FIVE YEARS!!!

So….we are just a few days away from March and I realized that this is only my second post for the YEAR! Can you believe it? I am sucking at this whole blogging regularly thing lately.

I have been blogging for 5 years now and what started as a nearly daily occurrence has dwindled to a once a month thing, sometimes even less frequently. That’s just life I guess. When I first started out (FIVE YEARS AGO- seriously cannot believe that!) I had a lot more focus and my writing had purpose- to keep me accountable. Now, I am much more set in my ways. My lifestyle is just that, it is ingrained into me. Yeah, some days (weeks) are better than others but even at my worst I am far better off than I was five years ago. My friends call it ‘health conscious’ and I love that term. Even my ‘junk food’ or ‘off days’ look nothing like the crap I used to put in my body on the regular before I knew better.

I can say without a doubt that blogging has changed my life for the better. Because of it I found my support group, the world’s best cheerleaders, and some of the most amazing friends. My community, both online and in real life, is amazing. It has allowed me to open up and connect with others that share my interests and struggles that I otherwise would have never met. That right there is priceless.

I lost weight, yes, but it was so much more than that. I gained my health back. I added years to my life. I ADDED LIFE TO MY YEARS! I stopped being so fucking afraid of everything. I stopped hating myself. I stopped feeling ashamed and embarrassed of how I looked or how I thought others perceived me. I found acceptance, self-love and I did so without having to lose weight first. I fell in love with me at one of my heaviest weights and was able to continue that through my lowest weight and every weight in between.

The adventures….oh there have been so many! Fitbloggin’, weekend trips, hiking with friends, slow rides, running races (still can’t get over this) including and most special to my heart – the Ragnar Relay in Cape Cod. Heck- I was even in a magazine!!! (And a book). Me. The girl that wasn’t sure she could do much of anything has ended up doing more than she could have imagined.

When I started writing five years ago I doubt this is what I had pictured for my future self. I am not even sure I believed that was capable of changing my life but I knew I had to try. My life literally depended on it.  And I knew that I needed to ask for help, I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. And that is what I did. I asked you to help me, to support me, to listen, to lend me advice and input and you did. And for that I am eternally grateful.

It has been five years.

Five amazingly wonderful, empowering, heartbreaking, humbling, fan-fucking-tastic years. It’s been everything I had hoped for and more. I feel like I have learned more about myself and about life over these past five years than I had in the 33 previous. There is so much growth that happens through openness. I can only hope that these next five years bring me as much love and happiness as the last.

Again, thank you for your love and support and for coming here and reading. It means more than you will ever know.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

WW Weekly Weigh-In Week 5 Recap

It’s time to bring back the weekly weigh in posts. As I have discussed here and here, I am back at Weight Watchers again after a 3+ year hiatus. No, it’s not perfect. But it is what I need right now. And back in the day, back when I lost over 100 pounds on WW, I was blogging my weekly weigh in results. That was so long ago, though, that the blog I am talking about doesn’t even exist anymore. That was two blog domains ago. LOL.

But keeping with the spirit of things and trying to get back into the weight loss game I am resurrecting the weekly weigh in posts. Why? Because I need to keep myself accountable. I also need to rely on the things in the past that helped me be successful the first go-around.

This time, however, I am hoping it isn’t much longer before I am back in my happy weight range. My wedding day would be a nice time to be back to the point where I am feeling comfortable in my skin again. That really is the one day I would like to not be concerned about how my dress is fitting or what is jiggling or spilling over or rubbing me weird or any of that stuff. My goal is just to be comfortable in my dress so I can relax and have fun.

That date…is two months from today.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? I AM GETTING MARRIED IN TWO MONTHS!!!!

So here are my current weight loss goals that I am working towards

#1 Get to 173 by 8/29. 

This is the weight I was at when I bought my wedding dress and 8/29 is my first dress fitting. When I bought the dress it fit great, although there was a little back fat issues happening but other than that, I loved it. I felt so comfortable in that dress- which was the deciding factor in the purchase. That and it is stunning….

#2 Get to 166 by ??? 

No real date for this one but this is the top of my healthy range so I would like to be here, or below, I guess by 10/17 or maybe even by my second dress (if I need one- not sure how that all works)

#3 Hit 161 by ??? 

Again, no date here but my healthy range is 156-166 so I would like to hit the mid-point again this year and then go into next year focused on maintaining.

OK, so for #2 and #3 I probably should assign dates because that is the ‘T’ in SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals. So let’s say 166 by 10/17/15 and 161 (or below) by 12/31. Now my three weight loss goals all fit into the SMART goal setting method.

I also have another goal I am currently working towards which not exactly a weight loss goal. 

#4 Complete Cize by 8/29

I just started week 3 this morning and am happy to report I have not missed a day yet. Why? Because I love it so much. I happily get out of bed every morning before the sun comes up to dance with Shaun T. What’s even crazier is that I don’t want to stop. I will spend close to an hour every day doing what could be done in 30-40 minutes just because I love to keep practicing. It is really the best program I have ever tried. 

