Taking the "good" food for granted.

It's funny how the foods that we eat everyday influence the way we feel and operate. I have always known that the healthier we eat, the better we will feel. Until recently,each day my diet consisted of Pepsi, greasy foods, fast food, and sugar, a lot of sugar. Last week I began getting a severe pain in my right side. I went to the doctor and was referred to a surgeon. The surgeon thought that it could be my gallbladder, but I am still going through tests to figure out what it is. He told me to change my diet and cut out caffeine, greasy food, and carbs. It is a very hard thing to do, since I depended on caffeine on a daily basis. My meals use to consist of a lot of fatty, unhealthy items that left me feeling gross, but now my meals have to consist of water, apples, and vegetables. It is a major change, but I am slowly getting use to it. The lesson I have learned from this all is to take care of your body and your health should stay good. I don't know the results of all my medical tests yet, but it has helped me realize that I am what I eat. I will keep you posted. Until next time...-Elizabeth

Working those ABS! by: Amanda

Hi everyone. I'm sure many of you out there have tried endlessly to get your abs into shape to no avail. But fear not...it's not that you're not trying hard enough, it's just that you're neglecting to remember the FERST rule!

In order to get great looking abs, simple crunches aren't enough: You have to take into account other parts of your body as well. As an aerobics instructor, we're taught to teach different parts of the FERST rule during ab training exercises. The following depicts each step of the rule, which should be done to properly train your abs. So, if you've been struggling, consider the following!

Examples

Flexion Exercises:
1. The simple ab crunch
2.The double leg raise (raising both legs up straight while keeping your back on the floor).

Extention Exercises (involves the lower back):
1. "Superman" (lying on your stomach while raising the arms and legs in an alternating style)
2. "Good Mornings" (bending down as far as you can with your back straight)

Rotation:
1. The Russian Twist (using a partner and passing a medicine ball at your sides while your backs are touching)
2. Shoulder-to-knee side crunches
3. The dreaded "BICYCLE"! (keeping your abs in and back on the ground while pumping out your legs in an alternating motion)

Stabalization:
1. Sitting against the wall with your back pressed firmly against the wall and your knees in a squatting position. You'll need to hold the position for awhile

Transfer of Force
1. While kneeling, throw a medicine ball into the air, catch, and repeat.

Try following these exercices, one by one, for each of your workouts. If you don't have a medicine ball, you can use weights or something heavy that will require you to work a bit harder.

Good luck!!!

~Amanda

Working on the Inside

Hello everyone...
I hope everyone survived their Thanksgiving holiday. I had a wonderful food and family filled day, and I managed not to put on any weight from the stuffing and pie! All in moderation, I guess.
And I hope my fellow livinghealthy5 ladies are surviving the last few weeks of a very hectic semester. We can do it, girls! [let's be honest: do we have a choice??]
My 4th and probably final post is a look at the tougher side of weight loss-the emotional effects. Losing the weight is difficult, but it's only half the battle. Working on loving yourself takes time too, and in most cases can be even harder.
Before my weight loss, I had been the heavy girl my entire life. I was never teased or tormented (fortunately), but I was consumed by the fact that I didn't look as pretty as the girls on t.v., or my friends even. I wanted desperately to fit in to the cool clothes everyone was wearing at the time (you know, the Abercrombie's and Hollister's of the world that say they carry an x-large but would never fit over my hips or boobs). I wanted to be the same size as my friends, so I was always comparing myself to them. I also have a mom who is incredibly fit and thin and has been her whole life. While she never put me down because of my weight, she was always giving me tips and advice on how to get healthy. She knew I was unhappy and that losing weight meant happiness. Her suggestions made me think she was more unhappy about my weight than I was. (I know now that everything she ever tried to do for me was out of love. After all, my mom is the BEST.)
So I've lost the weight. I now fit into the same sizes as my smaller friends. I'm happy to say that, according to standards, I no longer fit into the obese and over-weight categories for my height. I'm incredibly proud of my accomplishments, however...
Most days, I still feel like the fattest girl in the room. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my weight or losing more weight before my wedding. Instead of comparing myself to the skinny girls and wishing I could be more like them, I'm comparing myself to the skinny girls and wishing I could be skinnier than them. After a life-long battle with self-esteem and body issues, I'm finding it difficult to let that go with the weight.
Weight loss is a simple idea--it's all about calories in vs. calories out. It takes strong will and determination, but it is possible for everyone by following simple rules. The emotional and psychological work is the difficult skill--a technique I have yet to master. I'm sure that once I hit my weight-loss goal (another 15 and final pounds) it will be easier. I need to find satisfaction in my progress and realize that the only person that can make me happy is me.
Thanks for listening all!!
*sara

