might have noticed that I had 3 kids in 3 years! From the day my first angel was born, 3 years and 2 months went by when my last angel was born!!! This did crazy things to my body let me tell you! I have stretch marks, droopy skin, you name it- I have it! I want my toned body back- I want my healthy self esteem/image back- I want Traci back!

So I started running! Cue the Forest Gump voice! I ran ten 5K's in the year 2010 and loved every single one of them! I run for toning, I run for endurance, I run for me! I love listening to my music and just getting some me-time! Unfortunately the finances haven't allowed for me to run more than 2 5K's this year and a 10K. I also got my Master's during this time so I was again using my time excuse for the food. The running has helped some of my toning but my eating habits were still not in line- food is too good! Ugh!



PRESENT TIME- I graduated in May with my Masters so there is no more time excuse. I am still a Wife, a Mom, and a Teacher. And this summer was going to be the start of something amazing! I am currently 29-34 pounds away from my goal set by the Dr. I am working out 3-4 times a week at a new friend's house where she literally kicks our butts bootcamp-style! I am burning on average 1000 calories each bootcamp workout and I am loving it! I am eating right, participating in The Challenge which is a program created by said new dear friend with some healthy guidelines to live by. The family is having a blast enjoying our summer time together...life is good. I feel great! I am working so hard and I am truly, fully, wholly, completely committed to get my healthy body back!! My healthy weight is within my reach...I will reach my goal! I hope this blog entry, albeit long, helps anyone out there who is struggling with weight. I am not perfect and I do struggle with food temptations. But I am DONE WITH THE TIME EXCUSE!! I am making time for myself!

A verse we quote constantly at bootcamp and I am currently memorizing is:
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up. I am not giving up!!!!