Exercise Escapades

Okay, it's time to start exercising yet again! I didn't exercise this week . . . at all. I think I was feeling lazy and stressed at the same time. Weird feeling combo, I know, BUT, I plan to start a routine again beginning on Monday to get back on track and help myself destroy those pounds each week! My plan is to either walk for at least 30 minutes each week day on my old, sketchy treadmill named Gladys (she's large and old, so I found the name fitting) or do one of Shaun T's Focus T25 videos. Gladys is possessed. Seriously. She gets hot or something at random times and totally shuts down. One day, I walked for 58 minutes before she died and then another day, she only lasted 31 minutes. So, if Old Gladys holds up, I'll stick to my plan! Every Friday, I'm planning on posting an overview of my weekly workouts, or "Exercise Escapades," just to keep myself motivated and feel like I'm being held accountable for my progress each week. Wish me luck!

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5 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Recipe Report

So, last night, I had a major craving for ice cream. I decided to look at Pinterest and see what I could find as a healthier alternative. I stumbled upon a recipe for Skinny Banana "Ice Cream" from Skinny Mom and decided I just had to try it! The texture was a bit gooey, but it satisfied my craving and cost me 0 points on Weight Watchers! I topped it off with some light whipped cream and cinnamon (still 0 points). It was well worth it to try out this recipe, and I'll definitely be making it again tonight!

6 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Time for a Change

First post, here we go! I've decided that it's time to make a change in my life, and a big one at that. My New Year's resolution is to lose 142 pounds, and I need to have something to keep me motivated, on track, and someone/something to hold me accountable. So, here it goes:

My name is Lauren. I am 23-years-old. I'm an elementary school teacher in a small town in Missouri. I am 6 feet tall and (as of 1-6-14) I weighed 322 pounds. Yikes. Today (1-29-14), I weigh 311 pounds. 11 pounds down! Yay!

History Lesson:

Let me just give you a quick run-down of my life and battle with my weight.

I was never a skinny kid. I've always been tall and large for my age. All through elementary school, I was the biggest kid in my class, and I think that's when my self-esteem issues started. (Don't worry, I'll try not to get all emotional and whiny on here.) Anyway, I never felt like I fit in. I could never buy clothes at the same stores my friends shopped at or borrow cute things from their closets. As I got older, my weight continued to skyrocket. Middle and high school were the same. I got teased a bit, but I had a great group of friends who didn't care what I looked like, so it really wasn't too rough. Throughout high school, I weighed around 280 pounds and never, ever thought I'd go into the 300s in my life. I actually did Weight Watchers© for a while and lost around 50 pounds, but eventually, I got off track and lost my motivation. College was fun, but I would've had more fun if I hadn't been so overweight. I was self-conscious and didn't like going to the parties knowing that my skinny friends would probably end up having a better time than I did, but my sorority was full of girls who were average-sized to a bit overweight, so I felt a little more like I belonged. I dieted every now and then when I was motivated and even did Insanity® for a while with my roommates. I didn't get into the 300s in college until after I came back from a study abroad semester in Spain. I actually lost weight there, since I ate only meals and no snacks and walked literally everywhere, but when I got back, I just went crazy. I had missed American food, so I pigged out on all my favorites (Chinese food, pizza, desserts, etc.). I got a teaching job and thought my life would turn around now that I was on my own and could buy all of my own groceries and cook whatever I wanted. However, that turned into, "Hey! I pinned this delicious-looking thing on Pinterest I want to try that's worth about 1,000 calories a bite!" So, that's when my weight got out of control. I cried the first time the scale said 300 pounds (I'm very rarely a crier) and decided I had to make a change. But, that hopelessness made me feel like eating even more to cope with my issues and I just kept adding on the pounds. Finally, I decided enough was enough and I needed to take control or I would have serious health issues (like my mom) in the future. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago and they told her that weight is a big part of it. I'm already on medicine for hormone issues my body has, and hormones are a huge cause of breast cancer. My doctor told me that losing weight would help tremendously, but I guess I never really took her seriously until now.

Okay, history lesson over. Whining over. Excuses over. This is it, here and now. I'm going to turn my life around. I don't expect any followers on here, really, but just updating a blog every day (which is my current plan) will help me stay on track and make me feel accountable for my progress. I began the year using the Lose It©! app and I switched to Weight Watchers© yesterday because I wasn't doing as well as I should on the app, and I know for a fact that WW has worked for me in the past. Below are my "before" pictures and I hope that I will have the will power to make it to 180 pounds and get to post "after" pictures.

11 pounds annihilated, 131 to obliterate!

Let the journey begin!

Going out for a friend's birthday party

My brother and me at a Christmas party

My best friend, Amanda, and me after her graduation

And finally, my least favorite picture:

Baking cupcakes for my 23rd birthday.

1 week until the next Weigh-In Wednesday!