Hectic schedule? A few health tips...

Since school has started getting a little more hectic and final projects and one hundred page papers are due sooner than we know...working out has fallen to the bottom of my to-do list. I usually try and work out at least three times a week for a good hour or two each time. Lately , I have neglected working out all together and have had to improvise by eating healthier and drinking a lot more water.
I now have to spend more time to think about what I can eat that won't add on the pounds while I am not working out as much. I have started to get a lot more foods that are high in fiber when I go to the grocery store. High fiber cereals, breakfast bars and even high fiber lemonade packets to add to my water keep my metabolism up to speed. Another personal favorite is the Steamers bags of veggies...if you like vegetables they are so convenient!
Longer hours on campus during these last few weeks of school can also mean you have limited options for a snack or a decent meal. If I know that I am going to be on campus for a long time I try to pack a small portion of either cereal or another healthy snack along with a couple waters or crystal light energy drink(10 cals total and ZERO grams of sugar and it's delicious!). Most importantly, I leave the debit card AT HOME! When I bring it with I am tempted to buy cappuccinos, bagels..which are secretly terrible for you, snacks from the convenience store, etc. Healthy snacking throughout the day is great for your metabolism and lowers your appetite.
During these last few weeks of school, be prepared and make healthy decisions. Although you may not be able to squeeze in an hour of cardio, you will feel better knowing you picked the apple over the bag of chips from the vending machine today! Plan ahead, don't let school completely take over your ability to live healthy :-)

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Jenna

Response for Sara

When I work out I like to do a mixture of cardio and weights.

I Always begin with at least 20-30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical. I found that trying to maintain 45-60 minutes of cardio each time I would work out, and adding weights on top of it, made me look forward to working out less, so I shortened the cardio time but increased the intensity. You want to make sure you work up a sweat and get your blood pumping.

After a cool down I move on to weights. For arms I focus on three main muscle groups: Biceps, triceps and deltoids. I use free weights or machines depending on the kind of mood I am in I guess. Usually I work all three groups in one session. Since muscles need recovery time, I spend the next day toning my legs.

Sara, since you are interested in toning your arms, you may want to just work on a specific muscle group or two each day and just alternate between workouts. As far as what exercises to do….good lord there are so many. When I first started toning my arms I did your basic bicep curls, lateral raises for deltoids and triceps extensions. I do four sets of basically however many reps possible.

Since I started, I have added on different exercises to my routine to target the different muscles in each group as well as back muscles (I feel like they are neglected). But those three exercises were a good starting point for me and it didn’t take long for me to notice changes.

I know you said you have your diet set, but I usually drink a protein shake right after a workout.

Hope it helps,
Margot

wedding weight

Hey all!!
Because of school conflicts, Brian and I set our wedding date pretty far in advance (Sept. 9, 2011). And because we have so much time, we haven't planned anything besides booking our hall. This summer I plan on picking my dress, which is why I'm writing this post.
My plan is to (hopefully!) lose another 15 pounds by then. I know from experience that the last leg of weight loss is always the most difficult, so I need to get a head start. My goal is to go down 1 dress size before I go dress shopping. Now I know what foods to eat that will help the process, but I need help in the exercise department.
I loathe working out! My whole life I've been waiting for a switch to flip that will make me one of those crazy women that enjoy running and going to the gym, but it's never happened. I know that I could lose the 15 pounds faster if I incorporated exercise. What I really want are some tips or specific work outs that I could benefit most from. And who doesn't want toned arms for the big day?? I WANT TONED ARMS!!! =]
To my other livinghealthy5 ladies who love to work out---any advice?
Thanks, all!!!

