Getting into the groove...

I finally took the initiative this weekend and started a workout program. Although my family had a membership to our local YMCA, we really didn't use it very much except for an occasional swim. A new LA Fitness opened about 3 minutes from my house, and I've been toying for a while with checking it out. I figured it was so close to home, that I'd have no excuse for not working out.

So, I went on Friday and joined the LA Fitness and cancelled our YMCA membership. The greatest perk to the LA Fitness membership is that I can bring two guests with me at any time! My husband came with me on Friday night and we had a great workout together. Then, my friend Karen came with me this morning and we had a wonderful time (it was her birthday too!).

I feel much more comfortable at the new gym than I did at the YMCA -- for some reason, I was so intimidated at the Y. I don't know if it was the people or the facility, but it just didn't work for me. I'm very hopeful that my new gym will be easier for me to get my exercise in. I'm even going to try to take some classes this week!

I'm at the point now where I've been plateaued for about 8 months...stuck at a 100-101 pound weight loss. I'm very happy where I am, but would still love to lose another 10-15 pounds and tone the jiggle that I've got left. It's been a long road to get to this point (hard to believe my WLS was more than 15 months ago!). I've come so far and I'm so close to the finish line -- I just don't want to throw in the towel now. I'm not aiming for perfection (after all, what is perfection?). I'm down to a size 12 pants now, which is something I couldn't have even dreamed of a year ago. I'm not shooting for an unrealistic size 6 or anything like that -- maybe a size 10? That doesn't seem so hard after how far I've come already (from a size 22/24).

So, now it's time for me to make time for ME! I'm going to do my best to get to the gym 4-5 times a week. If I have some company with me, that just makes it even more fun!

I leave for vacation in just about five weeks, so we'll see if I can tone anything up by then! My ultimate goal is next summer! Woohoo!

Until next time, I hope you all have a great week. Peace out!

Summer is in full swing!!!

It's been a while since I've posted anything on here. Life just gets so busy sometimes. Between work, kid activities, and going back to grad school, I sometimes feel that I don't have any time to focus on myself -- meaning my "diet" and "exercise." I know that I've blogged about this before...and I wish I could say that I've been able to change some of these bad habits.

But, unfortunately, things haven't changed. I'm still struggling with the carbs and the lack of exercise. It's not that I would call myself an inactive person. It's just I can't fit a regular exercise workout into my daily routine.

As for my weight, I've been fortunate that I've been at the same plateau for about six months now. I teeter between 2-3 pounds and I'm really happy with where I am, but I would honestly like to lose another 10 pounds. I'm finally in a size 12 and I'm very comfortable here -- it's been a while since I've been here (11th grade, to be exact).

Now that it's swimsuit season, I notice all of the "wouldn't it be nice if's". Wouldn't it be nice if:

- I could lose just one more roll from my stomach
- I could have toner legs
- I could lose the jiggle from under my arms

These are all things that I'll have to work on as I continue this LIFE LONG journey. It's all worth it and so am I.

To all of my friends out there who are reading this and struggling with their own journey, we can do this together. Our decisions to have WLS was a huge decision in and of itself. Everything that we've been through all ready was well worth it. We will continue to have struggles throughout the next 2 years, 5 years, and throughout the rest of our lives. Just think of the wonderful new lives we've created for ourselves and remember that, in the end, WE ARE ALL WORTH IT!!!

Stuck in a rut...

I've been hovering at the 97-pounds lost mark for a few months now. I knew that the weightloss would eventually slow down, so I should have expected this. I really am quite happy with how I look and feel, but I'd like to lose another 10-15 pounds and "firm up" my body. I'm 5'8" in height, and my current weight is 173 pounds. That's the lowest I've been since high school, so I really am quite happy.

I don't know what it is, but I just can't get myself motivated to exercise. I can't use the excuse that I don't have enough time because I really do. I spend several hours a week doing non-essential things such as Facebook, so I really should turn that time into doing something useful for myself.

As soon as I get done this blog and get off the computer, I'm going to go put my exercise clothes and sneakers on and go downstairs to the treadmill. Really, I have no excuse. I need to get this body into shape!!!

So, hopefully by my next blog, I'll be sharing about how much time I'm spending on the treadmill or at the YMCA instead of how much time I'm wasting on Facebook or surfing the net. Until next time, peace out!