Now…as for my weigh in days. Well those are on Saturday and I rarely blog during the weekend. So, look for posts on Monday or Tuesday for my weekly recap. But for now, let me catch you up to speed since I am starting this series already through week 5. 

Since rejoining WW on 7/11/2015 I am down 8.6 pounds.

My previous weeks looked like this:

7/18 180.6 (-1.4 lbs)

7/25 178.0 (-2.6 lbs)

8/1 178.8 (+0.8 lbs)

8/8 176.2  (-2.6 lbs)

And then this week…

8/15 173.4 (-2.8 lbs) which brings my weekly average loss to just over 1.7 pounds and it brings weight loss goal one just within my reach.

I would love to lose another pound over the next two weeks and make my first goal a reality. I know finishing the next two weeks of Cize will definitely help.

Also, going forward I do plan to write more about my weekly plans and whether or not I achieved them so I will start with this week.

I have my breakfasts and lunches for M-F planned out as well as my dinner M-Th. I know that E and I are going out for trivia Tuesday night so I am planning on having one beer there. But I don’t plan on drinking any other time this week, meaning Saturday through Friday. Friday night dinner is not planned yet but I am hoping to make dinner at home since I know Saturday we will be eating out and drinking (going to a concert) and then Sunday is our day with our Little Brother which will involve lunch out and going to the movies. So I want to make sure I am balancing out my eating and staying within the 20% of my 80/20 rule.

My dinners this week- pre cooking....

For activity I have two goals this week: complete week 3 of Cize and best my step count from last week (exceed 82K steps)- which will be difficult since we have rain in the forecast every day this week. But I set a goal so I will just need to figure out a plan to make it happen- with or without the rain.

These past couple weeks have been made easier by the ladies actively participating in my FB group (link here if you'd like to join). I love having a group of women that openly share their struggles and encourage and support each other on our journeys. It is very helpful for me, that’s for sure.

Ok, this quick recap quickly spiraled into a short story so I will end it here…

Until next week

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

If You Always Do What You've Always Done...

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” ~ Henry Ford

My former Weight Watcher leader used to say that to us all the time and I 100% agree.

Meaning if we keep doing what isn’t working it will keep not working. If you want different results you need to do things differently.

Which is why I rejoined Weight Watchers after a 3 year hiatus.

You see, my journey thus far has kind of looked like this:

-Tried to lose weight on my own by just changing what I eat/reduce calories- lost about ten pounds

-Joined WW at the encouragement of a friend and stayed on the program for a little over a year- lost 100 pounds

-Changed focus from weight loss to training as I began running and was building up to running a half marathon- lost 20+ more pounds and hit my ‘ideal weight’ based on nutritionists recommendation

-Continue running, training, taking on new challenges and maintaining weight loss up until my surgery in December of 2013

-Spent the entirety of 2014 rebuilding after two surgeries and once I was cleared I began running again. Did not focus on my weight at all, instead I focused just on trying to get back to where I was physically before the surgery. *I should note that I maintained a healthy weight range throughout the year and I even PR’d my half marathon time and finally got a sub 30 minute 5K PR.

-Early 2015 was all about getting ready for Ragnar in May. Between the HM in November and Ragnar in May I ran a total of 7 half marathons, 2 of which I ran back to back.  My late winter/early spring was all about running. So by the time Ragnar came I was completely burned out. I am not one of those people that could run every day. I am not a run-streaker person. I am a variety person. I need change to hold my interest. I was ready to start my running hiatus the minute I returned from MA and that I did.

-Spent a couple months post Ragnar just living life very unstructured. I worked out, some days. But there was a period in May to early June where I didn’t do much of anything. I even started to slip with my eating habits and my practice of 80/20 started to look more like 60/40…50/50…and the weight gain happened. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but enough to notice. And enough to be concerned given it happened in a very short period of time. Maybe 15 pounds between May to July. And I felt it. 

I tried to go back to calorie counting using MFP and get back into weight loss mode but I just couldn’t. It was a struggle. It just wasn't working. Or maybe I should say, I just wasn't working it. 

So I decided that I needed to do what worked for me before, Weight Watchers. Even though I do have a few gripes with the program and there really isn’t much difference between tracking points and tracking calories/macros in my opinion. But mentally, there seems to be a difference for me. WW worked before. I am not sure why- maybe the fact that I was paying for it helped keep me accountable. Maybe it was all the fun features with the app that I enjoyed. Who knows? But I am back at it and for now, for what I need, it is working.

I started back just over a month ago when I hit the 180’s for the first time since I left the 180’s years  ago. That number scared me. Not because it was higher than I would like, but because I felt like I had lost control. I needed to get my shit together and get back into the habits that keep me feeling good and keep my body healthy.

Tomorrow is my weigh in day so I cannot give you an exact number of what I have lost so far but as of last Saturday I am down 5.8 lbs. in 4 weeks. My mini-goal is to be at 173 by August 29^th with my long term goal to get back between 156 and 166- my ideal weight range.  So no, it’s not a whole lot of weight I am looking to lose, especially compared to how much I had to lose to get to this point, but I knew I couldn’t get there without making some changes. And I am so happy I did.