*sara

My weight struggle

Hello! My name is Liz and I am the last member of the Healthy Living group. You may wonder why my post is so late compared to the others, their is a reason for this. The reason is that it is difficult for me to discuss my weight and the struggles that I have with it. I have been overweight my entire life. Growing up I never really realized what weight was and how the food choices I made would eventually impact the way I look. I remember as a child my dad would tell me to go to bed and set a good example for my younger sister, but once she was asleep he would allow me to sneak downstairs and watch television with him and eat chips and dip, while enjoying his company. It wasn't until I was in 5th grade that my body began "changing". I was getting taller and heavier, but I just felt it was a normal change. I felt this way until fellow classmates started poking fun of me for my weight and the way I looked. I didn't let this bother me too much.
I was entering middle school, and the kids that once teased me about being a "giant" had "changed" as well. In middle school I was happy with who i was. I was active in three sports and felt good about myself. In 8th grade I was 5'10" and 180 pounds, not too heavy, but not too skinny either. As I finished middle school, I had to transition to high school. I still stayed active throughout my four years of high school, but there were more changes to my daily routine. Those changes were that I had my license and I had a job. The reason i mention this is because when I had a craving, something like McDonalds, Taco Bell, Hardees, etc... I would drive to satisfy my craving. Even though I usually ate what I wanted, I stayed pretty "solid" at 5'10" and 180 pounds at a size 16...or so I thought I was staying "solid".
There were many experiences throughout my high school years that destroyed the image I had of myself. One in particular that really sticks with me and still is painful to think about dealt with basketball. As I was coming off the basketball court, a group of boys from Berlin, the visiting team, started "moo-ing" at me and calling me a cow. This was just the "tip of the iceberg" the taunting and teasing continued up until I graduated. Then I had a fresh start.
I was now in college, where no one knew me nor knew my past. I commuted everyday and because of this I really didn't have a chance to make many friends. I felt lonely, so I turned to food. Everytime I would have a break between classes I would drive to a fast food establishment and buy food. I had gained a lot of weight. It wasn't until the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college where I started working out and running about 5 miles three times a week. Along with running, I also made better food options and I felt great about it. I had lost thirty-five pounds in three months. It was a positive life transformation, but then winter came and I gained all the weight back. Not only did I gain the weight back, but I also gained additional weight as well.
To date I have gained over 100 pounds since high school and I really want to do something about this. I hope that with the help of my family and friends that I can loose the weight and feel great.
Until next time!
Love--Liz

How I lost 73 pounds

Hello again!
In this post I wanted to share some hints/tips I learned during my time spent with L.A. Weight Loss. Even though I'm no longer in the weight-loss phase (although I still want to lose 15 pounds!), these are tips I'm confident I will utilize for the rest of my life. They really keep me on track!

*Eat 6 small meals per day.
--Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, mid-evening snack. L.A. recommends you eat 2 protein bars/day (one for mid-morning snack, one for mid-afternoon snack). These bars should have 7-10 grams of protein and no more than 210 calories. Some brands I recommend are South Beach and Special K. They recommend protein bars as a snack because protein makes you feel full. Sometimes I get sick of the bars so I eat an apple with a tsp. of reduced-fat peanut butter (it tastes the same as regular pb, I SWEAR!) because of the protein. Also, fiber bars do the same trick as protein bars--both leave you feeling full, and taste GREAT!

*Drink 64 oz. of water/day.
--This was hard for me to do at first because I wasn't a water drinker. But I learned to love it, and now I can't live without it. Keeping hydrated with H2O prevents me from over eating because I never have an empty stomach. My counselor advised me not to go too far over 64 oz. because I would then just be flushing out essential vitamins I'm receiving from all the fruits and veggies I'm eating. If you're not a water drinker, those single-serving Crystal Light flavor packets do the trick. Most have just 5 calories per serving.

