Exposed: 4 Years Later

I’ve been planning on posting this for weeks, if not months, yet I still haven’t written it. See, I’m just not one of those calculated, organized blogger types. I write what I’m feeling when I’m feeling it or it just doesn’t, well, feel right. So even though I knew today was coming I had to actually wait until today to sit down and blog about it.

If you don’t know, the Exposed movement was started by Mish, a fabulous blogger who resides in Australia. In 2009 she wrote a post called Exposed and when I read it I literally dropped everything I was doing and wrote this…

Click here to see my original post from 2009.

At the time I was, as I’ve been most of my life, delusional about what my body looked like.

Fast forward a year later and I wrote a follow up post.

This time I was 2-3 months pregnant and I realized something: My body, despite all the hate and abuse I’ve spewed at it over the years, has always been amazing. You’ll have to click here to read the post, I really can’t do it without shedding a tear.

Today, this morning, I held the baby I’m pointing to in that photo before taking him to preschool.

I’d love to sit here after 4 years and tell you I love my body exactly the way it is but the truth is, I spent Saturday in a self-destructive food binge. It was my first in a really long time.

The truth is I still see myself as big, thick and chubby because I don’t look like this.

And that is what I’m exposing today.

For the past 8 years this blog has been my attempt at self-therapy and for the most part it’s worked. Every post I’ve written, I’ve written for me, to me. And each and every one has helped.

The blog has gotten me out of my own mind to face my feelings head on. It’s given me courage to push myself out of my comfort zone over and over and over again.

I’ve been arguing with myself about posting a new Exposed photo today. Part of me doesn’t want to. I’m so tired of caring and worrying about what my body looks like. Plus isn’t it about so much more than that? Isn’t it about living our best lives regardless what the scale says and how we look in a bathing suit?

The other part of me knows I need to do it. That this is what the Exposed movement is all about. This is what my blog is all about. This is how I push myself out of my comfort zone yet again.

So I grabbed the camera and tripod, took a deep breath and …

Then I decided to try and have fun with it.

Then I attempted fierce.

Yeah, I’m not sure I can pull off fierce either but hey, at least I tried.

OMG, I can’t believe I just did that.

I really do feel exposed and I guess that’s the point, huh?

In my original post I said,

…what I love about my body is that it is healthy, strong, and has the ability to change. I love that my body has grown and nurtured a life. And I love that my body allows me to enjoy life to the fullest, I know not everyone is that lucky.

All of that is still true.

In my second post I said,

I’ve been fat, skinny, young and if I’m lucky, I’ll get old but in all these states I was and will always be ME and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Also true.

This time?

This time, I’m saying despite not always being comfortable in my own skin, I still rock it, and I’m darn proud of myself. I no longer shy away from challenges or new experiences. I wake up every stinkin’ day and do my best even though inner mean girl’s voice is in my head. Some days, she is loud, deafening even, but she no longer controls me.

As cheesy as it sounds (and I made it look) I AM fierce and I’m owning it.

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Happy New Year's Video

Welcome to all of my new readers and a big thanks to all of you who've been with me along the way. Glad to have you along. To leave your questions or comments about what you'd like more of on Lynn's Weigh, leave a comment or send an email to lynn.haraldson@yahoo.com.

Happiest 2011, everyone!

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How Ive maintained my weight loss for 16 years.

CLICK ON THE BEER.  The answer is contained within.

Tags: Attune Foods, healthy living, weight loss

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Using Acai for Your New Year's <b>Weight Loss</b> Diet Plans - ADI News

For many people the top New Year’s resolution for 2011 is to exercise more and live a healthier lifestyle. A large number of these people are turning to a super fruit from the Amazon Rainforest to assist them in keeping this resolution. Acai berry, a purplish fruit harvested off of palm trees, has been found to contain many healthy nutrients as well as disease fighting antioxidants. For these reason it has become a mainstay in the diet and weight loss supplement market.

Because of its recent surge in popularity the berry can be found in many health food stores as well as all across the internet. Although the fruit is available in many forms, including juice, powder, or chocolate, consumers need to be aware that some products do not measure up to the necessary standards. Many websites offer acai products that actually only contain a small portion of the fruit with the remainder being fillers, or even water.

The best option to ensure a quality product is to go to a local health food store and purchase the pure berry. If there is not a local health food store available, make sure the online product is approved to be USDA organic, and do not hesitate to research the reviews online.

