My story of weight loss is somewhat typical of many others. I started the Virgin Healthmiles program in 2008. I was pregnant at the time and didn’t have the motivation to get up and move. After I came back to work from maternity leave, I only averaged 3,000 – 4,000 steps a day, and that was when I remembered to wear it. I work as an administrative assistant. Most of my work day is spent sitting down in front of a computer. When I got home, I didn’t feel like doing much except relaxing, taking care of my two children, and playing games on the Xbox 360 or on the computer.
In 2009, I thought I’d step it up a notch. I started wearing my pedometer. I went to the gym. I even paid for a personal trainer, just to give it a try. I actually hit my first 12,000+ step day during this time! Then, life got busy. I made excuses. I used up my last personal training session and I lost interest. Months went by without logging in a single step. I’d get back on board for a day or two and lose interest again. I was a model of yo-yo dieting and exercising. I would wax and wane in my progress.
My biggest motivator came near the end of summer. My fiancé of nearly five years and I had finally set a date, June 3rd, 2011. We were finally going to have a wedding. I was an appalling 236 pounds and my dress size was a size 22/24W. My favorite pair of work pants was my maternity pants from two years ago. In fact, I weighed more than I did during my last trimester with my second child. I finally looked at myself in the mirror and thought to myself, “Do I really want to walk down the aisle looking like this?”
In July 2010, I got a new pedometer after losing my previous one and I started wearing my pedometer every day. I set my goal to hit 7,000+ steps a day on most days of the week. I parked at the back of the parking lot at work. I walked during my lunch break. If the weather was bad, I’d walk and read a book in our conference room at work. I used the stairs more often than the elevator. I dusted of our Wii Fit at home and did some of the activities there to make sure I got my 7,000 steps for the day.
In September, 2010 I stepped up everything I was doing. I started going back to the gym and attending Zumba classes. I even tried Turbo Kickboxing. I began to watch my calories and fat intake. I ate appropriate portions. I set a new goal with my daily steps, 12,000 steps or more! This was a big challenge, especially with my job duties at work. But I was determined. Also, by setting my goal to 12,000 steps, I almost guaranteed that I would hit 7,000 and have a qualified session. I was even motivated enough to go on an early hike with my dad. Early in the hike I felt like I was going to just pass out. But I was motivated to keep going and my dad encouraged me by saying that I could do it. With his help, I hit my first 20,000+ day! The more I was motivated, the more likely I was to keep my steps up. By the end of September, I had lost 17 pounds!
I kept my motivation going and continued losing weight. By the end of 2010, I was down to 205 pounds, 31 pounds less than my starting weight! The holidays slowed me down a bit and brought back some of my bad eating habits. Now it is 2011 and I still have more weight to lose. I solidified my promise to lose weight by buying a wedding dress one size less than what I am currently. I found a bargain I could not pass up, and it's a size 14. I’ve managed to get myself down to a size 16W from my 22/24W. One more dress size should be as easy as stepping it up and watching what I eat.
Though I let the holidays get the best of me and my activity waned from what it once was, I have motivated myself once again. I have gone back to the gym, been taking Zumba and Turbo Kickboxing classes, going on walks with coworkers, and playing games on the Kinect for Xbox 360 at home. I have three more months to lose weight and fit into my wedding dress. I now know what activity levels I need to achieve based on my history on the Virgin Healthmiles website. I use my GoZone to make sure I am on track and getting back to weight-loss achieving steps. I can’t wait to finally get married and to fit into my wedding dress!
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I have not tried Zumba yet. After readinbg your story, I am motivated to try. I go to the gym every morning to work out, but I never attend the classes because of my work schedule. I am going to go to the gym and check the class schedule again. I am going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on a healthier you!!!! Way to go!
Posted by: Kieran Ginesi | 27 June 2011 at 10:35 AM
I admire you! ZUMBA is the greatest & I am so glad to see that someone else in this program loves it as much as I do. Congratulations on your healthy lifestyle!!
Posted by: Nicki Young | 23 June 2011 at 03:10 PM