Getting Back on Track with Your Health & Wellness After a Summer Filled with Sun, Fun and One Too Many BBQs

I'm excited to be sharing my first blog post with you all on the Hingham Patch!  As the newest member of the Patch's blog family I thought it would be appropriate to share with you a bit about myself in my first post. 

I typically write about my health and wellness journey as that's what I am passionate about.  I also love all things in and around Hingham so I'm excited to write about other topics as well. 

As we wind down summer (yes, I said it...sadly, summer is coming to an end), and we find that many of us have engaged in one too many BBQs, adult beverages and that bathing suit body we worked so hard for needs some major work I thought I would share with you a bit about my health and wellness journey and my top 10 tips to your own successful journey.   

You hear it all the time in terms of weight loss success stories: “If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.” I used to get excited until I would read on and find that the person played sports throughout high school and college or gained weight after having children or something similar. It’s tough to relate to and easy to get discouraged when you’ve been overweight your entire life. I went on my first diet (Weight Watchers) when I was 8 years old. I still can’t believe they took money from an 8 year old!

Over 25 years later, 115lb lost and much sweat and tears (mostly happy tears!) I have finally reached my goal weight and am happy to tell you that if I can do it, you can do it.

In April 2010 I went to the Boston Marathon to cheer on the runners for the Hole in the Wall Gang. I have lived in the Boston area my entire life but never attended the marathon in person. The experience single handedly changed the course of my life. I never imagined how moved I would be to see a person run 26.2 miles until I saw it. I left the marathon having lost my voice but having gained the desire to one day run that course.

The issue…I was 250lb and I had been my entire adult life. I thought about the experience nonstop for 5 months until I drew the line in the sand and said that this was where I would begin. On my own, through Eating Clean and working out, I have lost 115lb and I am proud to say that on April 16th, 2012 I ran the Boston Marathon on behalf of the Hole in the Wall Gang.

This journey has been the toughest and most rewarding experience of my life and I am excited to share it with you all. Here are my top ten tips for your own health and wellness journey:

1) Take progress pictures throughout your journey. I wish I took more! No one wants to see themselves at their unhealthiest…but do it anyway! You will be amazed where you started and how far you have come. 

2) Sign up for an organized event, whether it’s a 5k, mud run, sprint tri or a spinathon…do it! To be surrounded by athletes, to cross your first finish line and to receive your first swag bag is a very powerful feeling that you must experience. Bonus tip: Save your bibs. They look great framed!  There's still time to register for the Bare Cove Park, End of Summer Road Race that takes place next Friday, August 24th at 6:30 pm.   

3) When you start and during your journey make a list of goals that you want to accomplish. They can be big or small…no goal is insignificant. One of my goals was to fit in a seat in the airplane better when traveling for work. I would rarely put the tray table down because I knew it wouldn’t fit. Now, I book the middle seat just because I can!

4) Look in to your health insurance and take advantage of all the Wellness programs they offer. Many health insurance plans offer phone sessions with a Wellness Coach for no cost.  Many also offer incentives for tracking your nutrition and exercise.  Since starting my journey I have tracked all of my activity and nutrition and have earned an extra $500 a year!  

5) Use Social Media to your advantage. I started running with the Couch to 5K (C25K) program and added the application to my smart phone. Each time I finished a run it would post to my Facebook wall. It was amazing the support that people showed me. Inspiring others is what has inspired me to continue.

6) It’s all about the rewards! When you begin make a list of milestones and rewards for hitting them. My reward for getting under 200lb was to go skydiving. 

7) Don’t limit yourself when it comes to your workouts. Try everything…you never know what will really motivate you unless you give it a try. Females, don’t be afraid of weights. You won’t get bulky and they will change your body. I have tried everything, zumba, yoga, endless boot camps, TRX, spinning and cross-fit. My true love? Boxing. In the ring, me and the boys…I love it. I have been boxing for over a year and am now training for my first fight which will take place in the fall. Who knew?

8) As tough as it is, don’t rely on the scale for your success. Throw it away if you can! Get a measuring tape and start taking your measurements. Your body is changing and it isn’t always captured on the scale.

9) Plan a weekly treat meal! I eat clean which means I don’t eat processed foods, no sugar unless it occurs naturally, high protein, complex carbs, smaller more frequent meals and lots of water. I do however indulge in a weekly treat meal and I take great pleasure in planning it out! After my first 20 mile run I celebrated with my treat meal at the Maine Diner in Wells, Maine. It ended with sharing The “Maine” Indulgence which is a homemade waffle, their signature Maine blueberry chip ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup, maple syrup and whipped cream. It’s only one meal a week and it’s not usually that extravagant but it helps me keep the rest of my week on track.

10) Invest in some good Tupperware and meal prep Sunday. Life is hectic. To help me succeed with the nutrition part of my journey I invest a few hours in the kitchen on Sunday. I prepare enough meals to get me through Thursday so I can grab and go during the week and have no excuses to not eat well. Though I have come far and accomplished a lot it’s just the beginning for me.  Thanks so much for welcoming me to the Patch.  I'm looking forward to sharing many more posts with you soon.