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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Guest Post - Carolyn @ Fitnasty for Life



 Today, we have the lovely Carolyn from Fitnasty for Life visiting for a guest post. I've been following Carolyn since the start of this little 'ol blog of mine. I followed her journey to train for her first half marathon (which she completely dominated, by the way), and she's gotten smaller along the way. She is always encouraging, full of advice, and sweet as can be. Go check her out! 

Thanks, Carolyn!!

I hope to be back tomorrow with some updates, so check back then!

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I Wish I Knew 60lbs Ago…

Hello! Carolyn from Fitnasty for Life, here. I’m so excited to be guest-blogging for Tiffany while she rests up and gets herself back to 100%! I’ve been following Tiffany’s blog for awhile now, and I’m always inspired by the new ways she’s challenging herself (and the results she’s gotten along the way!)

I’m currently on my own “fitness journey” (such a hokey term, but it’s true!), and have been for nearly 10 months. When I began I was 228lbs and deeply in denial over how out of control I had allowed my weight problem to become. I have never been a thin person, but my unhealthy eating habits had caught up with my inactive lifestyle in a bad way. At 23 years old, there was no reason I should allow my weight to keep me from anything. Ever.




And so I made a change in a big way. Well, a lot of changes, really. I joined Weight Watchers on November 14, 2012. And now, 10 months and 58.6lbs later, I couldn’t be happier.



I’d be lying if I said this journey has been easy. But now, nearly 60lbs later, I have a lot more perspective on why it’s been so worthwhile. So I put together a list of things I wish I knew 60lbs ago (and that still motivate me today!):

·         That it can start with little changes. Just swapping a snack of pretzels for an apple. And even those little changes add up.
·         Healthiness begins in the grocery store. If you say no in the grocery store, you only have to say no once. If you bring it home, you’ll be saying no every time you’re in the kitchen.
·         Planning is everything. Always have a snack, always have water, always look at restaurant menus in advance.
·         How good it feels to buy clothes because I like how they look on me, not just because they fit.
·         That drinking enough water isn’t just good for keeping your hydrated and less hungry. It’s good for bloating, hair, and nails, too.
·         That a hard day, or a stressful week, or an argument, or being tired… these are not excuses for rewarding myself for bad food. If I want to see changes in my body, I need to fuel it with healthy food.
·         That said, it’s okay to indulge once in awhile. If I had to live in a world without cheeseburgers and Jimmy Johns, I would be a miserable person.
·         It does get easier. Yeah, it sucks in the beginning because every healthy choice feels like you’re depriving yourself from something you want more. But if this was easy, everyone would be fit and fabulous.
·         You are stronger than your unhealthy impulses.
·         Boredom isn’t the same as hungry, and how to tell the difference (if I drink a big glass of water and am still hungry 15 minutes later, that’s real hunger).
·         That running is a great way to lose weight! I struggled to run half a mile when I was heavier, and now I recently completed my first half marathon. If you keep trying, it will get easier. Promise.



Everyone’s journey is different, but learning these lessons has kept me motivated throughout mine.

What do you wish you had known when you first started?

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