The Whole Shape Magazine Thing...

By now you already know about the article in Shape magazine. If you don’t then race to the nearest pharmacy/grocery/bookstore to grab a copy!  

Brooke being featured again on the Today Show. Link here.

My story on Shape.com alongside the stories of the women with whom I experienced this all with. Link here. 

It seems to be everywhere. Or at least, I am over sharing to the point where I am making myself feel like it is everywhere.  But what can I say, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience- I have to share. My birthday is three days away and all I can think about is how grateful I am for having had this amazing opportunity and how surreal it all feels.

Back in October when this all took place I could only speculate as to how it would all play out and how I would feel seeing my photograph in print. All I can say is wow, it’s pretty cool to see myself in a magazine. I joke with Erick all the time that I will never look as good again as I did that day- I mean, there were full on professional stylists, hair and makeup artists- the kinds that work almost primarily with celebrities. I looked pretty fabulous, if you ask me.

I was beyond thrilled when I was asked to participate in the roundtable discussion as I knew we would be talking about things not often mentioned in regards to weight loss like the psychological effects, dealing with our perception of self and how others treat us, etc. Really great topics. Some of which I plan on discussing individually on this blog.

But for today, I just want to share with you some of the behind the scenes pictures from that day. I have been waiting almost three months to share them with you. I hope you enjoy some of the footage I have (and others who were there – thank you Melissa!) captured from our discussion, photo shoot and mingling afterwards. It was a really freaking awesome day!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

FOUR WEEKS!!!

What? It’s been four weeks already? How did that happen???

This summer has flown by…but that’s a whole other topic for another day.

I just now realized that today is the LAST DAY of my fourweek personal challenge. Of course, I didn’t realize it this morning and so I have no photo of the goal sheet on my fridge so I am just going to save the full recap for tomorrow.

I will say this, I am pretty pleased with how I did over that last four weeks. It felt good setting and sticking to some goals. And my favorite parts, of course, were the ones set around having fun. It’s all about balance, people. And as much as I need to try to focus on being active and limiting my drinking during the week and not obsess over a scale it is equally important to put myself out there, have some fun, go on some crazy adventures, and celebrate this amazing life.

And I can honestly say that over the past four weeks I did all of that. I found a pretty good balance. And it was awesome!

So, tomorrow….I’m coming back with my official progress update AND another set of four week goals. Because, why not?

Until then…here are some photo highlights from the last four weeks.

Exploring Ft. Pickens!

Beach Day

Kayaking...try not to look too happy, E!

Our minis, making a wish!

Bike ride around Orange Beach, AL

My favorite bike, stationed at the front door- ready to go!

New shoes!

The minis love beer, just like us ;)

Snuggling before a nighttime tour of the lighthouse...

Best 5K time for 2014...next stop, a new PR!

Also, just before I hit publish I found out I got an A on my final paper for my Social Reform class. That gives me an A for the semester. Add that to my A in my Stats 2 class and BOOM! 4.0 baby!



Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxo

Accountability in Maintenance

Life as a ‘maintainer’ (someone in maintenance mode after weight loss) can sometimes be lonely.  It can also, at times, feel less rewarding. And I mean that in the way of when I was actively losing there was never a shortage of praise or congratulations every time I lost weight nor was there a shortage of support and kind words any time I gained or remained the same. The weight loss part of my journey seemed easier because I had so many people supporting me through it.

On this side of the coin (I have been in maintenance mode-ish for over two years) there is no real praise for keeping the weight off and limited (by comparison, I am not saying there is none) support when I struggle. This phase, or whatever you want to call it, has been far more introspective for me. And that is a good thing, when I allowed it to be. I have moved past weight loss for loss (meaning a life dictated by a number on the scale) and onto bigger, different, even more challenging personal goals- some of which don’t come with a shiny star or a medal at the finish line. And those goals, some days, are harder to find that same motivation for.

Since my first surgery back in December all I wanted to focus on (once I was medically cleared) was to build back the strength and endurance I once had. And because of that I have been off and on running and training, even though the spring was really rough for me to stick to a plan. BUT, this summer, especially in the month since Fitbloggin (my last trip) I have been meeting with my personal trainer regularly, running regularly, and now even tracking/logging my meals regularly. It’s good to be back into a routine. It’s good to feel like I am getting stronger. It’s good that I am recovering faster from lifting. It’s good that I am feeling more confident running. And most importantly it’s good to have goals again.

