momkennryen

I joined the YMCA on March 1 and I’m happy to say that I’ve lost 12 pounds my first month.  I’ve been going to fitness hula for an hour a week and Zumba 5X a week.  I’ve paired this with modifying my calorie intake to 1300 calories.  I feel as though I have hit a plateau in my weight loss.  I am on my final 10 lbs to go.  I started Atkins induction phase 1 on April 1 to give me a boost and help me lose the last 10 lbs.  This is the most progress I’ve seen since joining buddyslim almost 2 years ago.  It has been a rollercoaster.  I’ve tried various diets (nutrisystem, mediterranean, zone) and diet pills (Alli, Burn 60, Hot Rox). None of these worked.  I have found that simple diet and hard exercise as often as I can has worked the best.  It has also helped to read all of your blogs and posts.  It has been a lonely journey for me, especially since my husband is naturally very slim an petite.  I never struggled with my weight until my mid twenties where I packed on close to 25 lbs in a single year :(.  It took a severe knee injury in January which took me out of work for me to put myself first.  While going to rehab for my knee I slowly got comfortable in a gym setting which prompted me to join the YMCA.  It was the best choice I had made.  My injury was a blessing in disquise.

This past Sunday my best friend gave me the Nike + ipod Sport Kit. My mom gave me her ipod Nano 2 months ago and I’m very thankful for it. When I accepted her gift, I told myself that I would go walking more often but that didn’t happen. I guess I needed the extra motivation.

My best friend bought me the adapter that plugs into the Nano which acts as a pedometer and coach. I signed up on Nike+.com and I’m now doing the Walk to Run program. I am able to view my training program, set goals, and track progress. I love how my ipod coaches me through every step. I did my first run on Sunday and I ran all the way to work on Tuesday. I’m finally taking the stairs (15 flights) up and down while I’m at work. This was one of the nicest spontaneous gifts ever given to me.

I’m hoping if I’m consistent with working out and using my new toy (t00l) I an finally accomplish weight loss and total health.

Aloha!

Over the past few months I’ve found that my weight has gone up and down and I haven’t had consistent weight loss. For the most part I have stuck to a healthy foods and correct portion sizes. There have been times when I was more motivated to exercise than others.

I’ve tried Alli and I’ve done well with it, but it was hard to keep up with the cost. I’ve also done the detox diet which gave me quick weight loss which came back in 2 weeks :).

Currently I’m doing 5 small meals a day and it seems to be working slowly but surely.

Does anyone have any tricks or tips to share?

This week has been the hardest week of my life.  Yesterday I had to make a difficult decision and I have now lost my best friend and life partner.  After consulting with my lawyer and family, I have made the decision to separate from my fiance.  I am preparing for a custody battle over my oldest son. Due to circumstances that would hurt my custody case I had no choice but to move on with my life.  Essentially I was forced to choose between my children or my fiance. As a mother I will always put my children first.

 This has been hard on me emotionally because my fiance hasn’t done anything wrong and this has been the strongest relationship and friendship I have ever had.  I seen my lifelong partner in him.  He was an excellent dad to my two boys even though they were not his own. He has been in our lives since May of 2005 and has been one of my main sources of strength. I can’t imagine our lives without him in it but I know it is time to move forward.

There are many difficult tasks which lie ahead of me.  One is telling my boys that Dad isn’t coming back.  Another is gathering the courage to be single again and coping with the loss of my best friend. Next is being emotionally prepared for the custody battle. Finally but most importantly, taking care of my health and continuing to lose the weight.

January 5, 2008

Today I’m organizing a plan to lose atleast 15 lbs and improving my health.  Over the past 2 years I have gained close to 20 lbs and I’m not happy with my overall image.  I think most of my weight gain has come from using birth control and also due to my busy lifestyle.  I work in an office all day and I rarely have time for exercise.  My first priority is taking care of my two boys, which leaves little time for me to work on my personal diet and exercise plan.  I hope that by taking small steps I can achieve my goal.