*Don't follow the food pyramid (*during weight loss)
--When I was in the weight loss phase, I was allowed to eat:
2 servings of fruit
2 servings of vegetables
1.5 servings of starches (carbs)
1.5 servings of dairy
2 servings of protein
1 fat (olive oil, margarine)
2 protein bars
64 oz. of water
L.A. provides you with a book that lists all the food groups and what is considered a serving for each. For example, a serving of lean protein, such as chicken, fish, or turkey is 4 oz. A serving of dairy, such as milk, is 8 oz. A serving of vegetables, such as spinach, is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Following these menu guidelines is essential to losing weight.

*All vegetables are not created equal.
--L.A. really opened my eyes when it comes to myths and realities of healthy eating. For instance, I always thought that all vegetables were fair game, which is not always true. Carrots and corn are pretty much a starch, so much so that eating them counted towards my starch intake, not vegetables. How vegetables are cooked is important as well. L.A. always pushed all-green RAW veggies as the best as far as vitamins and nutrients. Heating drastically destroys the nutrients of the vegetables, but if you steam them (I couldn't go a day without my steamer!) all of the vitamins stay in tact. Oh, and speaking of vitamins---my counselor told me how important it is to use "Light" salad dressing instead of "Fat-Free" salad dressing. In order for your body to absorb all of the vitamins from the salad it has to have fat lipids to absorb it. If you're eating fat-free dressing, the vitamins have no way of absorbing into your body. You may be getting away with a slightly leaner meal, but you're missing out of the nutrients.

*Fill up before you fill up.
--When I go out to eat I usually try to start my meal with a salad or broth-based soup before my main course. My counselor taught me that if I fill up on either one of those choices, I'm likely to reduce my caloric intake during the meal.

*Water isn't just for drinking.
--Yeah, you heard me right. L.A. taught me to choose foods with higher water content to help me feel full. For example, I choose grapes over raisins, cucumbers over pickles.

*Watch your portions!
--My problem was and always will be portion control. I never finished eating when I was satisfied, I finished eating when I was full. It should always be the opposite! During the weight-loss phase and now I'll eat a Lean Cuisine (or something comparable) paired with a vegetable and a serving of dairy to make it a full meal. My counselor always told me to observe the serving sizes of the frozen dinners--that's what the servings are supposed to look like! When I would go to restaurants or make dinner at home, I would (apparently) intake 5+ servings of food! And take your time when you eat. A little trick I use is to eat with my less-dominant hand (in my case, my left) because it's a little more complicated. My right hand allows me to shovel in my food!

*Sodium, sodium, sodium.
--I read EVERY nutrition label on all food items I buy now. L.A. taught me to check sodium levels first and foremost because no matter how healthy you think you're eating, if the sodium levels are high the number on the scale will not get smaller. For instance, a can of light Progressive soup may only have 100 calories per serving, but a can of light Progressive soup with 50% less sodium is a much better choice. L.A.'s menu book also has a section of foods in every category that should be eaten infrequently throughout your week because they tend to have higher levels of sodium (pork, tomato juice, jarred or dried fruits, ketchup, etc.) Also I use low-sodium salt now, which tastes like regular salt. I also enhance the flavor of my foods with salt-free blends, like Mrs. Dash.

*Kick the alcohol.
--This one was very easy for me, but I know some people may need help with it. I just simply remembered: If I were to have a 12 oz light beer, it would take away 1 of my 2 starches I'm allowed during that day. Would I rather eat a light english muffin or drink a beer? Easy decision.

*Shop smart.
--I always try to eat a meal or snack before I grocery shop to avoid impulse buying and the free samples. I also try to plan my menus/meal plan before I go so I don't purchase items I don't need (this is rather difficult with my schedule, however.) I stay on the outside aisles of the stores, because this is where the fresh produce, meats and dairy are usually located. The inner aisles contain the snacks and processed foods. When purchasing light bread, I make sure I choose any bread with 40-50 calories/slice (Sara Lee makes a great 45-calorie per slice bread, and it comes in 3 different varieties.) I also try to shop 2x a week to avoid running out of fresh produce.