Because I think what I started to lose sight of recently was that accountability that helped me lose the weight in the first place.

Brooke’s personal challenge struck a chord in me and got me thinking about how I needed to hold myself more accountable for my actions and lifestyle. And so last week I set up 10 goals for myself and I am happy to report that I am one week in and I am kicking ass. I have hit all four of my daily goals every day for the past week and I met all four of my weekly goals. I was hoping to cross off one of my two monthly planned bike rides on Sunday but the rainy weather in the morning didn’t allow it. However, I am hopeful I will be able to get one in this weekend.

It’s good to finally be back on the path I most enjoy- being active and still balancing being social. But more importantly, it feels good to finally hold myself accountable. Because it’s in those moments when I really get to feel like I am making myself, my health, my fitness, my happiness, my life, my priority. And for me, that has always been the key to my success.

 

 

What has helped you find success on your journey? How do you use that to continue to ‘stay the path’?

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxo

 

Why Not Start Tomorrow???

I am not really sure what is going on lately but whatever it is, it's not working.  I think the tiny dictator in my head is getting lazy. Even though I have been kicking ass at the gym (meeting with my trainer twice a week and running) and doing T25 in the mornings I am still struggling with seeing much downward movement on the scale. I know its time for a little tough love and a reality check that maybe everything I am doing isn't enough.

Enter Brooke and her 'Goal Digger' four week personal challenge/goal setting plan thingy.

I saw her ideas and thought that it was probably something I needed to get on board with too. And since it's never too soon to start I thought why not tomorrow? Even though it's the middle of the month and kind of the middle of week why not?

Tonight I set printed out the downloadable tracker and filled it with my goals for the next four weeks and am here now to tell you in order to help keep myself accountable. You have my permission to call me out if I need it. 

In total I set 10 goals for this month; 4 daily goals, 4 weekly goals, and two monthly goals. I tried to keep my focus on diet and exercise and attempted to make these goals measurable so I can't BS my way around them. This is what I came up with:

Daily

• 8,000 steps per day minimum 
• Stick the meal plan for the day
• Track (I suck at this...really need to focus on getting better with this one)
• Be active every day (minimum 25 minutes)

Weekly

• Drinkend only (totally stole this term from Brooke, drink only on the weekends)
• Run three times a week (half marathon training officially begins August 18- I need a better base)
• Max meals out of 4 (that's 20%)
• Only weigh myself once a week on Friday (because sometimes it does more harm than good)

Monthly

• Two active adventures 
• Two bike rides (I need to start riding outdoors again, something that I have done very little of since moving to Pensacola)

Oh, and the best part- there is a reward at the end of the 4 weeks if I meet my goals. I am aiming for at least 80% but closer to 100% would be awesome. My choice of a reward- a new dress from Anthropologie. E and I will be in NOLA the end of August so if I meet my goals I will be making a detour to the store there to pick something out :) 

My goal tracker covered in my chicken scratch ;)

Now, it's time for bed. I have T25 in the morning and a run at the track after work and I need my beauty sleep.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

How to Tell My Story

I rarely, rarely ever try to push my weight loss story out into mainstream media.

Just like I don’t really do much of anything to promote my blog, I do even less to promote my story.

Not sure why but I think it’s a mix of laziness, not having enough free time to spend trying to promote and grow the blog, and also- it’s just not really me. I say this because I just blog for fun. I like the social aspect and camaraderie that blogging brings to my life. And that’s really all that I want out of it. It’s an outlet for me to speak my mind, to work through struggles, share my happiness, and amazingly enough it has helped create so many new friendships, and rekindled some old, along the way. It’s been quite the whirlwind adventure.

But today, I saw on FB my friend Ashley posting that she submitted her story to Shape magazine to be part of the spread that will be featuring Brooke’s story. If you heard the piece on the Today Show (or caught wind of it on E!) you know that they will be featuring Brooke and five others in a piece showcasing the realities of extreme weight loss. And for some reason I decided I wanted to submit my story too.

I quickly pulled together an email and sent it along with some pictures.

