Weekly Wednesday Weigh-In (let’s be honest…Daily Weigh-In)

 

Most of my daily readings from the ‘Blogging World’ consist of blogs that are focused on fitness and weight loss.  I find it inspiring to read other people’s weight loss journeys, and get tips on recipes and exercises that other ‘real women’ are using.  And the majority of them say that they find that their blog has become their accountability to get up in the morning and work out because they know others are reading it and getting inspired.   

Even though I don’t plan on inspiring anybody with writing about my ‘weekly weigh-ins (going back to the few followers I have so far),’ I do think it’ll be a good motivator to keep me on track.  It’ll also give me a place to vent/rant about my frustrations with exercise, weight gain/loss, and the struggle that I’ve had pretty much my entire life.  And it’ll also let me talk about our second home, the gym.  And about my constant battle with my love of beer and cupcakes and wanting to be in shape.  

I have a horrible addiction to the scale.  I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, but I get on it EVERY MORNING.  Maybe it is a problem..eek!  I use it to gauge how I’m doing, track my progress, and determine if I should put down the cupcake.  (Can you tell I like cupcakes?)

Brief history lesson on my weight:

I have always been up and down with my weight.  Mostly up, but you get the idea.  I never considered myself ‘obese’ but I don’t ever remember a time where I was perfectly content with my weight.  I played sports all through my childhood and continued through high school.  But, I don’t think playing goalie in soccer really sped up my metabolism either.  Then came college, and although I wasn’t the typical college girl who drank her way through college with a side junk food, I also was in a relationship the entire time.  Going to visit every weekend=eating out every weekend.  I made a commitment to lose weight before I graduated college, and started the Atkin’s diet and worked out about 4 times a week (cardio only…on the elliptical).  I quickly lost about 20 lbs, and actually was happy with my college graduation photos (age 20). 

Then normal eating resumed, and like anybody who has ever tried Atkins, the minute you incorporate carbs back into your diet, you gain whatever weight you lost plus 10 back.  Add 5 years and about 10 lbs more, and I was not a happy camper (weight wise).  I stopped and started the Atkins Diet a few of more times, tried South Beach, and any other ‘fad diet’ that looked easy.  Easy being the key word.  I didn’t actually want to work for my weight loss.  

This is around 2009: 

This is about my third 5K (walking):

Well, then 2010/2011 came.  A combination of getting engaged, planning for a wedding, breaking off the wedding, and being single for the first time in 8 years slapped me in my face.  I turned to running.  Running was my escape from life.  It cleared my mind, and I actually enjoyed it.  I started off slow…1 mile turned to 2, and 2 turned to 4, and by March 2011, I had completed my first 10K. This was such a proud moment for me.

I’d love to say that running led me to shedding the lbs, but it didn’t.  It helped, but I was also single for the first time in a long time which meant going out on the weekends and drinking, eating at 2am, and being the emotional eater that everyone has had experience with. 

To give all of you guys a number since I love/hate the scale so much:

Pre 2010: 170ish (highest, 176)

2010:  165

2011:  155-158 

Then I met Josh.  Our conversations sparked with talking in the gym at work, so, of course, I got my butt in there every day hoping to see him.  The gym is his thing.  It’s his escape.  His passion for the gym was actually contagious as silly as that sounds. 

He’s not a health nut.  THANK GOD! But he enjoys his fitness.  He enjoys his beer just like I do, and knows that he’ll just have to run a little harder the following day.  And if you don’t like cheesy, stop reading, but he honestly makes me feel like I’m a size 2 super model.  He’s never made me feel like I should lose weight, and thinks I should be washing my car in a sports bra and shorts.  Oh to be that confident…

Even with having a guy who adores the way you look, and feeling ‘heatlhy,’ I still struggle daily with my body.  I mean, it’s my own fault.  I need to break up with my scale.  I need to stop being angry that I gained 3 lbs in one day when it could be a combination of 1000 things that has led to it.  Or a combination of the beer and cupcakes, either way…if I didn’t step on the scale daily, I wouldn’t frustrate/disappoint myself.

So fast forward to July 2013, and here we are.  I have completed my first half marathon, completed my first Tough Mudder, I go to the gym about 5 times a week, and STILL do not feel comfortable in a bikini.   

One of my favorite pictures of us at Tough Mudder: 

My first (hopefully not last) Half Marathon:

Obviously, it’s summer right now so I’m not going to be ‘bikini ready by the summer’ but that is my new goal.  Whether or not the scale goes down shouldn’t (key word: shouldn’t) matter, but it should be about how I feel. 

A little piece of this blog will be my accountability, and my own ‘diary’ for my continued fitness journey.  I need accountability.  Even when it comes to the gym, if Josh isn’t going with me, or I’m not meeting someone there, it’s hard to get myself to go on my own.

So here we go, you are now a part of Casi's fitness journey.  (I should say Casi and Josh's fitness journey, but I'm slowly realizing that Josh is just a random guest star in this blog.....).  

Until next time...