Acai Berry Weight Loss Diet Plans or Sports Shoes for Faster Weight Loss?The Skinny on Acai Berry Weight Loss Diet PlansCan Acai Berry Diets for Weight Loss Really Work?The Acai Berry can Help in Diet Plans, but Watch out for Acai Berry Scams!Finding the Right Weight Loss Diet Plans for this Year

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5 Ways to Rescue Your New Year’s Resolution (The Weight Watchers Ice Cream Video!)

My Weight Watchers Ice Cream video is live! If you have no idea what I’m talking about click here for my post about the video shoot.

In it I talk talk about 5 tips to help you keep your new years resolutions but I actually pulled together 10 that I think are key…

Forget “Perfect” Everyone is looking forward to the New Year. It’s a new chance. An opportunity to be perfect. There is only one problem – perfection is hard and, not to mention, nearly impossible. So once we come to the realization that we aren’t perfect, our New Year’s resolutions get thrown out the window. To be successful, set realistic and specific goals. Resolve to make small changes. Have one healthy meal a day or always take the stairs. Get Creative Getting creative in the kitchen can save you calories and money. When you are trying to make a change, it’s important to fight cravings in unusual ways. For example, if you crave fries, make them with butter squash; if you crave pizza, use a whole grain tortilla instead of dough. Chips and dip more your thing? Slice up some veggies and dip them in hummus. The goal isn’t to stop snacking – the goal is to get creative with your snacks. Rearrange Your Refrigerator How many times have you bought fresh groceries only to have them rot in your refrigerator drawers? It’s probably time to rearrange the fridge! Put all the fresh, healthy stuff at eye level. Make it the first thing you see when you open the door. This way you are more apt to grab that apple or bag of carrot sticks when you are hunting for something to snack on. Be Prepared for Snack Attacks When cravings strike, be smart and choose snacks that combine portion-control and taste. In the video, Roni uses a Weight Watchers Strawberry Smoothie Bar as an example of this type of snack. Having the right snacks on hand makes it easier to curb cravings and stay on track! Find Your Tribe Do your best to surround yourself physically or virtually with people who will support you. Ask your spouse to join you in after-dinner walks. Try to get your family into more activities. Get people you love involved and if they aren’t game, attend a few workout classes and introduce yourself. Search for local groups online. Finding your tribe will help you not feel so alone while you make certain lifestyle changes.

And here it is… my first professional video…

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Congrats to DietGirl on 10 years of blogging! (And you’ll never guess what she’s giving away)

Ok, that’s not true, you can probably guess what she’s giving away, and it’s not a two-headed squid.

My friend Shauna Reid, author of The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, has been writing on her delightful blog of the same name for 10 years now. I have to give her big props for her dedication and work ethic. Ten years is like a century on the Interwebs. Thanks for all the laughter and tears, Shauna!

And as if I couldn’t love her more, she’s giving away two advance release copies of CHOCOLATE & VICODIN to kick off her 10th Birthday Sell Out celebration. Just head over to this post on her site, leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win. Keep checking in every day, too, because Shauna’s giving away a lot of great stuff and entries are open to people outside of the US.

PastaQueen.com is a fascist regime ruled with a benevolent fist by PastaQueen and the macaroni military. Lively discussion is encouraged, but any comment may be deleted or edited according to the whims of your monarch. Please read the official rules of commenting etiquette for more details. Spammers are publicly beheaded and their blood is mixed into our spaghetti sauce. Comments are occasionally disabled some time after an entry has been posted to keep the blog on a spam-free diet.

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Good Eats: The Early Years

Alton Brown is a foodie phenomenon: a great cook, a very funny guy, and-underneath it all-a science geek who's as interested in the chemistry of cooking as he is in eating. (Well, almost.) Here, finally, are the books that Brown's legion of fans have been salivating for-two volumes that together will provide an unexpurgated record of his long-running, award-winning Food Network TV series, Good Eats.

Price: $37.50

Click here to buy from Amazon

Good Eats: The Early Years

Alton Brown is a foodie phenomenon: a great cook, a very funny guy, and-underneath it all-a science geek who's as interested in the chemistry of cooking as he is in eating. (Well, almost.) Here, finally, are the books that Brown's legion of fans have been salivating for-two volumes that together will provide an unexpurgated record of his long-running, award-winning Food Network TV series, Good Eats.

