Lifestyle Changes

Originally written on April 18th, 2010. It's pretty self explanatory haha :)





Dear friends,

Those of you close to me know the struggle I have with my weight/size issues on a daily basis. I just wanted to let you know that over the next year starting now I will be making serious changes to my lifestyle to become healthy, happier and less lazy.

Currently, I weigh 240lbs and am a size 16. In January I started going to a personal trainer at my gym and gained 8lbs of muscle (yay muscles!!!!!! :D), however that is only half of the equation. It took me a long time to find something that was right for me in terms of nutrition, but I have found a program and a support system this week that I am happy with and that I think can help me on my journey.

As of Monday, April 19th 2010, I will be starting a strict diet that is personalized to me and has specific phases, while keeping up with my trainer 3 times a week. I will also be making sure to incorporate fun physical activity in my day to day life, whether it be rallying with a volleyball with Cara and others, playing frisbee between classes, going for a walk in waterloo park between classes or joining an intramural team. I am committing to 30-45 minutes of actual activity per day.

I feel like I am finally at a point in my life where I actually feel strong enough to tackle this massive issue. And it is a *massive* issue haha. I am obese according to my BMI index (which is 40 right now). A healthy BMI lies between 18.5 and 25. I have a long way to go. It always seemed insurmountable to me. I don't know what has changed, but I feel like it is time to get this started. Otherwise it may never happen.

I give sections of my life themes when they are warranted. May 2008 - April 2009 had a theme of overcoming adversity. Life threw me some curve balls and I made many serious mistakes in that time, but I got through it and grew as a person and learned lots about how to handle myself in these situations and how to get myself to the other side. June 2005-December 2007 was an exploratory theme. I explored boys, cities, countries, travel. I learned how to be independent and yet stay close to others. I met some shady characters who turned out to be best friends and lived in shady places that turned out to be the greatest places to have gone.

I am focusing on me for the next while. That will be my life's theme for this section, ME.

I will be using these notes as an expression to how I am feeling. I am not looking for pity or condolences, nor am I soliciting encouragement or praise. However if you want to encourage me of your own free will, I won't complain :P haha. I simply want a place to express myself where I feel some people might read. They need not comment, I'm happy just knowing that my thoughts and feelings are accessible by someone. I intend to update them regularly on my progress. I feel that this will keep me accountable and will also let people see the journey that I'm taking.

I realize it's going to be hard. I have been fat (that word is so harsh and mean sounding... yet it is the simple truth...) all my living memory. My first goal (of many!) is to reach 190lbs and be a size 12. Once I am there, I will make another goal and work towards it. I feel that this is a better method than just saying "My goal is to be 130lbs and a size 4". Setting shorter term and realistically attainable goals will let me reach them and be buoyed by the success which will then help me on my next leg of the journey. I know that this goal is realistic because I've been there at one point in my life. It was in December 2005 during my first year of university. I got there because I stopped eating...

Don't do that. It's bad for you. Unfortunately, it also works, which just makes things worse. The hellish part is that all the weight and inches you lose doing that come back in double measurements after you start eating again (and you will start eating again... you can only live on 1 iced cap every two or three days for so long... trust me... lol).

In any case, all that to basically say that I can visualize myself at 190lbs and a size 12 so that is what my 1st goal is. :D

Tomorrow I will be making my lunches for the next couple of days and maybe my dinners... we'll see what seems easiest at the time! I'm also going to go to the gym and hang out with friends!

Anyways, this is a lot to say for my first post, and it's a little scary to actually push the publish button... I'm baring my inner Leslie to you all (not just to my close friends, of whom I know will not hurt me in any way). It might be uncomfortable at first, but it'll make me stronger in the end!

Cheers,

Leslie :)