The Old New Me!

Opening oneself up to share a difficult journey is a brave decision. I debated with myself for months about my weight loss journey and decided that if I could inspire just one mama to take herself back then it would be worth opening my proverbial book and taking the emotional risk. So…

For as long as I can remember I’ve always struggled with my weight. After my pregnancies it was easy to rationalize that I had just had a baby and keeping a little extra baby weight was ok. But then months turned into years and the weight never came off. I carried an extra 30 pounds for 10 years! That’s a lot of extra baggage to carry around and for a long time. More than the actual pounds though is the way the weight (physical and emotional) kind of takes away your strength and confidence to feel in control of your life. I hid from friends, said no to dinner parties, etc. because I didn’t feel good in my own skin.

This past summer, when for the first time both girls were away at camp, I had time to focus on just me. I didn’t have anyone else to take care of, drop off, make dinner for, console, entertain etc. John and Zuccy were around of course, but you mommas know what I mean. I actually began thinking of me, what can I do to be a stronger person, wife, mother and business owner. The first step forward started with me taking care of myself.

Part One – you are what you eat:

I have always been committed to exercise so what really made a change for me was thinking about what I put in my mouth . . . especially as the years pass. I didn’t follow any particular diet, just common sense and what made me feel successful. I took carbs and sugar out of my diet. Completely. No pasta, bread, rice and no sugar. Yes to clean protein and fruits and veggies. After two weeks I found my body truly stopped craving what I eliminated. So hang on, take it day by day, and I swear when you hit two weeks, you will feel cleaner, less bloated and the cravings go away. Also, you will probably lose a few pounds too and that is a big motivator! I also stumbled upon the most amazing snack - TOSI Almond Super Bites. It’s basically almonds and seeds and that’s it. No sugar or extra junk. It’s crunchy and satisfying and tastes so good!!! I have them for breakfast now and dessert after dinner. Everyone I have told about them is hooked too! Order them on Amazon! I swear you won’t be disappointed.

Part Two - get moving:

As I said, I’ve always exercised and for the last year maybe I was slacking a little (maybe part of the emotional weight?) and only doing one day a week (at Soul Cycle my fave). I embraced the exercise routine and committed to 3 days a week to start. I sat in the back of class for a month, getting stronger class by class. Laurie Cole my instructor and motivator always says “you are out of breath, not because you are out of shape but because you are getting into shape.” And it’s so true. It's super hard not to be hard on your self but those words always stuck with me and motivated me. The other day in class Laurie played a song from last summer (CLOSER by Chainsmokers!) when I started getting back in shape. The difference in my ability to keep up astonished me. I started sobbing. Good deep happy tears. I went from struggling to even stay out of the bike seat and nowhere near catching the beat, to powering through the whole song! I was strong. . . and I worked my ass off to get here and it feels so, so good. I am proud of myself.

I feel good. The best part is feeling in control of my life again. Being strong. Setting a good example for my girls.

If anyone is struggling out there, I know exactly how you feel. I also know you can do it!!! Take back your life, find the old you, the strong you, the resilient you – she’s in there knocking on the door hoping to peek her head around the corner and emerge more confident than ever before. We all have the strength in us, pull it out and embrace it!! You will be so glad you did!!