Then vs. Now

Old habits die hard, but new habits once drilled into your routine can be here forever.

Tonight, while I was making my lunch I realized how many things in my life have changed in the last year and a half. Before I get into that let me give you a little history. I finished by B.Sc. in 2002, I had no job and job applications were only answered with rejections. One day I read the paper and saw an article about a law student who went to teach in Japan. From that moment on I knew that was what I wanted to do next. I applied to the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) in 2003. I was accepted and had a few months to kill before I went to Japan. In this time I went to the gym daily (sometimes twice a day) and cut out soft drinks, only drinking iced tea. I dropped 20 pounds in 5 months. I was 203 when I left for Japan, the lowest that I can remember ever seeing on a scale. I admit that when I first got there I went to the gym and continued to work out. I walked everywhere and my car was now a bike. But life got busy and hey I was in Japan! After 2 years I cam back home and I was up to about 252! I went to Teacher's College got my B.Ed and started teaching; March 2008 I was 272. This had to stop, so I began to investigate what I had to do to lose the weight. I joined a weight lose clinic and started on my way.

Fast forward to today, 230 pounds with ALOT of new habits that have made me fitter and healthier than I have ever been. I look at portion sizes, I now know that I cannot fill my plate with pasta or rice (for this reason I do not have it at all). I try to have veggies with every meal. I eat 5 small meals a day (try to). Don't eat until your stuffed. When I go to the restaurant I do not HAVE TO finish my food, I can ask for dressing on the side. I can say no to baked goods that others offer me. I am strong. I do not just eat for the sake of eating, I actually think about what I put in my mouth. I used to pack my lunch in the morning and throw whatever in it, I ate frozen dinner all the time or food from the caf. Now I pack my lunch and there is not a Lean Cuisine in site. I buy a roasted chicken and use that for a few days. I make my lunch the night before making sure that it is balance with at least 2-3 veggies. I steam zucchini, asparagus, I drizzle olive oil, I press garlic, all so that I can have a healthy lunch. Others call it a diet, i call it "healthy living". No more salad dressing, I squeeze lemon on my salad instead. No cookies (ok maybe once in a while), fruit is what satisfies my sweet tooth, yet I do not eat 5 fruits a day because they have alot of sugar. I drink alot more water and almost no soft drinks, I have cut down on the alcohol to the point in which people have asked if I am Muslim or pregnant (Haha!). I go to the gym almost everyday, so that on the days when I can't go I do not feel so guilty. I pack my gym bag the night before and place it in the car so I can go to the gym go to the gym after work. My motto is, "A half ass workout is better than none at all" so even if I am at the gym for 10 minutes and do 5 sit ups, that is 5 sit ups that I would not have done at home. I write down what I eat (most of the time). My friends have noticed improvements but I still have a long way to go.

Starting this blog was the next step, if I am accountable to someone (I know that two people read this blog; thanks M and ETL for your support and comments, I REALLY appreciate it!) and I wish them the best on their journey. With all these efforts, I hope can get these last pounds off forever.

The artist Wolfgang Kals once said, "Learn from your failures, they can make you successful." This is so true, my mom always says Rome wasn't built in a day, but it was burnt in a day. Less than 2 years ago I was 272. Last August I was 221 and I know that, I can reach my goal, 170 hear I come. I am so driven and motivated and I really have my eyes on the prize.

P.S. Can you tell I love cheesy quotes :)