I wasn’t really sure what to write or how I could differentiate myself from the probably thousands of others submitting their story. I knew I didn’t really have a ‘hook’ or something super amazing wonderful to help sell myself so I just told my story, as briefly as possible, and included what I thought made my story different and why it would be important to share.

So, without further ado- here is what I sent to Shape magazine.

Title: My Not Quite Brooke-ish Weight Loss Story

First off, let me say that I love Brooke Birmingham, she is a friend of mine, and I hold her story and everything she stands for in the highest regard. I am proud to know her.

My story, however, is a bit different.

I, too, lost a substantial amount of weight (130 lbs.) and it happened over the course of about 2.5 years. Part of that time was spent as a Weight Watchers member but towards the end of my weight loss I found that the program just didn't work for me anymore.

I found most of my success in weight loss through mindful eating, food journaling, monitoring my hunger scale/hunger cues, and being more active- novel concepts, I know.

At my known heaviest, 286 lbs., I knew this wouldn't work for me if I turned to extreme diet and exercise as I had tried unsuccessfully many times before. This time it had to be different. So I started doing the only thing I could do- walk. I walked and walked and walked. And it hurt. At almost 300 lbs. the act of just walking a mile or two took a huge toll on my body. But I stuck with it. After time I moved from walking, to lifting weights, to boxing, to yoga, to Nia, to Pilates, to cycling, to running. The evolution took me from hardcore couch potato to half marathoner and even triathlete. This transformation led me to do things I never dreamt were possible

I also started changing how I ate. Looking back now, I know the choices I made then in my early days of weight loss were still not the healthiest but they were way better than how I used to eat and they were what got me focused on eating differently (less processed, more whole foods, fuel for my body) and over time led me to where I am today.

So, essentially when you boil it all down- Brooke and I did have similar journeys. Mine however, did result in me having skin removal surgery around my abdomen. Although I often say that this surgery was for medical reasons (which is true- my doctors pushed me to get it for 2 years due to health issues it was causing) I would be lying if I did not say that part of me did it for cosmetic reasons as well. I worked really hard, I literally worked my butt off and lost a whole human’s (a healthy 5' 5" female) worth of weight, and to have skin issues was hard to deal with. No one wants to have to tuck their loose skin into their size 6 jeans. No one wants to have to lift up their loose skin to clean themselves- not when they have worked so hard to move past those days. So, after much encouragement from my doctors, family and friends I had the surgery last December (I have a ton of pre and post-surgery pictures) and have been really happy with my decision since.

I think that my story shows a different side of weight loss than Brooke's- it shows what life is like if you opt, like I did, to have surgery. I think this is also an important side to show because a lot of people battling through extreme obesity will be faced with making this tough decision once they have lost all the weight. I think that is important to show all sides of the 'After' because none of them are easy.

 

I called this my quasi- Before/After photo

 

After my first triathlon

 

I just had to submit this picture with a baby sheep...because who doesn't love baby animals???

I wasn’t really sure what to write. How do you accurately (and briefly) sum up a huge, life-changing process, and everything that has occurred both mentally and physically because of it, in an email? I have been writing about my story and my progress for over three years now and I still can’t figure out the best way to ‘tell’ my story.

Ultimately it boils down to this…

I used to be really fat. I lost a lot of weight by taking care of myself the way I should have all along. And because of this everything in my life has changed for the better.

The end.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

Five Things Friday

1)      I have become obsessed with tea. Erick’s sister bought me this tea infuser travel mug so now in addition to just bagged teas I can have loose leaf tea as well. I think you could even use coarsely ground coffee too but I have yet to try it. Anywho, I was really loving drinking tea every day and I even took advantage of a Groupon for 3 month subscription to Steepster (which is like a tea of the month club) which was awesome. Then last week, I found this herbal green tea kit on Uncommon Goods (is that not the best website ever?) and just had to get it. It is all loose leaf teas (three types of green tea) and herbs (nine different ones like hibiscus and lavender) allowing you to make your own herbal tea blends. It is awesome! Making my own blend is definitely the most exciting thing happening in my life at 730a every morning. Lol!

