my weight loss journey

The past several years has been full of weight ups and downs. I basically never exercised throughout my life (maybe except swim team in high school when I was already thin anyway) unless it was a few days here and there starting up a weight loss program. I grew up thin, eating whatever I wanted, and nothing healthy at that (coca cola, candy/chocolate, cookies, you name it, I ate it). Until naturally my metabolism slowed, as it always does when you stop growing up. You start growing out instead.

For years post college when I started gaining weight slowly, I attempted to keep my weight in check with an exercise regimen, but I could never get past 10 days in a row (I had started Tracy Anderson metamorphosis hipcentric). It was basically an all or nothing mentality because then months would go by, and I would start up again for a few days before quitting again.

After I met my husband and when we started dating, we were going out to eat and drinking more often. I started gaining what can be referred to as “honeymoon weight” or weight you gain when in love. I was at my heaviest of 147lbs at 5’1 (in college I was 115lbs, and then post college hovered around 130lbs for the next 4 years). Which brings me to my weight loss journey…trying to get back to a happy/healthy weight for my height.

2017 was when I was at my heaviest: 147lbs. I got engaged during this year and started planning my wedding. One of the first things every bride thinks: time to lose some of this weight.

My fiance (now husband) started 21 day fix with me Jan of 2018 in preparation for our wedding. After 3 weeks of daily exercise with Autumn! and following her diet, I had lost 10 lbs.

In 2018, I was 135lbs after 21 day fix, just in time for my wedding.

In 2019, my weight was pretty stable, although it started to increase slightly. We heard about this program called “Wildfit” and were completely inspired to get our bodies and health back. We followed wildfit almost completely. I even followed it when I was out of town at a conference. By this time, I avoided coffee, alcohol, all processed foods, carbs, sugars. It was basically keto on steroids. I switched all salad dressing to oil and vinegar. I ate pho without the noodles. I ate sashimi only, avoiding the rice of sushi. We looked closely at labels and had to find no sugar added bacon and mayonnaise at Trader Joe’s. We couldn’t have regular lunch meat because of the added sugars. This is what opened our eyes to how much sugar is added to ready made foods. 2 weeks of eating like this, and I had dropped another 10lbs. I was 125lbs by the end of 2019.

Then I got pregnant. I gained 30lbs in the pregnancy, and kept 20lbs of it postpartum over the next 5 months. This brings us to our current journey of #streetparking. My husband heard about this program through his brother. It was a perfect option during quarantine of 2020, basically crossfit type strength training in your own home garage. Right now I am 145lbs and 5 months postpartum, but we have been doing Street Parking WODs (workout of the day) since November several times a week, so I do think I have more muscle. January 1st 2021 we started the nutrition templates (weight loss for me and performance for my husband). I dubbed this #jackedjanuary (honoring Street Parking challenge of #jackedjune). Stay tuned…

-R