The Shrink I did Rethink

I have this post written in my head but I have been having the hardest time actually writing! I am not sure why. I have been in a bit of a funk since we got all this snow. I am tired of winter, tired of snow….and the weatherman says we might get more on Monday and possibly more again on Saturday. I am OVER this snow stuff!! I love my home – it is my favorite place on the planet but even I need to be able to get out of my house once in a while!

Snow rant over!

My friends at Shrinking Jeans posted this assignment as a final project:

Rethink Your Shrink is coming to an end! Are you ready? Did you rethink? And moreover, did you shrink?  What happened over the past 7 weeks? Did you move more? Did you find victories? Did you find non-scale victories? Did you do something you’ve never done before? (And in a good way?) How much did you lose? How much did you gain in knowledge and preparation? How did you do when you had an off-week? Did you fall off? Did you get back up? Where did you find motivation? Did you like this challenge? How did you do?

On Saturday, January 2nd I weighed in at 204 pounds and yesterday, February 13th I weighed in at 196.8, which is a gain this week of 2.2 ~ thank you sickness and then snow storm but a loss of 7.2 pounds over the course of the 7 errrr 6 weeks of this awesome challenge! I don’t think I shrank but I grew in so many ways during this challenge.

I am also involved in the Perfect 10 challenge and the Mamavation; what can I say?!?! I love challenges and I love the support system from my online peeps! I have met some awesome people during these challenges! I have participated and continue to participate in many challenges! Rethink your Shrink has been unlike any other challenge and I think that is why it has meant so much to me that I am sad it is over.

I finally had my a-ha moment! I woke up and realized that I have been half-assing this weight loss thing! I was not putting my whole heart into it and I have now vowed that 20-10 will be the year of JEN and I am embracing myself and my journey. I have made working out a priority. I have found workouts I LOVE and I have learned that I have to do what works best for me and not what everyone else is doing. I have a problem with that, I get caught up in other people’s excitement. Example, everyone was doing the 30 Day Shred and I had to have that!! I finally received it and I almost killed myself trying to get through it – it was a killer on my knees!! but everyone kept tweeting and blogging about it and I tried to finish…what the hell was I thinking. I do not have to be like anyone else! I am not ashamed of my walking dvd workouts and I think my knees are thankful: they are getting stronger, I am getting stronger and I am doing it my way!

I finally get it!!!

This is my life, my journey and I have to do it my way!!!

I have grown and I continue to grow and learn. I am finding my way and I am finally having fun doing it! I am not blogging as often but when I blog I enjoy it! I workout and I am enjoying it! I am spending more time with my family. I am finding myself getting more organized and less cluttered which is definitely helping my weight loss journey. I know, it sounds crazy but it true!

The last week was a bit crazy with being trapped in the house with the snow immediately following a bout of sickness! Even though my eating was not awesome, I did get back to working out this week 4 days in a row!! I had actually started to miss my workouts and I am so glad I pushed myself to get back at it! I loved when I needed it, I had a ton of support and ass-kicking!!

The past 6-7 weeks I have really stepped up my physical game and I have bulldozed through mental blocks and I feel stronger and more confident than ever.  I am stronger, physically and mentally! I am more confident and satisfied with myself. I am not perfect and I am ok with that!!

I will continue to fight for my health and greatness!!

Thanks hookers, ya’ll throw a great challenge!!

*As you can see it is not Monday, but I am getting caught up on some Sisterhood homework.

Another homework assignment and I am late!! I swear I was a better student than I have been during this challenge. I must admit, I am not even sorry that I am behind in my homework. I have been “Rethinking” my Shrink and refocusing on myself and my journey.  I have not been blogging a whole lot but I have been focusing on the journey. I am eating well (Monday – Friday) and I am making working out a priority.  Crazy, I know! And then I got sick! Freaking sick and freaking miserable and useless! I am feeling better so I will be catching up on my homework!

Dear 2011,

*I tried writing this letter to myself but writing in the 3rd person was driving me crazy. Instead, I am going to write a letter to welcome the year 2011.

Well hello good lookin’!!

2010 was indeed the Year of Jen! 2010 was a year of learning and growing and adapting and learning more! 2010 was the year I finally stepped up, stopped weighting (pun intended) for weightloss to happen and took strides to make sure the weight came off. I finally stopped using the scale as the only tool to define success or failure. I learned to trust myself to do what is right for me! and guess what, I was super successful!!

I tried so many different types of workouts along this journey but I remembered my love for Leslie Sansone and Walk(ing) at Home! I walked in my living room an average of three times per week but I added all sorts of workouts to keep variety. I decided to be brave and try classes of all variety. I even tried running and yoga again.

The winter was hard because it was cold and I HATE the cold! That cold winter cemented my workout habit – working out when I totally wanted to just crawl under the covers and hide helped me make workouts a daily habit. I learned to enjoy workouts in a way I did not think possible. Who knew?!?! I actually like working out. I also learned to incorporate exercises into every day activities!

I learned that working out was the major key to my weight loss. I love food!! LOVE LOVE love food! I found the most fabulous healthy recipes – some were hits and some were flops. I made new recipes or new (to me) foods all year long. I have a whole new appreciation for food and what food does for my body. I still love some of my junk food and I still allow myself treats but I have found a better balance.

The husband and I were only able to plan one family trip but we made it a good one. We found hiking trails and walked a trail each day of our trip. We also scouted out places for walking/hiking through trails close enough to home to travel to and walk and make it home in the same day.  We had so much fun and were active every chance we could get! It was/is amazing!

I hit goal this year!! How freaking amazing is that?!?! I worked hard! I went to my Weight Watchers meetings every Saturday morning and I hit goal! I ate great foods! I worked out! I changed my mind, my body and it all worked! I am still in amazement that I am at goal! The best part of hitting goal – I have changed my way of thinking, eating and moving but I have also changed my family!!

I started staying after school twice each week to workout with a few of my students in our gym. I also started a girl’s only fitness/life skills class at school. An hour each Friday has been devoted to working on increasing self esteem, body image, and self love for my female students. This is my single most exciting and awesome accomplishment of 2010. I learned so much about myself along this journey and I feel like I really have used everything I have gained to help build up the confidences of some very insecure teenage girls.

2010 was a GREAT year!! 2011 will be even better!!

Thanks for following along on this crazy journey!

much love, Jen