Price: $37.50

Click here to buy from Amazon

The Farm Years Part 1: Minnesota Snow

In “honor” of the snow my family is getting back in Minnesota (and will soon be in Pennsylvania), I’m reposting a blog I wrote four years ago on ZenBagLady. It’s not weigh-related, but not everything I post here is, as most of you know. Hope you’re all safe from the weather, wherever you are.

March 2007

According to reports from the folks back home, southwest Minnesota is getting the kind of snow it had back in ‘81-‘82 and ‘82-‘83, what I fondly refer to as “The Farm Years.”

When Bruce and I were engaged during the ‘81-‘82 winter, I’d go out to his family farm before a blizzard hit because I didn’t want to be snowed in for three days with my grandmother and her canasta buddies in the old folks apartment complex, even though she did keep a stash of Southern Comfort in the vegetable crisper.

I loved my grandma and was grateful she let me live with her until I got married, but I took every opportunity I could to avoid watching the “Lawrence Welk Show” and living with the stifling smell of Skin So Soft.

Blizzards were – in a word – fun. While Bruce’s parents stayed on the main floor, Bruce and I took over the upstairs. We put together jigsaw puzzles, played Rook and backgammon, watched The Muppet Show and Dynasty, drank Seagram’s and 7-Up, and listened to music. It could have snowed for weeks on end and we could have cared less.

We were married in April 1982. In June I became pregnant with Carlene, making her due in March, prime blizzard month in Minnesota. We had moved to the family farm in October when his parents retired, and that year, the snow started in earnest in November. One after another the storms came, dumping two, five, 10 inches of snow at a time, and on that part of the prairie, the wind starts somewhere in the middle of South Dakota and doesn’t stop until Wisconsin. It was a mess.

Carlene’s was a complicated pregnancy. Doc Strand referred me to a specialist in Sioux Falls, 40 miles away. That was all good and fine when the roads were clear, but it wasn’t going to do me a lick of good during a blizzard. Even the nearest hospital 11 miles away would prove as futile to get to as Sioux Falls when the snow fell and the wind blew. So good old Doc Strand came up with a plan. If I went into labor during a snowstorm and if Bruce could get me to town, he’d do his best to deliver our baby in his office.

That offered me a little comfort, but I knew the only way I was going to get to town, or even to the end of our half-mile driveway, was in a tractor. At least our International Harvester had an enclosed cab, but getting into it when you’re nine months pregnant would be no easy feat.

Gone were the days and nights of blizzard bliss. Before bed, I’d look out the front door window. If I could see the neighbor’s yard light three-quarters mile away, I knew the snow and wind weren’t too bad and I could make it to town if I went into labor. If I couldn’t, I spent most of the night curled up in a ball in a chair reading, trying to keep my mind off the weather.

The forecast looked good the week before Carlene’s due date, so I decided to do everything I could to go into labor.

There were dozens of empty 50-pound feed pellet bags piled up in the silo room, so one day I hauled them to the burn barrel and burned every last one of them. It took hours. I was exhausted. That night, my uterus cramped like a Charlie horse. ‘Ah ha,’ I thought. ‘I’ll be in labor by morning.’ No such luck.

I moved on to Plan B: sex. That didn’t work. Plan C: driving on the washboard country roads for an hour. Zip. I had a doctor’s appointment on my due date, the day before another snowstorm was forecasted, so I planned to ask my doctor what else I could do to get this kid out before I worried myself to death.

Before I could ask, the doctor said Carlene had been in there long enough and that come hell or high water (or blizzard, as was the case), she was going to be born the next day. And she was, with a little help from pitocin (the most godawful drug ever invented, but that’s a totally different blog for another day).

The snow came and went several more times in those 11 days before Bruce died, but it was beautiful and comforting and I was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.

Stay safe if you’re encountering bad weather these days, but try to enjoy it. Read a little, drink a little, fool around a little. Make some good memories.

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Wordless Wednesday: 275 Pounds Lost in Two Years, Two Months, and A Day.

This warrants a FEW words… Click here to meet the amazing Sean, A fellow weight loss blogger that journaled his entire weight loss.

Listen to the amazing story of how he started and the plan he devised for himself (eerily similiar to my WW experience)…

"There is no ’someday’ on the calender" – Sean Anderson

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