The New Me

December 2012

I look back over the last year and sometimes I'm surprised at how far I've come.  Sometime between February through April I decided I was tired of being over weight and needed to do something about it.  I've said this hundreds and hundreds of times over the last 10 or so years and I never stick with anything or actually succeed with losing more than 5lbs or so before gaining it all right back and then some.  Of course pregnancy never helps that whole diet and weight loss thing either.  My oldest is now 5 and my youngest is now 2.  How long can I talk about the baby weight I'm carrying?

December 2011 -
My shameful "Before" picture!

So, I stopped making excuses and started exercising.  I started doing Insanity.  I was so out of shape I couldn't run a quarter of a mile and I couldn't finish the warm-up of Insanity.  That's right, I couldn't actually finish the warm-up!  I could have quit, I could have given up like I've done countless times before.  This time it was different.  I was determined.  How can I be an example for my kids if I'm overweight and do nothing but bake sweets and try to hid that I've eaten the entire batch of cookies or entire pan of fudge myself?  I hired a personal trainer, I found friends that had the same goals as I did.  Other military wives with children that had to workout with their children around because our husband's schedules are impossible to work around.

I am proud to say that today I am a whole new person.  I am 45lbs lighter than I was in the beginning of 2012.  I feel amazing.  I wake up every day with a smile.  I love myself, I love how I feel, I love exercise, I love my energy and for the first time in my life I love looking at myself in the mirror!  I ate healthy and worked out 6 days a week for 9 months.  It didn't happen overnight.  It wasn't easy.  I still struggle daily with my food and sometimes I'm unmotivated to exercise. As of today I run 3x's a week usually 5-7 miles.  I'm still shocked I'm a runner!  I struggled endlessly with shin splints in the beginning.  Then I still try to go to the gym 2-3 times a week for a minimum of 1 hour, including utilizing my personal trainer still one of those days. I'm now a Beachbody coach.  (http://beachbodycoach.com/newdaynewyou) I also am studying to become a certified personal trainer.   

I look back at my blog and it is a reminder to me of the fact that I basically ate nothing but cakes and cookies day in and day out.  Now I don't post.  I miss posting.  But it isn't easy to diet and exercise and still spend time being creative in the kitchen. 

2013 I plan on spending time making healthy dishes and also learning how to make my favorite Japanese dishes.  We have another 1 1/2 years in Japan and I love it and plan on making the most of it.

So stay tuned because I've got some awesome looking Japanese recipes lined up to wrap up this year and hopefully new, creative healthy dishes coming up in 2013.

Tonight I'm going to try to make homemade mochi.  Yes, mochi!  I bet many of you have no idea what that even is!