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What have you gained? (Rewind)

I’m having way to much fun rummaging through old posts to rewind these questions of the week. This one is from the summer of 2008 and it feels like yesterday.

As a weight loss blogger who lost weight and kept it off, the difference between inspiring and being annoying is a fine balance. Who likes to get weight loss advice from a "skinny bitch"? Seriously, right? And after being at goal for 2 years I started to feel like a "skinny bitch". It’s an identify crisis I’ve mentioned before and those that have lost weight know what I’m talking about. People make judgments about you regardless of your size and I have felt the sting of both the skinny and the fat assumptions.

So when I originally wrote this question of the week I was worried people would think,

"Of course you can focus on what you’ve gained now, you’re skinny."

Why did I think that? Becuase I would have thought it. I would be rolling my eyes at the "skinny bitch" telling me how great her life is now that she’s thin.

Rereading my original post almost 9 months pregnant had me in tears. Sure, PART of it is pregnancy hormones but what made me really cry is, all the things I have gained are still true! I feel the same exact way even in my pregnant body.

Sure a pregnant gain is a bit different but regardless, I’m in a body that makes me uncomfortable. I have many of the same body image issues swimming around my brain. I’m fighting a lot of similar feelings but the truth is, even if I don’t lose the weight after this pregnancy I will STILL feel the same way…

I have gained so much more than I have lost.

Here is the original post from July 9, 2008….

That’s right, GAINED! With all the drama I almost forgot the question of the week! Since we’ve been talking a lot about finding happiness and being happy I thought it was a good time to take an assessment of what we have gained by changing our lifestyle.

I’m not going to pretend that my intention when I started Weight Watchers wasn’t to lose weight. Yes, I was unhappy in my skin for a very long time. Yes, I think that unhappiness led to more of weight problem and I wish I had a better body image as a young woman. However, on my journey to lose that weight I have gained so much more.

Along the journey to a healthier me…

I have gained a healthy relationship with food where I don’t eat for eating sake. Where I can enjoy food I love and not have it snow ball into a 3 week binge before I even notice.I have gained energy and a love of fitness. I value MY time so much and I now enjoy doing things that are good for my body. I like running and lifting weights. Instead of measuring my success on the scale I’m starting to measure it in miles and pounds lifted. I have gained an active fun relationship with my son. We dance, we play, we run, we frolic on the beach and as he gets older our activities will grow and mature. I love the fact that I am setting a good example for him to live a healthy lifestyle and that we are active together.I have gained more self confidence. Not because I am in a particular size but because I am setting goals and reaching them. I have gained a sense of purpose. I love doing what I’m doing. I love sharing information and ideas. I feel like I’m doing something I am meant to do and that I love to do. I have gained a knowledge and appreciation of food that is good for me. Food that fuels my body not just taste good. I’ve gained such a love and appreciation of life! Ok, that sounds a little cheesy but it’s true and maybe that has more to do with my age and being a mom but, whatever! It’s gained! ;~P

So how about YOU? What have you gained?

Click here to read the comments on the original post. They are truly inspiring. But don’t forget to come back and answer… What have you gained?

View the original article here

What 5 things would you tell yourself? (Rewind)

I’m doing a sort of double rewind for this weeks question. About 3 years ago I asked What 5 things would you tell yourself? to help face some stuff from my past. I think as we age we need to remind ourselves where we come from and the experiences we had. It helps us figure out who we are and gives us the ability to look at the present and future differently.

This post isn’t about go back and changing anything. It’s about celebrating what we’ve learned about ourselves and others over the course of our lifetime. Whether we are 25 or 45 our experiences are valuable and they shape who we are today.

Here’s my original post from April 22, 2008 where I rewind to 1991.. NO LAUGHING! ;)

I can’t take credit for this question as I know there was a meme going around awhile back asking bloggers to write a letter to their younger selves. Like, if you went back in time what would say to the high school version of you? I thought it was an interesting activity but I didn’t have time to participate then, so I’m stealing the idea for this weeks question and changing it up a bit. Instead of a letter, I want us to think about 5 specific things we would tell ourselves if we could go back in time.

