Nothing tastes as good as being skinny

I stole that quote from a friend in the wards blog. And I have to say there is a lot to it. Like most human women, and almost every single friend I have (Fawn and Krystal don't count) I have a problem with my weight. I grew up with the expectation that every night I would get a "midnight snack" before bed. Usually popcicles, cookies...anything I choose. I've grown up with horrible eating habits, I honestly never had a thought to eat healthy until Sydnee was 6 months old. I had a popcorn, macaroni and cheese and Coca-Cola obsession! But it gets even worse, I hate vegetables, seriously HATE them! Fruit is great, but the majority of my life was spent eating carbs.

When I was 14 I got really sick. I couldn't move my joints, if I tried to sit down and bend my knees I would fall. The doctors thought it could be mono, juvenile arthritis... I actually had severe anemia, protein deficiency, calcium deficiency.... my eating habits were so bad. I still didn't really understand what it all meant. I gained 30lbs when I was pregnant with Sydnee, and I only lost about 10 after. Then I gained 35 more with Beckham and looked like this the day I delivered him....
I am 5' 2" and I weighed 214lbs. No wonder I couldn't walk from the parking lot into Kohls. I tried to do some last minute shopping for the baby and I had to turn around and go home. I had a lot of problems after Beckham's birth. I had 3 separate infections and a horrible labor. I think a lot of that had to do with how much I weighed. I don't really care that he was an almost 9lb baby. It was too much. Once Beckham was about 1 year old I finally decided it was time to dedicate and get as healthy as I could. At that point my doctor was insisting on frequent checks for diabetes, I had high cholesterol, and my hips were constantly hurting. I got a gym membership, and hooked up with a girl from work to work out. Luckily, her husband was a trainer who liked to hurt me. I cut all carbs from my diet, cut sugar, focused on protein, vegetables (I still don't like them) and low glycemic fruit. I worked out with weights and cardio and looked like this

I just have to say that before Beckham was born I wore a size 14-16 and I got down to a 2-4. I felt great!!! No starved, just that I had finally become me.

I've gained a lot back, I picked up my Coke habit, lots of popcorn, not caring what I ate. Deciding to train for a triathlon brings a different type of diet. I can't cut out carbs, I need them to train for endurance. But I have to eat more complex carbs; wheat bread, fruit, potatoes. I'm learning to balance an entire diet. I think that the best balance in a meal is a turkey sandwich. 12 grain, whole wheat bread, cheese, olive oil light mayo, turkey, and mustard. It's a good balance to keep me powered.

I'm still working on the skinny part. But I don't need the unhealthy carbs, I don't need the sugar. I don't need diabetes, I need to teach my kids how to be healthy by being healthy myself.

Something HELPFUL....Good friends who are supportive! Liss, you are inspiring me!

K