Through the Eyes of spacyT

That was Then, This is Now: 365 Days Later

365 Days ago I couldn’t do 5 “woman” push-ups in a row.

Today I can do 4 sets of “man” push-ups equaling a total of 50.

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365 Days ago I didn’t know how to get on the Elliptical.

Today I can do the Elliptical for a minimum of 65 minutes with barely breaking a sweat.

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365 Days ago I never thought I’d be doing Circuit Training and when I started I had to modify every move and couldn’t even do some.

Today I can do Jillian Michaels “No More Trouble Zones” DVD in it’s entirety, without modifying any of the moves and have moved up from 3 to 7 pound weights.

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365 Days ago I didn’t know I could like the taste of Vegetables and Fruits and barely knew about different grains.

Today I know how amazingly energizing eating the right foods makes you feel.

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365 Days ago I didn’t recognize the person I had become.

Today I feel amazing in my skin.

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365 Days ago I couldn’t even imagine that I could put muscle back on after so many years of being lethargic and not exercising.

Today I have more muscle than I did when I was in my 20s.

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365 Days ago I didn’t know that there were different types of Kale, Parsnip, Spinach etc.

Today I try a new vegetable from the Organic market every week.

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365 Days ago I didn’t have a core.

Today I have abs and back muscles and I am amazed how fewer aches and pains I have and how my posture has improved.

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365 Days ago I never thought I’d be working out 5-6 times a week.

Today I can’t even imagine going 2-3 days in a row without kicking some butt!

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365 Days ago, I decided to change my life and set out a goal to become a healthier person.

Today I am that healthier person.

I’m writing this blog post, not as a ‘pat on my back’ praise myself, “yeah Tracy you did it kind of thing”… I’m writing this in hopes that I can inspire someone to do the same for themselves.  I am a different person from 365 ago. I have more energy, I am more relaxed, I enjoy eating more than ever before, and I feel great about myself. An added bonus is that I dropped several sizes and over 35 pounds. But the clothing size isn’t why I made my change.  I made the change because I wasn’t healthy and I couldn’t keep denying it to myself any longer.  Everyone can tell one another how they got in shape or ‘lost the weight’ but until that person is ready to change for themselves, change won’t happen. I looked through my Facebook photos today looking for a ‘before’ photograph.  Funny thing, the images in my albums (where I’m heavier one year and ‘skinnier’ the next) are like a true testament to how many times I have failed in the past with trying to ‘lose weight.’ The reason for that was because I always ‘did it for an event’ (IE: a wedding, party, etc).  I never did it for myself. Until I did it for myself, 365 days ago, I was a Yo-Yo Dieter and no matter how ‘skinny’ I became, I wasn’t healthy.

Truth be told, tonight, I had to ask someone for my ‘before’ pictures because I never put ‘those’ types of pics on Facebook. I’m embarrassed (mortified really) that I let myself get the way I was but I’m empowered that I decided to make a change. Everyday is a new day.  Every moment is too.  You fall down, you get back up, and you continue forward.

I’ve said it to anyone who has asked me how I lost weight, that I did it by counting calories and exercising. So many people have asked me what pills I’ve been taking and even a few asked me if I had gastric bypass surgery. We live in a society where everyone wants a ‘quick’ fix. Well the quick ‘fix’ is to live an active lifestyle and be conscious of what you are putting in your mouth.  Just because a person is ‘skinny’ doesn’t mean they are healthy.  People are always telling me “Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels.”  I always reply, “Actually, Nothing Tastes as Good as Healthy Feels.”

I wrote a blog post when I hit my first 30 pounds with some tips and the tools that I have used in hopes that others would find my story their catalyst to start their own journey into transforming their life into a healthier one.

For me, I’m excited for the next 365 days.  I am going to continue on the path of eating healthy and learn more about the ‘science/chemistry’ of food and their nutrients this year. I’m also going to start taking Yoga and hopefully Pilates classes. Additionally I’m going to go ‘back’ to what I was doing when I first began my journey where I was a bit more strict in the dietary choices and how many days I exercised. I’m going to reach my next set of goals and look forward to them too.

Now for the thanks:

I’d like to thank a few of my friends who have helped me along this journey. I’m sure they have thought at times that I have been ‘obsessed’.  I’d rather say I have been super focused. 

• Lindsay,  365 days ago you walked me into my gym, and patiently without embarrassing me showed me the initial ropes to how to work out, how to use machines and reintroduced me to a world I never thought I’d fall so in love with again. I also appreciate you understanding me, at work, when I’d excitedly show you my muscles developing. :) 

• Melanie, thank you sooooo much for introducing me to Jillian Michaels DVDs. When you flexed your biceps and told me you only used 2 pound weights to get those rocking arms you changed my world. I never in all my life thought that her DVDs could make my core as strong as I am today. 

• Anina, thanks for understanding that Girls Night Out would have to take a back burner for a little bit or be planned ahead of time so I could plan my workout before we went out. 

• Stephen, thanks for understanding that I would be super focused on making this change and that I wouldn’t always be available to hang out.

• All my coworkers.  Thanks for laughing at me when I randomly would (still do) start doing lunges in the office.  Their laughing inspires me to do more. lol. 

• I also want to thank Rich, with his explanation on ‘seeing’ the island, in the distance, and knowing you will eventually get there even when the wind might take you off course for a bit.  I have used his analogy often through these 365 days when I’ve had an ‘off’ week or even a month. 

• Additionally, I’d like to thank my friend Paul who has a zest for life and is super knowledgeable about eating all things that energize oneself. I appreciate your introductions to the many varieties of vegetables and healthy life choices that I wasn’t necessarily aware of as well as books and online articles. Thanks for also taking the time to walk with me around Josh’s Organic Garden explaining the different types of veggies, fruits, grains, yeasts, etc and being patient with my lack of knowledge. 

If anyone has any questions/comments please feel free to ask.  I have also posted some great recipes  and soups, on Pinterest, that I have found over the last few months. Many I haven’t tried but that is also part of my next 365 day plan.

All the Best and Cheers for Healthy Living.

Hugs,
T