The back story and where I am today

Transparency, honestly, real talk, all the buzzwords….

03/10/2014   420.0 Highest Weight

09/19/2016   201.9 Lowest Weight

09/01/2018   237.1 Current Weight

On March 10, 2014, I had bariatric surgery.  Specifically, I had the majority of my stomach removed in a procedure called Sleeve Gastrectomy.  This was formal start to my current lifestyle.  Previously, I tried losing weight but couldn't stick to anything. 

My original goal from surgery was to get below 200.  And, I was pretty close in 2016.  At 201.9, I was so close, I could taste onederland!  So, what happened?

Let me first start off with a disclaimer.  Your weight is only the numerical value of the relationship between you and the Earth.  It's a single moment in time.  And your number cannot (I repeat, it cannot) be compared to anyone else.  I follow a blogger that weighs exactly what I weigh right now.  But, she wears size 12-14 clothes.  I wear 18-20.  So, please do not compare your number to anyone else.  What I think is important about the number is that it tells the story of how I'm doing along my health journal.  It gives a good snapshot of where I'm at. 

So, since September 2016, I've gained almost 40 pounds.  Wow, putting that in writing is giving me anxiety!  I've been trying to hide the gain, but that doesn't do me any good.  Can I pinpoint a moment that I changed? No.  Do I know what changed?  Yes.  I slowly stopped looking at the choices I made and started to justify my eating habits.  One bad meal, turned into bad days, which turned into 40 pounds of bad decisions.  And, I know exactly what I'm doing.  I know what I should eat.  But, I'm not doing it.  I only recently started tracking all my food.  And if you can find it, I even have an Instagram account to track what foods goes in my mouth.  (I just started it and need to get better at posting every bite).

So, why am I telling you these incredibly personal details?  Number 1 - I'm not perfect.  And, right now, I'm struggling.  I need a fresh start.  Number 2 - Launching my new website is the perfect time to level set where I am at and be completely honest and transparent with everyone…including myself.  Number 3 - I want you to know it's okay to have setbacks, failures and detours.  As disappointing as they are, it is an unfortunately part of being human.  It happens to every single person.  I'm just being very public about my issues.

What are you struggling with and how can you have a fresh start?  Feel free to email me or comment below.  We can do this together!

The Journey

Sitting here, sipping on my coffee and reflecting on the last four years of running.  Thank you Facebook for reminding me that I started running four years ago today.  I still remember that fateful day on the treadmill at the University Club.  The good thing about the Club is that after 6pm....there is rarely anyone there!  While walking on the treadmill that life-changing thought popped into my head.  “I wonder if I can run”.  Would I have that some thought if I was at any other gym with loads of people on the cardio equipment? Probably not.  At that time, I was extremely shy and overly introverted.  (I still am...I just control it better) The University Club was the perfect place for me.  I could go and workout without seeing another soul. (We’ll discuss my fear of being bit by a shark in their pool and found the next morning another time...)  That is the nice part about 24/7 gyms that cater to the business crowd.    It allowed me to start my journey without the normal gym anxiety that most newbies feel. 

Fast forward to today...four years later.  I am a member at a very busy gym.  I workout with a trainer and take group exercise classes. This former silent girl who didn’t know anyone’s name, now knows quite a few of the trainers on a first-name basis.   

You may be asking yourself “what’s your point Sarah? I don’t have access to a gym without anyone there.”  #truth. My point in telling this story is not to get you to sign up for a gym that has definite “dead” hours.  My point is that you never know what circumstances are going to align that will cause a change in your life.  For me, being at the University Club on that day allowed me to wonder about my own capabilities....which has lead me to where I am a now.  Be open to the possibilities.  One small decision can make a massive impact.  You never know where they can lead!

Agreements

I have a hard time holding myself accountable.   I can have that greasy burger because I burned a lot of calories in that run. Or, I can shorten my workout and just make up for it tomorrow.  I don’t need those veggies, because I need more protein.  All of these statements are untrue. Still, I have said them to myself too many times to count. It is extremely frustrating when I know what I should be doing, but can’t make myself do it!  I read somewhere that making an agreement with yourself for your goals will help keep you on track. I’m very literal when it comes to advice...So, I made a contract, because whet is more formal than a contract. It details my daily goals for both activities and nutrition. It  allows my accountability partner to hold me accountable with formal consequences. 

What makes a good contract for your goals? 

•  The tasks are specific.  Instead of saying you are going to workout, say you are going to attend spin class every Thursday.
• There are consequences that you don’t like.  I hate the Hurricane class at the gym.  I truly hate it. I will do whatever it takes to avoid having to go to that class. 
• Your accountability partner can hold you accountable without buying into your excuses. Do you have a friend that would grab a bag of candy from your hands because it’s not good for you? That’s who should be your accountability buddy. 