2)      I planted, or I guess I should say we planted, our first garden last night. If you follow me on FB, which I am pretty sure all six of you reading do, then you already saw the pictures. But I am just so excited that I wanted to share them again. Of course, now the hard part begins. The waiting. 50 days is the soonest anything will be ready to pick. Well, except the basil. That could probably be picked now. But we are looking 50-60 days for cucumbers and Japanese eggplant all the way up to 88 days for cantaloupe. The plan is to build a second container and plant the fall crops sometime in early July. We spaced this first container off to the right so that way we would have room for a second. I don’t know why (probably because I am a huge dork- which is totally fine by me) but I am super excited over the idea of bringing our homegrown organic veggies to share with the family over 4^th of July weekend. Here’s to hoping the weather cooperates and that I don’t have a black thumb. I would make for one bad hippie if I couldn’t even raise a small 4’x4’ garden. Lol!

 

     

      I made makrers using shells I collected at the beach a few weeks ago. I was planning on using rocks but I didn't have any on hand. I did, however, have seashells so voila!

 

 

3)      Tonight is the last Hot Glass Cold Brew of the season and I am quite sad. This is definitely one of my favorite Pensacola events. It’s a mix of live music, free food and free (local) beer, and glass blowing demos. Oh, and the artists with gallery/shop space all have food and beer/wine for passersby to enjoy while talking with them about their work. Some are painters, sculptors, glass blowers, potters, and there is even a guy with a 3D printer that does demos. It’s really cool, very informative and tons of fun.

4)      I love spring/summer time. I am definitely a warm weather person and love, love, love the sunshine. I am happy it is finally starting to warm up (although we have like rain forecasted every day for the foreseeable future) and I am feeling quite optimistic that this is going to be an amazing summer. Maybe even the best one yet. One of my favorite things about warmer weather is the food. Not just grilling and BBQs and eating outdoors but all the yummy fruits and veggies that come into season. I am a sucker for corn on the cob, rainier cherries, jersey tomatoes, asparagus, watermelon (all the melon, actually), strawberries, etc., the list could go on for days. And one of my favorite warm weather foods to make is cold pasta salad. It reminds me of my childhood. Except I don’t use mayo, or much pasta, and load mine up with whatever fresh veggies I have on hand. I wish I was a good recipe builder person. I would love to be the blogger that shares all sorts of yummy recipes but I am a fly-by-my-pants kind of cook. It’s why I don’t like baking. I am almost always successful just throwing stuff together and having it turn out. The big downside being that I never can make the same dish twice. Lol. But I digress. Lately I have been making some version of this pasta salad dish for me and E (and even made a heartier version of it for Easter dinner) and it is awesome. So I thought I would share.

Spring Time Pasta Salad (to the best of my recollection)

·         1 cup dry whole wheat orzo

·         ½ bunch of trimmed and chopped fresh asparagus

·         ½ English cucumber, quartered and chopped

·         1 small bag (maybe 3 oz) fresh peas – you could totally use frozen here too

·         A few sprigs of fresh mint

·         2 lemons

·         Dijon mustard

·         Red wine vinegar

·         Olive oil

·         Salt & Pepper

Step 1- prepare the orzo according to package

Step 2- as the pasta is cooking, prep/chop veggies

Step 3- when there is about 3-4 minutes left on the past add in the asparagus and peas to cook them

Step 4- drain pasta and cooked veggies and rinse under cold water

Step 5- add to a large bowl with mint and chopped cucumber

Step 6- make dressing by mixing together the juice of 2 lemons, approximately 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (you can add this in gradually in case you aren’t a mustard fan- or omit it completely), 1 tablespoon of vinegar, about ¼ cup of olive oil (I use just enough to cut some of the acidity and make a ‘creamy’ dressing) and some salt and pepper. Honestly, I do the dressing all by taste. You could totally swap out for store bought dressing.

Step 7- add dressing to pasta/veggies, mix well, and refrigerate for 30 minutes+

Step 8- enjoy!

 

So much green, so much yumminess!

 

I love pasta salad. We have made a similar recipe but used quinoa pasta (for you gluten-freers) instead of orzo and added chickpeas. That was awesome too. I love to make what I call a ‘greek’ version of this with cucumber, tomatoes, green onion, Kalamata olives, chickpeas, bell pepper and spinach but E does not eat most of those things so I reserve that recipe for family or work potlucks. Lol!