They don’t all have to be weight related but I think we’ll discover even the non-weight issues are relevant to self-esteem, confidence, body image and a host of other things that may manufacture themselves as “weight issues”.

So travel back in time with me.

The year is 1991 (HOLY CRAP) I was 15, wearing my cuffed jeans, hot pink BUM wind breaker, listening to Def Leppard and Boyz II Men. Don’t believe me? Look at this… (Sorry Jen – Don’t Kill me :~P)

The sad thing is, I was already “dieting”, not happy with my body and envious of my skinny friends. Notice I was hiding myself in the picture, that’s a pretty common theme in my old photos starting at about age 12.

What do I tell myself?

Stop being so preoccupied with your body. You are young, fit, active and beautiful (that was really hard for me to type) Love who YOU are and stop comparing yourself to others, it’s not worth it, life is too short. Wear clothes that FIT YOU!! I know you don’t believe it but baggy is not better and it makes you look much bigger then you are. Stick to the salads at McDonald’s! (I worked at MickeyD’s for 5 years and ate WAY to many quarter pounders on my lunch breaks) HAVE FUN! Life is too short to miss out on things because you are worried what you look like. Throw that bathing suit on, get in the ocean and SWIM! Enjoy it now before you are running after a 2 year old on the beach Don’t wait until your junior year of college to take a computer class. Get into it early, you have a knack and one day you’ll make a career out of making web sites. Oh! you don’t know what a web site is, don’t worry you will soon enough. :~)

Your turn. :~)

I originally got a little humorous on that last one so I’ll add another.

Your body is capable of AMAZING things. One day you will have children and realize this. In the mean time treat it and yourself with kindness. Embrace who you are and don’t be ashamed of ANYTHING. Confidence is a hard thing to master. Start now.

ok, NOW it’s your turn. I’m curious what your 5 things are.

Click here to see the comments on the original post as well. Lots of great stuff!

View the original article here

Weekend Quote: Perfection (rewind)

I’m battling a lot of emotional crap these last few months of pregnancy. Part of me just wants to go away and hibernate but I can’t. I won’t. I’m just being irrational, emotional, and dramatic.

Ugh. I just feel so…

bleh.

So I went digging in my own archives, specifically the Weekend Quote posts. Like the Question of the Week series I really want to bring back the Weekend Quote consistently. I have so much fun writing them and finding new little gems of inspiration. This week I’m going to repost one from 2008 about perfection… (it made me smile and reminisce which is just what I needed.)

This weekends quote comes from a friend I reunited with at a wedding. We were reminiscing, sharing a drink (ok, ok, many drinks) and having SO much fun. A few times our conversation turned a bit deeper, politics, love, you know, classic drunk talk. :~)

At one point he turns to the husband and I, and says…

"Perfection is found in the imperfections"

At the time, I believe we were talking about people and relationships. How nobody’s perfect but what you fall in love with is actually the imperfections. The whole person, good and bad. Hey… we WERE at a wedding, remember?

Anyway, this line struck me. Think about it, REALLY think about it. What makes us perfect is the fact that we aren’t perfect. When I share my most imperfect moments, like today when ate, ummmm about 2lbs of candy, or when I confessed my girl scout cookie incident, even when I declared my pizza addiction, you guys respond with a great big giant "Thank You". I receive message after message from people that are grateful I shared my imperfections. Why? Well, these are the moments, that make me, me. That make me real.

How many times do we beat ourselves up for not being perfect? For being too short? too fat? having cellulite? small breasts? NOT looking like some airbrushed model in a magazine? Or how may times do you get depressed about eating too much? then eat more because of it? (guilty as charged)

So as I go to bed with a stomach full of Twix and 3 Musketeer bars, I take comfort in the fact that I am NOT perfect. Or, wait, I AM perfect because I’m imperfect! … Whatever! :~) Either way, tomorrow is a new day and I’m ready to face it making the best decisions I can.

Click here to see the original comments.

