The REAL Reason for My Weightloss
I have always said that my son inspired me to lose weight. He was one when I started feeling unable to keep up with the active little man. I feared he would learn my unhealthy eating habits, have a mommy he was ashamed of, and I would spend his youth too tired to play with him. So, I got my butt in the gym as hard as it was and exercised. I started eating better and learning more about eating to fuel my body versus my emotions and poor habits.
It took nearly two years but the battle was worth it. This July I will celebrate THREE YEARS at my goal weight. I look like I never have before, feel better than I ever thought I could, and setting that example I always dreamed I could. But with Logan's recent diagnosis of Autism I have realized the reasons for this journey weren't anything like I thought...
I believe my weightloss journey wasn't to "get smoking hot" as we all like to joke, it wasn't to start a fitness community, and it wasn't even to lead other women to the same point in their life. It was all to prepare me emotionally, physically, and healthfully for this moment in time. We are putting Logan on a strict organic, fresh foods, gluten and caesin free diet. Let me tell you, a few days in has PROVEN to me that without my journey I wouldn't have had the resolve to do this.
My Weightloss and Logan...They Go Hand in Hand
Let me share with you the crazy similarities:
1. Menu Planning. This is so key to my lifestyle and now his lifestyle. To make sure the little man gets what he needs it takes some thought. It's no longer open up the ABC's or make a grilled cheese. I have to make him a good, balanced meal every morning, lunch, and dinner. Convenience foods are GONE ya'll. So, thank goodness for the templates I have and the tips and ideas I have incorporated into my clients and my own lives because I sure would hate to start this from scratch!
2. Mini-meals. Logan needs to eat every three hours just like Mommy! Woot woot! I have a snack partner. Well, I was already doing this but now I am making all his snacks more balanced. I used to get away with a snack bar here and there or some yogurt. He can't have those so it's a little more prep but worth having a kid who can one day spontaneously tell me I love you.
3. Cooler Central! OK...this is the best thing because I've been toting a cooler forever. I've always carried snacks for Logan and now I just have to carry a meal too if we are forced to be out during a scheduled meal. No big deal. At least I won't be the only one eating chicken salads.
4. Food Prep Sunday. This is the toughie. I am not a quality foods eater. I can eat boiled cold chicken three meals a day. Logan...well you can imagine a five year old doesn't exactly love boiled chicken with cold green beans. So, I'm diving in head first and learning how to cook from my MIL and we're going to make homemade purees so that I can sneak those veggies into fruit smoothies and soups, buy in bulk - cook and freeze, and buy fresh veggies, bag and freeze. It's a little more work but worth it. Heck, maybe I'll get some tastier dinners out of it myself.
There really is a lot that my journey has prepared me well for. Yes, I'm having days that seem impossible and then there are times I write a blog like this and realize things, the good and the bad, happen for reasons we just aren't meant to understand. I know I will one day and just need to be patient for it to reveal itself.
To my readers...I thank you for following my journey. I sometimes wonder why I keep writing this blog and then I see that it's not always for you. It's often for me. It lets me vent and think things through and if someone learns something then even better. If you only learn one thing from Phit-N-Phat I hope you learn this: your weightloss journey has to mean more to you than a size or an event. It's about leading a lifestyle that is healthy and filled with learning HOW to live healthy...getting hot is just our happy side effect. If I hadn't learned the lesson of health before vanity I'm not sure how I would cope right now.
Now, tell someone you love them and let's keep on burning up fat until we get PHAT!