I also started the Cize workout program which is by far the best thing I have ever done in terms of at home DVDs. It is so much fun and I look forward to it every day. I love it so much that I even post videos on my blog page documenting my progress. (this is my affiliate link in case you are interested in Cize or anything else Beachbody- that's about all I will say about that) 

One of many (probably too many) sweaty selfies I have been posting after my workouts :)

And because I firmly believe no man is an island, I started a FB group for accountability and support. We are all doing a hodgepodge of programs and activities and I love it. Please feel free to join us if you are looking for the same.

Lastly, I have the Pensacola half marathon in November. Training is set to start August 30th  and I was so not looking forward to it. I honestly think after the spring races I have already registered for I will be taking another hiatus from running. I think I am falling out of love with it…but that is for another post. What I am looking forward to is helping my Little Brother train for the Pensacola Kids Marathon. Now that will inspire me to be a really great role model and cheerleader for him. I am super excited about that! 

I think I am on a roll, I am feeling excited and happy about the things I am doing and that is making it easier to keep doing them...go figure ;) It's a good feeling to be back in this place again. 

Who doesn't love puppy pictures? 

Carousels are not strictly for kids ;)

What about you? What are you doing today to help commit/recommit to a healthy and happy life?

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

A Quick Hello

Hi everyone! I just wanted to drop in for a quick hello!

I have two days left in my final semester of my EdS (God willing) and I am trying to not lose my shit over the volume of work that still remains to be done.

I have a project due tomorrow and I am, best guess, 75% finished.

I have a paper (a huge, huge, gigantic 35 page paper) due Thursday. I talked about this same paper in this post. This is the one I am writing about the Black Lives Matter movement.  Well, technically I am writing to answer the question ‘Why Do Black Loves Matter’. Normally, especially when I am as organized and prepared as I am now, I can write pretty quickly. When I get into it the words just flow and writing a paper of this length would typically take me two days tops. Right now I am about half way through and it has taken me more than two days to get there. Yikes. I am so slow in the process of writing this particular paper because a) I am overwhelmed with data and resources and b) because I want to do this topic justice. This isn’t just a normal grad school paper. This one is different. It’s hard. It’s complex. And the topic is so fucking upsetting. It’s been rough.

I will definitely need a beer or six when this is all over.

I started Cize this week. I love this program so much. DVDs/at home workouts are usually not my thing but this one is different. It’s doable and enjoyable and it keeps me craving more. I have been doing the program for a couple weeks but started officially with the 4 week program on Sunday. And as I mentioned previously, I am now a Beachbody coach. I am not trying to sell you on Cize though, I would still be writing about it even if I wasn’t affiliated with BB. But if you are interested in the program you can check out some videos I have posted on my FB page or even join in my (non-affiliated) accountability and weight loss group I created last week. We talk about Cize there too, although only a couple of us are doing the program. The group is open to anyone that just wants some help and support.

That’s pretty much it for now, I think.

I am really looking forward to getting back into blogging regularly again once the semester is over. I have missed the last two Mental Health Monday link ups and I still want to continue on with the Eat, Move, Love series. I miss sharing with you guys!

Oh and Gordie was chosen as one of the top 5 cutest dogs in Pensacola. The contest ends tomorrow. Voting is taking place on FB and if you want to cast a vote for our little furbaby just click this link and ‘like’ his photo.

Thanks!

Hope you all are well!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxo

A Friday Rant

So here’s my rant on this beautiful Friday…

I try not to take anything anyone says about their life, and the situation they are in, personally. People use all types of social media (including blogging, like me) to talk openly and honestly about their struggles, frustrations, and hard times and what they need is support. They need to know that they are not alone and that there are people that believe in them and will stand by them on their journey.

HOWEVER…it is hard for me, at times, to bite my lip and not respond as such…

You can have a million people on your team, cheerleaders out the wazoo, countless inspirational quotes hanging on your walls but if you cannot believe in yourself, if you are not ready to change, if you cannot put your health first and make yourself top priority you will not be successful.

Paying a coach or trainer can help teach you many things but they can’t make you show up to the gym.

Taking a cooking class or reading healthy eating food blogs or buying a dozen cookbooks can arm you with tips and tricks and new ideas but they can’t make you buy/prepare/eat the food.

Reading success stories, joining FB groups, following twitter chats, seeing IG photos can inspire you to want to change but they cannot make you change.

Only YOU can change your life.

YES, it is so much better when you know you are not alone. It is so much easier when you have plenty of resources available to you. It is definitely beneficial to have guidance and support and that can really help propel you. But none of that can make you take that first step (and the five gazillion subsequent steps) and keep you accountable and help you progress in your journey.

Only you can do that.

I can’t make you go to the gym, eat a salad, or motivate you to make the lifestyle changes you need to make to get you to where you want to go. That’s got to be you.

I am here to support you, cheer you on, help in any way I can but you have to be your number one cheerleader, your number one motivator and your number one friend.

It won’t be easy but honestly, nothing is.

But it is worth it. YOU are worth it.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxox

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