*Weigh yourself. And often.
--There are critics of this technique that say doing so will drive you crazy and make you fanatic of the number. I view it as a tool that keeps me in line. I weigh myself probably 3 times a day, the first being right when I wake up. This shows me how I'm going to eat throughout the day. If I'm a half-pound heavier from the day before, I know that I need to focus a little harder on my food that day. If I'm a half-pound down from the day before, I know I can sneak a piece of chocolate or a handful of chips.

*Take a day (or two) off.
--During the weight-loss phase I was in weight-loss mode 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Now that I'm in the maintenance mode I (try my hardest!) to eat on the plan Mon-Fri and then I relax a little bit on the weekends. If I didn't, I'm sure I would go CRAZY!

I hope all of these tips help you like they've continued to help me. There are weeks where I have a challenge every day, but L.A. has educated me enough that I feel I can overcome any weight issue. It will be a life-long process; the hard work doesn't end after the weight loss phase (in fact, for me it really began then!). Good luck to you all.

*sara
p.s. A few web sites I visit daily:
www.hungrygirl.com
www.healthyeatsweekly.com

My Dieting Tips for Busy Days

Halloween has come and gone, and that means the busiest time of the year (especially for us students) is upon us.

This is the time of year where all of our end of the semester final projects and papers start to receive our attention. With a little over a month of school left, these become priorities to take care of before our super busy week of finals. Now, most of us don’t buckle down over thanksgiving break to do schoolwork because we are busy traveling and seeing family…so it tends to cut into the free time (haha…right) that we generally have during the school week.

For me, an overload of papers/projects/exams = less time to work out. It is a tradeoff I hate. But what this means is that the way that I am eating becomes so much more important.

In a few days I have to go and get surgery on my middle ear. After the procedure I am not allowed to do any vigorous workout/heavy lifting for two weeks (I can’t even blow my nose…). When those two weeks are up the final two weeks of school are upon me and that means I will be wayyyy too busy to pick up with a steady exercise routine.

If you did the math, this means I will be relatively inactive for AN ENTIRE MONTH. The thought of it makes me cringe. But with my simple diet rules I follow, I should be fine. Here’s what I do:

When selecting food to eat I look at five main nutrition facts (I love nutrition facts!). If the food is low in fat, sodium and sugar (which generally means low calorie too) and high in protein and fiber, I am sold. As long as I don’t over eat from stress or boredom, I am sure I won’t gain any pesky weight.

Here are my favorite things to eat:

For Fiber: Raisin bran, oatmeal, whole wheat bread of pasta, beans, corn…ok any veggie I suppose

For Protein: Boiled skinless chicken, egg whites, fat free cottage cheese!!, protein shakes (love them), fish, yogurt, milk

Other: apples, bananas, no alcohol and A LOT OF WATER!

Unfortunately I can’t live without coffee.

PS- Does anyone know of an effective workout that isn’t considered vigorous and won’t affect the pressure in your ears?

Cheers!
Margot

The SCARY Truth! By: Amanda

Do you know what I find is the scariest thing of all on Halloween??? The WEIGHT GAIN! And Halloween is only the beginning...

Since our "Holiday Season" generally starts about the time Halloween begins, (I was in the car last night and heard Christmas music already....give me a break....) many of us find that our holiday weight gain begins here, too. Think of all the candy that's eaten on Halloween alone. It's so easy, when it's all sitting in front of us, to just keep grabbing out of the candy basket.

