vanilla chex and beer.

I stepped on the scale on Monday morning, and had the rude awakening of seeing that I’ve gained 20 pounds over the past year. I know that the majority of my weight gain has happened since the beginning of 2020. As this has been an incredibly stressful year, I’ve been eating for comfort, and although I’ve been walking every week, I’ve struggled to find the motivation to do this every day.

It was my serious bout of pneumonia at the beginning of 2019 that was my wake up call. It was how I found out that I had high blood pressure and that I was prediabetic. Although I wasn’t at my all-time heaviest weight of 252 pounds, I was still in bad shape. This was the motivation I needed last year, and I was in a very positive frame of mind as I focused on both my physical and emotional health. Between COVID this year, and the most recent turn of events since the death of George Floyd, it has been very challenging to feel motivated every day. There have been some days where I haven’t wanted to get out of bed.

I’ve always had a sweet tooth….it’s been my Achilles’ heel my whole life. I’ve always loved ice cream, Krispy Kreme donuts, and IHOP. I always dread Girl Scout cookie season, as Thin Mints and s’Mores have always been my kryptonite. Even when I’m focused on eating healthy, carbs have never been my friend. I’m trying to cut out all unhealthy food, and focus on fruits, vegetables (kale!!), grains and lean protein. As Jenn has been walking diligently for the past three months with awesome results, she has given me the motivation to get my ass out of bed every morning to walk a few miles before my day starts.

My goal is to be down to 200 pounds by my birthday in August….it’s not about how I’ll look, as it’s about how I’ll feel. I feel the difference in my energy compared to last year, and I know my vitals will improve…to be able to work towards a goal and achieve it is something that gives my spirit a boost!

Cutting out junk food is going to be a struggle, so I’m allowing myself two rewards to enjoy in moderation: the occasional bowl of Vanilla Chex cereal, and the occasional beer/hard cider. To make it more of a challenge, I’m only enjoying these if I hit certain goals during the week. Why am I sharing this? Because it adds an extra layer of accountability, and because my friends have been very supportive of me during my journeys with my weight loss.

Vanilla Chex and beer….not ideal together, but very motivational!