How I did it: I woke up one morning realizing I was morbidly obese, that I hated my job, and that I could change both those things. I also realized that if I lost weight I would come across as smarter and more capable when I went in to interviews, which would be essential since I want out of my current job. (I'm not making that up... skinnier people are seen as smarter. They've done studies. Le sigh.) I didn't want to die of a heart attack or go blind from diabetes at 45, so I saddled up Droid and my iPod and started kicking my own ass.
I discovered a program called My Fitness Pal that fit neatly on my Droid phone and had a corresponding website. For some reason the layout and options of this program really worked for me, so I managed to stick with it.
I was religious about inputting everything I ate so I had an idea of how much each item would cost me in calories. The weight loss started but it was very slow, only about half a pound a week. It wasn't until I started walking and doing intervals with jogging that the weight really started to plummet. (12 pounds in the last 2.5 months!) My Fitness Pal allowed for me to track my exercise on top of everything else, and it's just really well put together. I really think this is what gave me the most impetus to proceed. Well, that and realizing I fit in to much smaller clothes than I have in the past five years. It's really spurred me on!

Lessons & tips: ~There is no magic pill. You will simply wake up one morning and decide you need to be healthy. And then you will go do it.
~Sweets cravings are wonderfully cured by fresh, sweet fruit. Low in calories and sometimes high in fiber! I've been buying peaches to nibble for dessert!
~Fruit with your morning cereal, especially blueberries, are a really awesome addition. In fact, substitute blueberries for the extra half cup of cereal you usually pour yourself and you'll have at least half the calories and a LOT less fat.
~Having someone to encourage you is pretty much essential. Even if it's just coworkers saying you're looking better, that's a huge boost.
~GO SHOPPING! I no longer fit in half of my stuff and when I realized the cute stuff I was headed for by shedding the weight, it gave me a huge boost of resolve. Another tip off of that? Buy something that you think is just a little too small for you. Try it on in 2 weeks and get giddy when it fits.

Resources: ~My Fitness Pal - mobile app and website
~Couch to 5K program (their facebook group posts a lot of really awesome articles about healthy diet and exercise tips, which we've been using to great affect!)
~Ipod and Nike+ pedometer to track time and steps taken. The Nike + website also has a really awesome mini-game where you check in your workouts and use it to conquer cities. Because working should be fun!
~My dog. Even if I'm too sore to get on the treadmill or take a roll around the neighborhood, I take him for a 25 minute walk every day so he can be healthy too.

Jun 23, 2011, 06:09AM PDT | 2 comments | 8 cheers