Did you know that the average person gains anywhere from 8-10 pounds over the holidays?? That would take me about 8-10 MONTHS to lose all that Crisco, butter, and chocolate from around my thighs! Anyway, the point that I'm getting at here is that, unless you're extremely lucky, the holidays can be a huge setback in any kind of weight management. So, since I've already caught the holiday spirit (yeah right ;) ),consider the following information my upcoming holiday gift to you:

Food for Thought:

A Typical Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey (6 oz) = 350 calories
Stuffing (1 cup) = 340 calories
Gravy 3/4 cup) = 375 calories
Roll w/butter = 150 calories
Potatoes (1 cup) = 270 calories
Sweet Potatoes (3/4) = (are we sweating yet??) 370 calories
Pumpkin Pie (1 slice) = 400 calories
Beverage (wine, regular soda) = 250 calories

For a grand total of 2505 calories. This is just for one meal, assuming you don't have seconds!

So, the key is to concentrate on portion control, as well as using little "cheats" here and there. Here are some things I've found helpful!

-Use Parkay butter spray on your food. It's a 0 calorie alternative to butter that I've fallen in love with over the years

-Use little bits of gravy. Trust me...2 ladle fulls isn't necessary.

-Remember that Light whipped cream for pies and deserts is our friend!

-Light Pillsbury rolls are quite delicious, and I can't tell a difference between these and the regular ones.

-Try to stick to white meat. Dark meat contains about 50 more calories per serving.

-And finally...watch the alcohol consumption! You wouldn't believe it, but just a few glasses of wine can potentially add up to 400 calories, and beer can be even worse.

I'm sure by now these horrible facts have put you in such great holiday spirits that you can't wait for Thanksgiving to roll around! But it's not all that bad. See if you can get through the holidays by only gaining a pound or two, or defy the odds by not gaining any weight at all! And, if you can do this, reward yourself with a nice piece of fruitcake...only 300 calories per slice!

By: Amanda

I have realized throughout the past few years that everyone has their own story about staying healthy and managing their weight. After reading through the first three blogs of the girls who are apart of this Healthy Living blog, I can't believe how drastically different all of our stories are and there are only FIVE of us! I will continue on with my story....

Throughout my entire life up until freshman year of college, I did not have to worry about exercise or eating healthy. I didn't know it at the time but the high school dance team that I had been involved with for those four years was my unknown secret to keeping a healthy weight. Dance is something I have always LOVED to do and that took up the majority of my time outside of school back then. Practice took place for two hours each night all year long. Dancing is one of the best forms of cardio you can do so I maintained a weight between 115-120 lbs...and at that time in my life thought I was still bigger than the other girls in high school.

I was STUPID to ever consider myself bigger...I realize that today. When my freshman year of college rolled around I took up a couple of new hobbies which consisted of drinking, eating whatever I wanted (still), and never working out. Since I never stepped foot on a treadmill in high school why should I have considered trying to maintain a healthy weight in college if I was "naturally" thin? I found out I wasn't "naturally" thin when by the end of that first year I had gained 15 pounds. It's odd because I never noticed that I had gained weight until I went back home to my small town where EVERYONE knows you and will notice anything different about you. A lot of guys( never really girls) would say I sure had "filled out" since high school. Ouch.

I had never been told these hurtful things before so sophomore year of college I decided to work out...a lot. I worked out for almost two hours a day at least four times a week. I would do an hour of cardio followed by an hour of aerobics. I lost 10 pounds. It worked as long as I continued but of course when I stopped it came back. Junior year I joined the dance team here at UWO and managed to take the pounds off again by doing something I loved.

This year I have managed to find time at least three days out of the week to either go to a cycling class (they are great! Tell you more about that later) or running on the treadmills and light weight lifting. I have put a few pounds on over the summer so I would like to get back to a healthy weight by the end of the semester.

My tip to everyone is to find something you love to do and that you wouldn't normally consider to be a straining workout. Dance! Try aerobics at the wellness center. Run with a friend outside. Anything helps if you find at least three days of your week to dedicate to a half hour of cardio. Today, I can't eat what I want and not work out. It's all about portioning your food and EXERCISE.
Nothing comes easy!! Unfortunately we have to put the pizza slice down every now and then and hit the gym in order to maintain a healthy body weight...who would have thought?
That's all for now. I hope my story gives another point of view to how you can live healthy and also some hobbies to avoid while in college!

Have a great day everyone!