Do you have trouble holding yourself accountable?  Give this a try!  In the meantime, I will be at Hurricane this week for missing one of my items....

Until next time! 

Rest Day

I had a twinge this week. Not extremely painful, but enough to stop me from running.    I’m taking the weekend off just to be safe.  I’m going to roll it out and rest it out.  I do not believe this will be a major issue.  Hopefully the weekend off will give it enough time to heal.  Monday morning I will be back at it, if the pain is gone. Fingers crossed!

2018 thus far

Have you missed me?  I took some much needed time off from training and blogging/vlogging.  I travelled to Australia and New Zealand, completed the Activ8 challenge at MVP, completed my final classes for my second bachelor's degree, was an excellence award winner and officially graduated.  A lot of excitement and joy over the past few months.  Now things are starting to calm down and I can focus on my next goal...to complete a 50k in October.  Now that I can focus on this goal, you will see regular posts as I progress through my training plan.  Get ready!

Counting down to our adventure

My sister and I are leaving for an amazing trip in 20 days! We are going to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks.

While we are there, we are going to meet many family members, see where Grandma lived, explore Sydney  and then spend a final few days in New Zealand. The main purpose for the trip is to bring our Grandmother's ashes back to her homeland.   Trying to organize this trip has been a logistical nightmare.  Flights have changed, had to be cancelled and rearranged. We purchased the tickets separately, so they have to be adjusted separately.  Schedules were changed, realigned, and adjusted to meet other's expectations.

It occurred to me that planning a trip like this is very similar to our own health/wellness journeys.  We plan specific workouts or training plans.  We put the information in our planner/calendar.  But, last minute changes cause our plans to change or be cancelled.  I live by my planner and calendar.  If I have a workout planned, I am going to get that workout in.  I don't like to cross off anything in my planner. My "ocd-ness" can't stand how messy it looks.  But, just because our plans change, doesn't mean that the overall goals change.  Just because our flights changed, doesn't mean we would cancel the entire trip.  It's all about being flexible and willing to adapt to change.  I know this trip will be worth every minute of being on hold with Air New Zealand customer service.  :-)  (They were amazing, by the way!)  And, it will be worth every penny that is spent.

Rather than stressing about what I can't control for the trip or how much it costs, I've decided to focus on the moments and the memories.  I'm going to stay in the moment and enjoy the experience.

My ask of each of you is that you do the same thing for your wellness/fitness journey.  When things change and get in the way, focus on the individual moments and the individual memories that you are making.  Stay in the moment and enjoy the experience of becoming a healthier version of you!

A little help from my friends

Truth be told...some days I really don't want to work out.  I have no desire.  The warmth of my bed overrides my drive to be healthy and a better athlete.  Instead of jumping out

of bed and throwing on my workout clothes, I continually hit the snooze button until the perfect moment, which is normally the last minute before I would be late for work.  My gym bag is already packed and I have my workout clothes sitting out....just waiting for me to put them on and get going.

But, some days, even with the best planning, I just don't want to.  Does this happen to you?  Do you find your motivation lacking, even when you have NO REASON to go back to bed? With the negative temperatures, my bed beckons even louder!

This past Saturday was one of those days.

The "feels like" temperature was low enough to make my dog think twice about going outside.

I didn't want to take her for a walk, let alone go for a run.  Luckily, I had something else to make me get out of bed and get moving. I had someone counting on me to be there!  You see, I believe in honoring my commitments.  If I say I'm going to do something, I will do it. If I promise to be at the gym at 5:45AM, I'll be there....even if it means I have to wake up at 4:30AM and take my dog for a walk before I leave.  I never want to be one of those friends that say they'll do something but always cancels at the last minute.  If I backout of something, it is for a very legitimate reason.

So, this past Saturday,  my Road Warrior friend (Tammy) was counting on me to be at the Fifth Third River Bank Run Community Run.  My bed was extra warm and comfy, but I promised her I would be there.  And guess what?  I was there and got my mileage in!

In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, why don't you list the help of a friend or two?  Make plans to meet up for a work out...and SHOW UP!

I love fresh starts

I've made a lot of poor choices over the past few months. I've been eating fast food, drinking pop and not counting calories. As a result, I've gained weight. No real reason, other than I was tired of having to count calories and making good choices. I was just tired of it. Well, that ends today. Getting back in the food tracking wagon and determined to lose the weight I put on (hopefully even lose some more). I know starting at the holidays is probably one of the worst times due to all the pressure from holiday parties, birthdays, cookie exchanges....all the fun stuff. But, I've been slacking for too long and I want to keep my journey moving forward.

Do you like fresh starts? What can you do today to make your life better?