5)      Wow! These past few days social media has really gotten it right! I know I talked earlier this week about my girl Brooke and her story about Shape magazine having gone viral. I never thought that what happened last week would have led to watching her on both Good Morning America and the Today Show. How awesome is that? This morning, during her piece on the Today Show, the world was informed that Shape Magazine (whose editor at large was on as well) would be rectifying this mess by featuring Brooke (as well as some others) in a magazine spread about the realities of extreme weight loss. Right on! I think that is a really important topic and it isn’t often shared…other than from bloggers who of course talk openly about it and share tons (sometimes too many, points finger at self) pictures about where their journey has led them. I know I held nothing back when it came to my skin removal surgery and showing pictures all the time. And I know the before pictures were a gleaming harsh reality of what losing a whole adult human beings (a healthy 5’ 5” woman, in my case) worth of weight looks like. And I wasn’t ashamed, or even hesitant to share, because I agree with Brooke- it is nothing to be ashamed of. That being said, I am also not ashamed that I had the skin removal surgery after. It was for both cosmetic and medical reasons. And yes, sometimes a part of me feels a bit vain. But most days I am beyond happy I had the surgery and I would do it again in a heartbeat. That being said, I am still not planning on having surgery to remove excess skin on my arms or legs nor do I plan on having a breast job- which is another common post weight loss surgery. But I don’t blame or judge anyone for doing so. I think we all have to make the decisions that are best for us as individuals.  And I am happy for any positive exposure stories like Brooke's gets. The more people know, the more they are exposed to it, the more stories like hers (or mine) become the norm. And hopefully this leads to less discussions over whether or not any person should put a shirt on and more discussions about how awesome it is seeing strong, happy, proud, and inspirational women in mainstream media- regardless of the circumstance that led them there.

Well, that’s about it for me this Friday. I hope you have a happy, healthy and amazing weekend!

Love and hugs,

Dacia
xoxoxox

Currently...

I found my inspiration this morning when I came across this post from Fit and Free With Emily. I loved it so I totally stole this idea. Here is what I am up to currently…

Thinking…that I need to come up with some ideas or topics to write about. I have been so uninspired lately when it comes to writing. Is it because all of my energy is being poured into other outlets? I am starting to think so.

Feeling…relaxed. Or maybe tired. Some days I can’t tell the difference. I would like to believe though that I am just finally beginning to relax and calm down after a whirlwind few weeks at work and it feels nice.

Watching…I don’t watch much TV. Lately it has only been on to watch the NHL playoffs and now that the Flyers are out- I am not as concerned. However, while watching hockey Saturday night E and I stumbled across this TV show called ‘My Cat from Hell’ and ended up watching it for hours. Lo and behold, it’s on Netflix so we have taken to watching it nightly. I don’t know why. We don’t have cats. I am a dog person. This show actually reaffirms how much of a dog person I really am. But regardless, we keep watching.

Excited…to be flying home in TWO WEEKS! E and I are headed north to Philly on 5/21 to spend the weekend with friends and family. I am beyond excited. This will be E’s first trip to Philly so I am definitely going to take him to all the touristy places (yes, we will run up the art museum steps) and of course hit some breweries, go to a Phillies game and eat all the food! He has been told to bring his stretchy pants ;)

Missing…my friends. I am super excited to see my BFF in 2 weeks when I am home but seeing her but once (maybe twice) a year is sucky. Also, I miss my dogs. Every day. It hasn’t gotten easier. I still cry over them all the time. I hear they are doing great; they have a big yard to play in and two little girls that love them to pieces. That makes me happy. Really happy. But I still miss them.

 

Reading…right now I am in the middle of reading two books- ‘Divergent’, because I liked the movie so much and am a sucker for series’, and ‘All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space’ because I am in the beginning stages of building my own raised bed vegetable/fruit garden.

Wondering…if I missed my true calling and in actuality I should be an animal farmer, not an analyst. I had the absolute best time out at the farm Sunday. I wish I lived closer. I knew that I had a big soft spot for pretty much all living creatures but now I wish I had some alpaca and sheep of my own.

