Get Fit: Jo Marie

I am so excited to introduce Jo Marie.  She consented to be the first of my guest posters about getting fit and staying that way.  She doesn't have a blog, but be sure to leave a comment about how she needs to start one! :) I count her among my greatest friends.  Thanks for sharing with us, Jo!

 ____________________________

How did I lose a bunch of weight?

First, I’m only writing this post because I love Randi. Randi and I got to know each other as young college grads carpooling together. We were young, new teachers and we were able to share many fun adventures as members of a great carpool. We shared laughs, tears, and stories and grew together as teachers, wives, and friends.

So, in true carpool fashion, I will share with you my story of weight loss.

In January 2013 I turned 30 years old. I weighed over 150 pounds (I’m 5’4”)

So, that’s me at over 150 pounds. And, I’d be totally cool with that if I was happy. But, I wasn’t happy. I was lethargic and using food a stress reliever in a serious way!

I realized I needed to gain control on my eating when, for the millionth time, I opened my kitchen pantry after a particularly stressful day at work. I was giving in to food. In a bad mood? I need a snack. Celebrating an accomplishment? I need a snack. You get the idea.

My plan: I decided I was going to walk while pushing my boys in the stroller 5 days a week and I was going to try to get rid of the processed food (junk) that I was addicted to. Most importantly, I made a commitment to making sure I got my daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

To be honest with you, this lifestyle change was actually welcomed. It felt so good to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Since I was trying to get rid of a lot of processed foods I started making a lot of my own snacks. I made all kinds of yummy things using REAL, CLEAN foods. Don’t mistake this as saying it was easy. But, when I’d spent the last couple years indulging in comfort foods, it was fun to eat to live and not eat emotionally.  Below is a picture of me about 8 weeks into my journey. It was my son’s first birthday.

As for my exercise, I started off walking 1.5 miles 5 days a week. I did that exclusively for the first 6 weeks, and it was HARD. I’ve gradually built up endurance from there, and now regularly run 2-4 miles (but mostly 2 :) 6 days a week. If you had asked me when I started if I thought I’d be running, I would have laughed in your face!

Here were a few things that really motivated ME as I began the process. I know each person will have a different list of what keeps them going

1. MY BOYS! When I was 150 pounds I was out of breath walking up the stairs I found that my husband was the one that was engaging with them because I was sitting on the couch watching
2. I started reading a blog of a former coworker who was documenting her daily meals. She was eating only CLEAN foods. Through reading her posts I saw that eating clean was possible and, dare I say it, enjoyable. Also, another coworker regularly shared with me disgusting stories about GMOs, non-organic food, and the thought of continuing the cycle of processed foods became less appealing.
3. Zak and I signed up for a 5K in August of 2013. I didn’t want to embarrass myself with my time, so that helped me with my daily exercise.

The biggest key to my success was my prioritizing my health. I remember telling a dear friend that there weren’t enough hours in the day for me to exercise. I had a family, a full time job and I was running a business on the side. So, I had to let something go. In order to prioritize my health, I had to put my side business in the background. Best decision I’ve ever made!

So that’s my story. I’ve kept my weight off for 5 months now and I’m just thrilled with my energy level, and, let’s be frank, my appearance!

Me in October, when I’d lost most of the weight I wanted to:

And, finally, a redo of a picture of me on my 31st birthday.