Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Watch My Weight Wednesday! Meet Kitty!

Welcome back to Watch My Weight Wednesday!  This week I am so excited to introduce you to Kitty author from Trying to Fit in a Big World.  Today she is going to share her weight loss story with us!   Welcome Kitty!

Hello everyone :)

Angie has asked me to guest blog today.  It took me a while to think of where to start.  So I guess from the beginning is a good place.

I was a skinny kid, very active, in swim class twice a week, sometimes when my mom could afford it, synchronized swimming was added to the week as well.  I was at the height of most swimmers dreams, I was able to kick butt during the relay races -all the kids older then me (I was always the youngest in my classes by at least 5 years).  My synchronized swimming teacher begging me to join the Guelph team.  It was awesome!  Then....the dreaded day of puberty hit...I couldn't swim with my period!  So I quit everything!  :O!!

No...of course I didn't start packing on the weight right away...took a few years after that, but I know in my heart that's when it all started.  I also thought it was normal to eat a full big bag of chips, 1-2 a week, and when I was upset, my mom would take me out to DQ for a treat to make all my problems disappear.  Of course when your younger, you think the treat really does make life's problems disappear, but now that I am older, I know it was the fact I was with my mom doing the girly chat thing.

But after 5 years, it had become an awful habit, also out of convenience I landed my first 'real' job...at McDonald's!  What convenience, if i was having a bad day, or I forgot to pack something, or i was out with my friends, no problem, they offered discounts to their employees!  I was eating it 3-4 times a week.  After working there for 3 years, adding 50lbs to my figure, I left for a coffee shop.

Initially, I did lose 10 lbs, what an amazing feeling, 10 lbs.  Then somehow over the course of the 4 years I gained that 10, plus another 30!!  Oh noes!!  One day, I was having a really bad day with my self esteem, almost crying at work, I looked up and out the window after I placed some donuts on the shelve and saw a weight loss clinic.  I was like you know what, this is it, this weight is gone!  And I called them right away.  Of course they booked me in for right when I was done work.

I got all signed up, ready to go.  The program sounded easy enough, follow the food portions (which are the same as the food guide if you look closely), and take a few herbals to help me conquer my cravings.

After 4 weeks, I noticed the results, down 2 sizes!!  But due to financial reasons, I had to leave.  Of course I put it all back on over the next year and a half.  By then my financial situation had changed for the better, so I got by butt back into that center and worked really hard for 6 months.  I lost 60lbs!!  I still wasn't at my ideal weight, but I was fine with where I ended up, I didn't want to lose more, I could fit into clothes at my favourite stores, Le Chateau, the French Connection, American Eagle, etc.  I even wore a bikini for the first time since I quit swimming! 


When I heard that clinic was hiring, I was in there every 2 weeks, dropping of a resume, and pestering the ladies that worked there to give me a chance to join the team and share my story.

Finally after almost 3 months, they hired me on.  I was on top of the world still!  I tried to lose a little more so the clients in my new work place could see that I care about my body, and that someone is on their side.  I wanted to stay relatible. Nope, backfired, I slowly started to gain weight...very slowly... .5 lbs a week on average.  By the end of my first year, I had gained back 20 lbs despite biking every day for 2 hours and walking everywhere.  I had a lot of pressure of coworkers to lose some more -don't get me wrong they did it out of love, and it did become something I had to do for someone else, which made it so much harder.

I lasted there for another year, when I decided, working in a weight loss clinic wasn't for me.  I left for school!  Yay!  But, since moving, and going to school, I packed on the rest of the weight I lost...fast!  But keep in mind, I was on the bus for 2 hours every day, sat in class for 5 hours, and sat for another 6-8 hours every afternoon studying.

Yes, I moved back home for school, and yes my mom doesn't cook the healthiest (everything consists of canned soup or cheese or butter), but I didn't start eating less either.  And with my lack of activity, I should have.

Now that I am done school, I am working 30 hours a week (on my feet) and have incorporated exercising 3 times a week.  I am picking up more fruits and vegetables and I'm started to see some changes, my waist on my pants have gotten more lose, and my shirt I'm wearing today is fitting more lose, also my 'pouch' is slowly disappearing (only appears when I sit now!).  I also managed to get my hands on a copy of the PX90 videos, will get some bands over the next few weeks and start tackling those and challenging my body!

My eating still hasn't changed, but my activity levels have.  Also my happiness has changed, I'm not stressed out over exams flying at me every 2 weeks.  So yes, some may think my journey is a failure, I disagree, its anything but.  I have learned so much about health, fitness, and how to take care of my body.  Every journey is different, we all have things to bring to the table for health, and don't let someone knock you down!

I am proud to be a 'loser' again!

Posted By Kitty author of   Trying to Fit in a Big World
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This is a blog hop!  Post your recipes, tips, and your weight loss stories!  It can be a new post or an older one that you would like to share.

What are your goals this week? Let me know in the comment section!

Add your old or new post below with Linky! Can't wait to see all the helpful tips/recipes/stories you have!
Please link directly to your post and not your blog URL. Please link back here so that everyone can join in the fun.

7 comments:

Priscilla said...

Oh it's definitely hard to lose. I've no idea how I am down 14 pounds. I do know how I gained 90 though!

Best of luck!

Michelle said...

Congrats on your losing Kitty. It's never easy to shed those unwanted pounds. You just have to be persistent and ignore the numbers on the scale. I think concentrating on being healthy really makes weight loss more successful rather than trying to fit into some kind of social stereotype. If we were all meant to be a size 2 this world would be an awfully boring place to live in! Keep up the good work. Peace. ;)

Kitty said...

Thank you so much ladies! :)

Good luck on your journey Priscilla!

Michelle -that's a really great way of life, don't worry about the numbers, focusing on the healthiness, definitely something I need to keep remembering!

As for losing weight...I think the difficult challenge is making sure you don't find it back! :)

Sarah @ Dream in Domestic said...

Great post! Congrats on always persisting even after some slip-ups. It's not the times you gain weight that matter, it's that you recognize it and decide to change for yourself. It's great that this journey has helped you learn about your body and your health. When I gained some weight I finally decided to learn about my own health and incorporate it into my life not only to look better but more importantly to feel better. Even though I am a healthy weight now, I still struggle with my self esteem, but one thing that always makes me proud is that I am healthy. No matter what you look like, your health is most important and nobody can take that away from you.

Good luck keeping it off and feeling good about yourself! Thanks for the inspiring post!

Melissa said...

Congrats on meeting your goals and all the hard work you put in. Losing weight is so hard. Keeping it off is harder. I lost 60 lbs last year and felt amazing, but now it's slowly going back up and I hate it. I'm very active, but every week I'm trying to change my eating habits to be healthier. It really is a struggle.

Julie said...

Angie, thank you for letting us meet Kitty. She sounds just like a normal every day person with the same feelings, time restraints and all as the rest of us. I like that. I'm off to read her blog and see what else she has to teach me. Sorry I didn't get linked up on Wednesday, been a hell of a week so far.
Take care Angie and have a wonderful afternoon. God Bless!!!

Corinne Cunningham said...

That attitude is what matters, the happiness :) So glad you've gotten there!!
Go you :)