As My Story explains, a year ago I was managing my stress by eating and drinking to excess and it was showing, not only on the scale, but in every movement I made. I joined a gym 2 yrs. prior, but maybe went to the gym once a month for Water Aerobics. Because it was summer, I was at the beach quite often and at local amusement parks with various kids. I don’t have any children of my own, but I spend time quite a bit of time with my friend’s child, my teenage niece and my CASA kid. At the time, one of my main concerns was getting in and out of the amusement park rides without being an embarrassment…or worse getting stuck. It was definitely a culmination of everything, but it was time to do something about it.
My gym happened to be having a Monthly Nutrition Program, so I checked it out. I was reluctant at first, but jumped right in and learned how to calculate my daily caloric intake and see the benefits of adding protein to my diet. Once I calculated my daily caloric intake (Daily Calorie Calculator) and the amount of protein (Protein Calculator) I needed to eat on a daily basis, I was off to a great start. The same instructor (Vesna Mardesic) for the Nutrition Program was also a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer, so I reached out to her and continued meeting with her weekly for nutrition counseling and personal training. It really helped to have the one on one support and the scheduled meetings to help keep me on track.
As luck would have it, the gym I go to in San Jose, CA is starting the Nutrition Program again. I’m joining the program as a refresher, but encourage anyone in the area to check it out at www.avac.us/nutrition.
So here I am a year later and lost 50 lbs. to date. It’s been a slow process, but I’m telling you, once you’re there, you wonder why you waited so long to feel this good. I thought it could happen overnight (and it can), but not if you really want to keep the weight off and change your lifestyle. To be honest, it wasn’t that difficult…it’s about taking small steps and making minor changes. It’s all about taking one step at a time.
I’m planning to update this blog at least once a week and start adding recipes, so please come back and feel free to comment below with any questions, ideas or thoughts.