~Jenna~

My Journey

Hello Everyone~
First off let me start off by saying how excited I am for this collective blog! I'm already learning a lot from my co-writers, so thank you girls. Because all of our stories are somewhat different, I'll start off with a little background as to how I got where I am today.

I've always struggled with my weight and had body image issues. Ever since I can remember I'd been heavier than most of my friends. Eventually I came to terms with the fact that I was "big-boned" and would always be. Throughout middle school, high school and most of college I was silently becoming the fat girl that no one noticed.

In the middle of my sophomore year I met Brian, the man who would come to be my fiance. We clicked instantly, and I was ecstatic that I met someone who was willing to see past my outer shell and focus on my inner beauty. Early on in our relationship, the "courting" phase, Brian was constantly taking me out to dinner dates which added extra pounds. We then moved into the "comfort" stage where I didn't have to worry so much about my looks because I knew he already loved me. [Later I would realize I needed to get healthy for many more reasons than vanity.]
In the first year and a half of our relationship I gained another 15 pounds, which brought me to 220. Even though the numbers were staggering, I still didn't feel the need to change.

Then Brian's sister Cat asked me to be the maid of honor in her wedding. When dress shopping, I was mortified that I needed to try on a size 20 dress. SIZE 20?!?? How could I possibly feel beautiful in a size 20 dress?? I wanted to make Cat proud standing next to her on her big day, I wanted to make Brian proud that I was his girlfriend, but mostly I wanted to feel beautiful. Little did I know that I never truly felt that before in my life...

Along with Brian's sister-in-law Kelly (who was Cat's matron of honor and also felt chubby next to the other skinny bridesmaids)and my friend Jess (who joined a bit later; she was always unhappy with her weight)I joined L.A. Weight Loss in March 2007 weighing 223 pounds. In January 2008 I met my goal weight of 150 pounds. In 10 short months I managed to lose 73 pounds and keep it off since finishing. [I ended up wearing a size 10 bridesmaid's dress to Cat's wedding!]

It's strange because most days, I still feel like the fattest girl in the room. I think changing my outer appearance was the easy part---the hardest part is getting my inner appearance to catch up. I'm sure it will with time.

In my next post I hope to talk about where I am with my weight today and what I want to accomplish in the near future.

Until then...
*sara

Here are some before/after pics of me and my friend Jess (who has lost a ton of weight thanks to L.A.). Hopefully you can see the difference!

Hi again everyone,

To begin my contribution to our healthy living journal, I too would like to share my story with you all.

When I was a little girl, I could eat whatever I wanted and didn't have to worry about gaining a pound...up until I was about 12 years old. Then, when I reached the 7th grade, my metabolism slowed down and I began to put on weight. I was a Tomboy growing up, so I didn't think twice about my image. I remember making home videos with the neighbor kids and noticing that I was pretty chubby; much more than I thought I was. I think way in the back of my mind I didn't like what I was seeing, but just blew it off.

Then, one day, someone at school told me that another girl was making fun of me for my weight. I couldn't believe it, because this girl was at least twice my size. This was the turning point for me.

I began running on my dad's old treadmill in our basement, as well as running outside, the summer going into my Sophomore year of high school. This was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. With each step, my body begged me to stop, but I pushed myself to go on. Although it may sound stupid, in my mind I had an image of a very cute neighbor boy, and the thought of being his girlfriend was my motivation. When beginning an exercise regimen, I highly recommend finding something that motivates you the most and keeping it in the back of your mind, as this will propel you forward.

Today, I'm still striving to be healthy. I teach aerobics four times a week to students and staff on campus while continuing to exercise on the side as much as possible, but it's not easy. Keeping the weight off will always be a battle for me. I'll never be one of the naturally skinny girls, but that's okay.

And although nothing ever happened between my neighbor guy and me, in a weird way I guess I really owe him one. I'm glad he rejected me after all, because he sure has changed-and not for the better-since high school!

Take it easy everyone, and until next time, best wishes for a healthy future!

