Suzy Q Homemaker

I regret not taking a real before picture so I could really compare the Old Me with the New Me.  I was avoiding cameras at all cost, though.  I think this’ll do.  The before picture was taken in April and the other was just a couple weeks ago.  I’m telling you: Zumba works.

I don’t prescribe to any weight loss plan.  In fact, that never crossed my mind when I finally decided to get my ass off the couch and back into the gym.  See what had happened was I found myself growing more depressed as the winter changed into Spring.  That depression turned into laziness, comfort food, and the wearing of drawstring pants.  I hated what I saw in the mirror.  I hate the way I look in the family portraits we had done.  When I visited the doctor to make some medication adjustments, he recommended I get a complete metabolic profile, thyroid tests, and cholesterol tests.  To my surprise, my cholesterol was high.  He suggested I go on a low-fat diet and get more exercise.

It was pretty simple, actually.  We changed our e-mealz plan to the low-fat plan and once I had adjusted to a higher dose of Zoloft, I was no longer terrified of getting out of the house and into a couple classes at the Y.  I try to get into the gym at least twice a week.  A typical week consists of Monday night Zumba & Yoga, Tuesday night Pilates, and Friday night Zumba & Yoga.  Now that they’ve cancelled the Advanced Yoga class, I had to scratch that off my Tuesday night schedule.  There is a Zumba class to go to after Pilates that I tried last week.  Maybe I’ll keep going to that.  We’ll see.

One of the biggest things I actually did to keep myself on track was to write down everything I ate.  Everything.  I spent all summer keeping tabs on my calories in vs. calories burned.  I have a free app on my iPod & one on my phone so I can make sure not to overdo it when we go out to eat.  But I indulge every now & then.  I have to!  I try to do it sensibly, though.

All-in-all, I’ve lost twenty pounds since the beginning of Summer.  I can proudly wear some of the jeans that I was about ready to give up.  Woohoo!

Writing this made me want a cheeseburger.  That sucks.