Spring Biggest Loser Challenge RESULTS

I mentioned back on March 23rd that I had joined a 30 day Facebook challenge to lose weight and possibly win some money in the process. Yesterday was the final weigh in for that challenge. In the meantime, I started another 30 day Facebook challenge. That one started on April 11th (weigh in was April 10th) so they will be overlapping slightly. This second one is much smaller so the chances of winning the money is higher, but obviously it's not as much money. And, it's not about the money for me. Sure, it would have been nice to win, but I already won because it has gotten me back on track! 

Talking about my weight is not something that is easy for me. This blog has definitely helped me get over that. I mean, the number doesn't really matter and everyone can see what I look like so it's not like it's a shock that I'm obese. Even though I hate admitting what the scale says I'm going to put it all out there! 

Before pics on top (hair in ponytail)

Starting Stats 3/20/16:

Weight = 240.6

Measurements

Waist = 43

Chest = 42

Hips = 51.5

Legs = 26

Arms = 15

Ending Stats 4/20/16

Weight = 233.4

Measurements

Waist = 39.5

Chest = 41

Hips = 48.5

Legs = 25

Arms = 14

Weight lost = 7.2lbs. 

Inches lost = 9.5 inches. 

Now, having said all that I will say that my 12 year old daughter helped me with my initial measurements so I'm not sure if they are accurate. BUT, when I compare my measurements to the last time I did them (which was 2014 scarily enough); my weight was about the same as my starting weight and my current measurements are still down 8 inches total so I'd say these are probably pretty accurate. 

I cannot yet get myself to take before pictures in just a sports bra and shorts so instead I wear a skin tight shirt. I figure you can see plenty without having to see my bare belly. I am hard on myself so I don't see a ton of differences in the pics. But, I think where I see the biggest difference is the picture of my back. 

Am I happy with 7.2 pounds gone in 30 days?? You bet I am! Was my initial reaction as positive as I am feeling now? Nope. My gut reaction was disappointment. I wanted more (don't we all). But then I really thought about it and decided it was awesome. I struggled through the first half of the 30 days. I probably fell off the wagon every weekend of the entire challenge. Yet I still managed to drop more than 1 pound per week on average (actually more than 1.5lbs per week). I did NOT give up. 

I am working really hard on finding MY balance. Figuring out what works for ME to lose the weight. There are so many different "programs" or schools of thought out there that will work. Pretty much every weight loss plan works if you're willing to work it. I know this because I've tried several different ones and they've all worked as long as I am doing the work. The problem is finding the one that I can continue to work forever. I not only need to be willing to "work it" for 6, 12, 18 months, etc. I need to be able to work it for the next 50+ years (hopefully). I need to find something that is realistic for ME to change so that WHEN I do lose this weight I can easily maintain it. 

Through this process of trying to lose weight now for the last 9+ years I have learned things about myself. My weight loss journey started well before 9 years ago, but 9 years ago was the first time I hit 200+ pounds when I was NOT pregnant. There were a few times I got back under 200 (I got into the 190's in 2007 and again in 2011); but for the most part I have been well over 200 pounds for the last 9 years. Looking at my weight records I've varied between about 230 and 250 pounds since my flare in 2013. It is time for that to end. It is actually time for me to say goodbye to each new "decade" and actually NOT ever see it again. I am so close to saying goodbye to the 230's and I can't wait to do that. And WHEN I get out of the 220's it'll be a weight I haven't seen since 2012. 

I really am feeling hopeful and positive. I believe I am finding my balance to make this really work this time. I can't stress enough how important it is to NEVER give up.

STRONG vs. skinny

I was inspired for this post today while watching Dr. Oz. He did a story about strong being the new skinny. He had Gabrielle Reece on to talk about a new show on NBC that is called Strong. Apparently the creators of Biggest Loser, America Ninja Warrior, and something else I can't think of right now, came together to create this show where 10 "every day women" come to "change their lives".