View the original article here

Are You Ready? (Rewind)

I’m rewinding again for the return of my Question of the Week Series. I’ve been digging in the archives to find questions I thought really represented my thought behind series. I honestly didn’t remember writing this one until I read it. But once I did, it brought back a lot memories. Making the commitment to live a healthier life isn’t always easy. You have to honestly look at what it’s going to take and ask yourself if you really are ready.

Originally posted April 8, 2008…

I might catch some slack for this weeks question(s) but I don’t care. I need to ask not only you but also myself.

It’s a simple yet complex question,  “Are you ready?”

Are you ready to live a healthier lifestyle?Are you ready to make the harder choices that lifestyle may entail?Are you ready to plan, think, prepare, shop, and not just grab a donut on the way to work?Are you ready to shut off the TV and go outside for a walk?Are you ready to seek out the staircase instead of taking the elevator?Are you ready to admit to yourself you eat too much? Are you ready to tell yourself hunger is not an emergency or an excuse?Are you ready to face your feelings instead of shoving them down with a slice of pizza?Are you ready to stop trying to do it all and get more sleep?Are you ready to try new foods you’ve dismissed because you “don’t eat vegetables”?Are you ready to love yourself NOW, unconditionally?Are you ready to be the example, the motivator, the exception to the rule?

I really could go on and on.  My point with this question is to get us thinking, really thinking about what it takes lose weight and keep it off. It’s not easy for everyone. Everything seems to be working against us. It’s easier to take the elevator then the stairs. It’s easier to say yes to the daily office danish then pack your own snack. It’s easier to run through a drive through then go home and cook dinner. I’m not saying you can never do the easy things again, but overall you have to make the harder choices. You have to be READY to make the harder choices.

So I ask…

Are you Ready?

And if so…

What are you ready to do?

P.S .I came up with this question this morning in the shower. Today there were at least 3 “hard” choices I had to make where I asked myself this question. It helped immensely and got me running on the treadmill, skipping the cookie at work, and deciding to make dinner instead of taking the toddler to Wendy’s. That’s why I decided to ask tonight.

Add on: I just asked myself again and avoided that before bed snack I’ve been getting used to. I am ready. :~)

Since this is a repost, there are comments on the original. Click here to go back and take a look. Many people answered honestly and I hope you do too

View the original article here

Why do you want to lose weight? (Rewind)

I can’t believe I’m about to say this but… THREE years ago I started a series of posts here on Roni’s Weigh called, Question of the Week. The idea was to stimulate some conversation and introspective analysis for those that are trying to lose weight. The series never really ended but the frequency in which I posted questions decreased when I went back to work. So I’m now reinstating the series by reposting my first question ever. I’ll be closing comments on the original post but if you have time, please click to read the responses. Lots of people shared their stories. It’s inspiring.

The following post was originally published 2/5/2008….

Every week I find myself responding to a lot questions ranging from the personal to generic, the detailed to the broad, the serious to the cute. As I answer each and formulate a response I started to realize my answers are not only beneficial to the asker but to me as well! They require me to perform a level of self-analysis that is helpful on my journey. Sometime the pause to ponder something we may not have considered before can point us in a new direction that can be beneficial.

This is the inspiration for a new weekly feature on my blog. I’m planning a weekly question to help you (and consequentially others who may be reading) on your weight loss/maintenance journeys. Feel free to add your answer and insights in the comments or post your response on your blog if you have one (be sure to place the link to your response in the comments so people can find you).  

So the first question may seem simple but it’s one we must ask ourselves as we embark on a journey to lose weight. For years my answer to the question, “Why do you want to lose weight?” was to be “Skinny”.  I wanted to be skinny for as long as I can remember but just wanting to be skinny wasn’t motivation enough to lose weight. In all honestly, my wanting to be skinny probably caused me to be fat.  

It wasn’t until I realized it was more then about just being skinny, it was about being healthy and happy with myself. My answer to this question changed in June 2005 when I gave birth to my son. All of a sudden being skinny seemed secondary. I wanted to be healthy, confident and a good example for my son. I wanted to be an active mom who wasn’t afraid to run in the ocean or build sand castles on the beach because I was so insecure in my skin. My reason for wanting to lose weight changed and consequently so did my success!

So I ask you,  Why do you want to lose weight?

View the original article here