Amanda

HOW I DID IT
-Running 1-2 miles/day, starting off slowly and pushing it a little more each day
-Doing about 10 minutes of weights and crunches after running
-Cutting out all chocolate. It was difficult at first, but soon I wasn't interested in it at all!

BEFORE


AFTER

Welcome all! I suppose I’ll start our posts off here with a little background on “my story” as it pertains to issues with diet and exercise.

(And to the upper-right you will see a lovely picture of me...just to give you a face with the story. As you'll find out, this is me a few months ago before I started with the weights again.....clearly)

Though my fascination with eating healthy and staying fit began when I was a sophomore in high school, I will pick up with how I have dealt with it through college since this lifestyle can seem less permitting of such a way of life.

My first year and a half is rather stereotypical. I met a lot of friends, went to a lot of parties, managed to eat decent considering the food provided by the school, but did manage to put on, say, the freshman 7. To be honest, hour-long aerobics classes 1-3 times a week were not enough to keep up with the heavy amount of recreational drinking I was doing.

Then….I met a boy. He wasn’t too keen on drinking and I was very keen on him, so I stopped. Entirely stopped. I spent the summer at home with my parent’s treadmill at my disposal. I ran on that 4-5 times a week for between 30-60 minutes. No alcohol, more running, and an excellent diet was a decent concoction to trigger some weight loss. And so it began…

My third year started up. School, rather than parties, was my only focus and I became obsessed. Long story short, I lived at the school library and kept so busy with studying that I managed to never find time to eat an actual meal. I spent my day living off of like 600 calories that I consumed by random snacks here and there. Over time my body mass vanished. Here I was at 5’6” weighing 103 lb without ever having to obsess over what I was eating and never working out. At first I was stoked about the whole thing because it seemed so effortless and I was thinner than I was in high school.

NEWSFLASH: If you were never overweight to begin with, that is not a good thing to be able to say.

After months of family, friends and acquaintances directly or indirectly making joking comments (though there was clear concern behind them) to me about how they never noticed how skinny I was, that I was a waif, or a concentration camp survivor, and that they needed to begin a Feed Margot Foundation, I started to realize that perhaps I could never find jeans that were long enough because people my height weren’t supposed to be a size 0 or less.

Honestly I didn’t mind being that thin, but I did want to shut people up and rid the idea that I had an eating disorder. I started using weights and eating a lot of protein to help put on healthy weight. After a while my arms, legs and torso were toned. I loved watching these muscles grow that were never there before and I began getting compliments from friends about how good I looked. I also made time for meals and soon I looked like a human being again, not a stick figure.

Since then I had stopped consistently working out for one reason or another, but managed to keep eating. I did gain a little more weight than I like to have on me so for the past few months I have been dong cardio and weights for 60 min a day, 3-5 days a week. I’ve always had a relatively good diet so that only needs to be tweaked a little bit here and there. It is hard to keep a consistent schedule with work and school. It gets too exhausting at times. But I have lost some pounds and my weight routine is toning up my muscles just where I like them to be….and maybe beyond since I have been oddly hardcore about it lately. This is my last semester of school so I am looking forward to having a less turbulent schedule that will allow for a consistent workout routine.

I am a long-winded gal so I promise my next entry won’t be nearly as long. I guess this is just a basic overview of my personal weight/health struggles over the years. Don’t fear. I have a lot of specifics and advice that will come later.

Take care,
Margot

Welcome to Healthy Living, a blog site dedicated to various aspects of living a healthy lifestyle.

 

There are many websites and/or blogs that give advice on how to live healthy lives. However, they often focus on a single aspect of how to live healthy, and not the whole picture. Here at Healthy Living, we are committed to sharing information about many different ways to maintain one’s health and improve one’s current way of living not only by exercising and eating right, but by sharing success stories and habits to improve readers’ lifestyles.

 

As five busy college girls with different routines and body types, we know the obstacles that come with trying to live healthy. That’s why we are here to help you with guidance, support, and tips along the way as you strive for a healthier you.

 

Good Luck and Good Health!

 

Amanda

Co-Creator of Healthy Living