Strong being the new "skinny" is a GREAT concept. In fact I LOVE this idea. I have never wanted to be skinny; nor did I ever think I would get to skinny in my journey of weight loss. However, this show really ticked me off today. So they had one woman from the new show come on to Dr. Oz to talk about her experience. They showed clips from an episode of Strong and she talked about how broken she was when she went on the show. So they showed a before picture of her and felt the need to mention her size (a 12 by the way). They then brought her on to stage so you could see how she looked now and out walked this super SKINNY person. She may very well be much stronger than she was before. But, the show then had to tell the audience that she is now a size 2 and made this transformation in 3 months. When she talked about how she did this and what she did she obviously talked about her diet and exercise.

I know you can all guess what she did. She drastically changed her diet to eat ONLY clean/natural foods and ate 5-6 small meals a day. She then was working out before work AND after work. And even now she is "only" working out 90 minutes EVERY DAY! Does anybody else think that this sounds slightly unrealistic for the "every day" person? If you want to get overweight/obese/morbidly obese people to change their lifestyle to get healthier, I believe this isn't the way to do it. If you are someone who is eating fast food multiple times a week or maybe even multiple times a day; how does it make you feel when someone tells you you just have to completely change the way you eat overnight? Overwhelmed? How about when you're told that you need to workout for HOURS every day? Overwhelmed even more now?

I believe that this is why so many people stay overweight. I also believe that this is why so many people fail at "diets". People who think they have to make such drastic moves will either not even start in the first place because it is so overwhelming or they'll do it for a finite period of time only to gain the weight back because they cannot possibly keep up the lifestyle they have chosen to lose the weight. 

Trust me people, I am on a journey to figure out what is going to actually work for me to finally lose this weight and keep it off. To have being HEALTHY as the top priority and worrying less about what the number on the scale says, but instead focusing on how I feel and how happy I am with how I look. Are there some people who can make the lifestyle change to eating only clean and working out 2 hours every day of the week? Absolutely! But, are there probably more people who will find this lifestyle awfully difficult to maintain? Probably. 

So what frustrates me is, even when people are trying to be more positive and tell women to focus on being strong and not skinny, they show us these people who are skinny! She may be a strong skinny and way healthier than someone who is skinny without lifting weights, etc; but SHE IS STILL SKINNY! And, coming from a person who is not skinny, that is what the overweight/obese person sees. It would be much more helpful to me if you show me someone who is more average size and is still considered fit and healthy. You don't have to have 15% or even 20% body fat to be considered healthy and strong. As a woman you are considered fit if your body fat percentage is 21%-24% and you are considered HEALTHY/acceptable if your body fat percentage is 25% to 32%. 

The fact of the matter is, this woman was probably in a healthy body fat percentage range when she first joined the show. Now, I'm not saying that if you're 32% body fat you shouldn't want to make a change - that's a personal decision and awesome if you want to strive for that fit or athletic body fat percentage. But what I AM saying is that if you're trying to reach the people out there (like me) who need hope or motivation to get themselves into a place where they are healthier, perhaps don't focus on someone who started at a size 12 and is now a size 2. 

Perhaps a more helpful story would be one where someone who started out at 240+lbs now weighs 175 lbs; and even though the BMI considers her to still be overweight her body fat percentage is 30% and she is as healthy as she's ever been. Furthermore, she didn't make these changes overnight or even during the course of 3-6 months. She took time, worked hard, fell off the wagon and got back up; worked at it for a year plus and made it to her goal. 

I know there are stories like that out there. I just feel like they are harder to find and today's post was because yet another one of those "other stories" came up. Sorry for the rant. I am done now. 

And for those who didn't already know, that story above IS going to be mine! :) My story is still happening. I work hard, fall off the wagon, get back on and NEVER GIVE UP! I will be writing my story of how I started at 240+lbs and am now at X weight with a healthy body fat percentage. If that X weight puts me still in the overweight category of the BMI I am not going to care! I am working on my mind this time more than anything. To anyone else out there struggling.....we've got this! Just don't ever give up. Shake it off, take a break and come back stronger! And focus on being strong and not skinny!