 

 

Working…I am so lucky to have a really great job with awesome coworkers- it’s a blessing for sure. I am also very lucky to have great benefits (an insane amount of annual leave) and perks (6 credits hours free per semester). I also have the pleasure of working with the bf, even though we work in different departments and our jobs rarely intersect. It’s still nice having him around. When I moved to Pensacola I didn’t think this job would amount to much, as I only thought I would be here for a year. Man, was I wrong. The stars aligned for me here at UWF, for oh so many reasons. I am thankful.

Stressed…a few weeks ago I was SUPER stressed. Work was the most chaotic it had ever been, finals were quickly approaching, it was rough. But thankfully my awesome bf planned an uber relaxing weekend including a beach trip and a couple’s massage. It was nice. Exactly what the doctor ordered. And now that work has calmed down and finals are now behind me I am back to life as normal, which is pretty stress free.

 

Proud…I am sure you have probably heard the news all over social media about my friend Brooke (*last time I checked her blog site was down due to the overwhelming volume of site traffic)  and how she stood up to Shape magazine. The skinny is that Brooke was asked to be featured online as a success story (because the girl lost freaking 172 lbs) she agreed, was interviewed and submitted before and after photos and that was that. Until she was told that Shape does not publish bikini photos (HA! Yeah, right- I didn’t buy it either) after they reviewed the photos she submitted and requested a photo with her covered up. Here’s the thing- extreme weight loss is extreme. It takes a big toll on your body. I know, mine was a war zone after losing 130 lbs. Brooke did it the right way- slow loss through small changes, exercise, and eating good whole foods. Because of this, Brooke has been able to maintain her loss (for almost a year now) but even when we do everything ‘right’ our bodies can only change so much. Brooke, just like me, was left with lots of loose skin. But you know what, she owns it. She is confident in her skin. She took a photo last summer in a bikini (this photo inspired me to buy/wear my first one last June) and she looks great. That is the same photo she submitted to Shape magazine online, the same photo that gave me courage to show my skin, the same photo that said ‘you know what world- this is me and I am freaking beautiful’, the same photo that showed the world what weight loss can sometimes look like, and it was the one they said NO to. Too bad for them because Brooke is awesome. People needed to see her, hear her story. And thankfully, because Brooke had the courage to say no, millions of people have. Yesterday she was the #1 story on Yahoo, she was on Buzzfeed, E! online, and Cosmo to name a few. Today she found out she would be headed to NY to be on the Today Show. All because she stood up for herself. Which is awesome! Good for you Brooke, you are beyond deserving of all of this!

 

Wanting…to be outside. ALL. THE. TIME. Spring is here, which means we are probably days away from summer here in FL, and I just want to be outside all the time. This week instead of going to the gym I am spending my evenings doing yardwork. Mainly because it is time I get to spend out in the sun, doing work that I love, but also because it is a necessity. Trying to get my garden built and planted before the weekend hits. Because the weekend is meant for the beach J

Wishing...I had brought an alpaca home with me from GA. I like to tease Erick that I am going to create a Kickstarter project to fund my alpaca/sheep/goat farm. One day…..

 

 

Eating…I ate the best veggie burger EVER while up in Atlanta. E and I went to Grindhouse Burgers TWICE (Friday and Sunday) because they were just that good. If the alapaca farm doesn’t pan out I am seriously thinking about seeing if I could franchise a Grindhouse and open it up here in Pensacola.

 

Drinking…while at Grindhouse I was able to try for the first time the Hell or High Watermelon from 21^st Amendment out in SF. Erick was out there last fall and had some at the brewery (lucky!) and I was so jealous. So, when we walked into the burger joint only to see they had it we both freaked out. We had a couple both times we were there. We also made a trip by a liquor store and bought up their entire stock. I will be enjoying this all summer long! I have to note here that normally my go-to summer beer is the Abita Strawberry Harvest- this is sooooo much better!

 

Loving…I am totally loving life right now. I really have not a single complaint. The weather is great, I am planting a garden, I am moving in with the bf, I still have a week off until summer term begins, I live in one of the most amazing cities (our World of Beer has a kitchen now!) and I get to go on so many crazy adventures. I am happy. And I am completely head over heels in love. With my life J

 

Love and hugs,

Dacia
xoxoxox