Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Everyone starts somewhere

I finally broke down and actually weight and measured myself yesterday.  According to Wii Fit, I weigh in at about 212 pounds.  Better than I thought it would be.  More than I weighed the day I delivered my just under 10 pound son....13 1/2 years ago.

And the measurements are....

L arm--15                         R arm--15.5

L thigh--27.5                    R thigh--28

Waist--45                         Hips--46.5

Bust (with sports bra)--44

So there we have it.  My BMI is around 34.  Obese.  We knew that.  My waist to hip ratio is .95 and indicates an increased risk for heart disease.  I knew that, too. 

Today marks the 5th day since I have started the plank and squat challenge.  So far so good.  I have actually been doing the challenge everyday.  Yesterday I added the pushup and tri dip challenge as well.  I have very strong legs, but my arm strength leaves something to be desired.  Today I also did the Zumba World Party on Xbox Kinect.  That game is great!  I was dripping in sweat when I was finished. 

This post is blasé.  I apologize for that.  Really, I just wanted to post my weight and measurements and say, yes, I am working on it.

Everyone has to start somewhere.  Now we now where I'm starting.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Someday is finally here

I have always said that I would write a blog someday.  I always knew I would call it "Practice what I teach."  Someday is here....

A brief description, I am certified to teach Health and Physical Education.  I know all about how to live a healthy lifestyle and I truly enjoy LOVE to teach kids how to live a healthy and active lifestyle.  Especially middle school kids.  Someone once told me that the middle school years are our last best chance.  I couldn't agree more.

Then there's my personal life.  I am a wife and a mom.  Due to some extenuating circumstances, my life has been extremely stressful eventful.  But I honestly wouldn't change much.  I love my boys and I love my husband.  Sure, there are some things I wish were different, but doesn't everybody feel that way sometimes?

And here's the kicker.... I. AM. OBESE.



There, I said it.  I am fat.  About 220 pounds, making me about 80 pounds overweight.  That's honestly the first time I have ever looked at in the amount of pounds overweight.  To say that I am sitting here shocked would be an understatement.

I wasn't always a big girl.  And I don't have a sob story that led me to become this way.  Yes, I was sexually abused as a small child.  I was 5.  I don't remember it.  It affected my life, but not to the point that I wanted to make myself unlovable.  Most of the time, I never even thought about it.  My mother struggled with her weight while I was growing up.  She never projected her concerns on to me.  At least, not that I ever took notice to.  So, no sob story, no difficult childhood.  Just a regular girl who played basketball and enjoyed being in the school musicals and relished in the attention her body got her.  And when I met my husband, I was a healthy 140 pounds and wore a size 9 in Juniors.

 
 
So, how did we get to Someday?
 
A good friend of mine got engaged a week ago today.  I couldn't be more happy for her. Honestly.  She deserves to be happy more than anybody I know.  Plus, I am very happily married.  We were talking about her ring and she was concerned about the size.  She was asking me questions about how it should fit and I had to tell her that, in all honestly, I have not been able to take off my ring for years.  If I soap it up really well, I might be able to get it off, but even then, I don't know. 
 
 


A few days later, I was subbing for the Health and Physical Education teacher in one of the districts I work in and I was reading an article in Shape magazine.  The article mentioned that a person should eat a serving of fruits or vegetables at every meal and snack.   I read this article while I was eating my lunch--a shorty American hoagie, baked sour cream and onion chips, a soft pretzel, lemonade iced tea and some kind of chocolate.  Healthy meal for the health teacher, right?  I read the article and I thought, "I'm lucky if I eat one serving in a day, let alone five in a day!"

Then there is Fitbit.  My husband got it for me for Christmas.  It was one of 2 things I really wanted.  Wearing the Fitbit showed me that I barely made 7,000 steps a day, let alone the suggested 10,000.  In the month that I have been wearing it, I have only hit 10,000 steps twice.  You read that right.  Twice.  The push from Fitbit doesn't stop there.  My brother's girlfriend got a Fitbit, too.  Hers just arrived last week, so she's still new to the Fitbit world.  On her first full day of wearing her Fitbit, E hit over 15,000 steps.  Yes, you read that right as well.  I tried to make the excuse that she's chasing around my 3 year old nephew all day and my 4 year old nephew for half the day, but really, I doubt that's the only reason she hit 15,000 steps.  Especially since she had 56 active minutes.


Finally, there's me.  I have been quite aware of my binge eating tendencies for some time now.  Especially if there are devil food crumb donuts in the house or home baked cupcakes.  I do so well during the day--an apple and peanut butter and string cheese for lunch and almonds and dark chocolate chips for a snack--and then when I get home from work, nine Chips Ahoy end up in my stomach.  I was thinking about this last night as I snuck my second cupcake while my husband was working on the computers.  I know I have a problem, but it is so embarrassing and heartbreaking to admit.  Of course, I ate a third cupcake when we had dessert that night.  And while I thought about how delicious it tasted, I also thought about how sick I was making myself, mentally and physically.

So, Someday has finally arrived and I have finally started the blog that I have always said I was going to write.  I also managed to start the 30 day plank challenge and the 30 day squat challenge last night, which is better than not doing anything at all right?

E and I have 2 mud events coming up in the next few months.  It's time I get it together!  It is time I begin to practice what I teach!