Skip to main content

170.2


“Mrs. Victor, my mother told me she saw you at Weight Watchers last night!” one of my students yelled across the cafeteria to me. Cringing inside that my secret was now out to my students, I smiled and told him she sure did. I have been talking to all my classes about going to the gym each morning. Why did the fact that now they knew I was ‘watching my weight’ bother me?

Talking about women and weight is taboo. Uncomfortable. The unspeakable. In the past eight months I have written about many uncomfortable topics. It is time to address yet another. My weight. Do I dare write it down? Put it out there for the world to see? What the hell? At my largest, I was 197 pounds. I am currently 170.2 according to the Weight Watchers scales. I was at 180 when I began at the beginning of January. As you can see, it has taken me some time to get going. I played around with the whole Points Plus system.  Unfortunately, exercise was not a consistent part of my day until February. Therefore, I saw a little loss and much gaining back. When I finally decided to get serious at the gym, the weight started coming off a little bit at a time.

4:45am each morning my alarm goes off. Grabbing my New Weight-Loss for Women book, gloves, and iPod, I head out the door in the dark of the early morning. It is my time of the day. Time for me to disappear into my music and focus on me. Time to feel the weight of the barbell as I try not to notice my bulging belly as I squat to the ground. Time to challenge myself to reach toward my goal of doing a real push-up. (I have a ways to go. Until then, my push-ups are at either a 45 or 30 degree angle.) I walk into the gym groggy. I leave with a bounce in my step. The gym is what keeps me going. Three days a week of weight training. Two of cardio. And Zumba on Saturday.

Tomorrow I will be running extra. Oreos and fried ice cream are not a good way to sculpt the body into sexy. The sculpting I am doing is not about losing weight, but rather changing my lifestyle. I do my best to eat five times a day. Healthy food, at that. Today, I wanted something more. I don’t know if my body will ever see the magic number that I have in my head (130 pounds). Whether it happens or not, I am no longer going to let a number dictate how I feel about myself! I know my muscles are growing, my mood is altering, and I feel good! 

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 10, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    Mandie I know from experience that each time you lose weight and gain some back then lose weight again it is much harder to lose--especially after doing this several times (each time gets harder and harder for it to come off ) I am exercising 4 times a week (granted it is with people my age and geared for us But I don't seem to be losing but people are telling me I look good so I think I am just toning up). Good luck. also last summer when you was here I noticed how thin you looked and with all you are doing you have to be in good shape even if the scales are not telling you that. Love you. Marguerite

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WABDR: Section 1

Section 1  We end at the beginning  Does it feel like this trip will never end? Epic adventures tend to last a bit longer than just an average one. So….on with our tale.  We got our bikes all packed up and continued over White Pass. The first time we went over it, it was a cloudy day. Thus, the visibility of the mountains was not much. I was expecting the same on our return trip to Packwood. Therefore, it took my breath away when I saw the mountain off in the distance for the first time. The beauty was so overwhelming, I teared up.    I continued to watch the mountain until I could see it no more. Soon we were in Packwood. Back where we started. After a quick breakfast at the local coffee shop, we were on our way. I may have taken a few minutes to ride the big bike first… Not too long though, because someone was ready to get moving.  Jennifer had some friends that were camping at Walupt Lake, which is right on the trail for Sectio...
Post a Comment
Read more

An Easter Lesson

I decided that this break I was going to stay home and spend the week doing things I have not done or haven't done in awhile. It all began Thursday night with Ballroom Dancing, which will continue on Monday and Thursday with lessons. Saturday, I bought a couple of new outfits. Today brought both something I hadn't done in awhile and something new. Today, I went to church which was pretty cool in itself. I went with someone I just met the day before. (I am sure that is no surprise to any of you who know me.) We made plans to meet up at church. It was different from any church I had been in before. The chairs were set up "in the round." There was no piano or organ to accompany our singing. People were in and out throughout the 90 minute service. No surprise, the place was packed. The service was your typical protestant service, minus the organ, of course. It had been awhile since my friend had been to church. Many in the congregation flocked to him at the end to gi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Epic Adventure: Riding the Washington BDR

PROLOGUE “Hey Mandie, let’s ride the TAT (TransAmerican Trail)  on dual sports bikes next year!” my sister, Jennifer, suggested. “Sure!” I was quick to agree. She lives on the West coast, I live on the East. Any chance to spend together, I was going to take it. This is a good place for me to mention I had no idea what a dual sports bike was. She has been riding a variety of motorcycles for about 40 years. Me? Me and my 750 Shadow, Layla, had put on about 40,000 miles in the five years I have been riding. She puts on that kind of mileage in a month. A few months later, Jennifer decided the Washington BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) would be a better fit as it was shorter and a bit easier. I was cool with it. I was in it to spend time with my sister. It was no big deal to me where we did it. Over the next few months, she purchased a bike for the both of us and outfitted it for our epic adventure. And then she practiced every weekend until I arrived. I would tell p...
2 comments
Read more