Hello Everybody!!!

     I am BACK!  July was a horrible month for me, I didn’t have my son at all, and wasn’t able to talk to him due to a bad relationship with his dad.  Luckily the bitterness has subsided and this will not turn into a mud slinging gripe-filled blog.

     I had hoped that I would become totally motivated during that month as my time could be totally concentrated on losing weight, instead I found it hard to get off my couch and do anything besides be sad… My motivation and work out buddy was gone for an entire month.  The good news?  I didn’t gain any weight back.  I realize that this experience has totally transformed my eating habits.  Even in my time of self pity I wasn’t filling the void of my son with food.

     So now Miles is back, and I am amazed at how that little boy can make me want to be a better person for him.  And that includes being healthy.  I love doing things with him, and it makes jumping on a bike or going for a swim so much easier when I have him with me.  We went running at the park during his first week back.  He was in his jogging stroller and he would tell me “Faster Mom” and then he would say “I Wuv (love) You up to the Sky” and I must have looked so silly crying tears of happiness while running on that trail…

   We are almost at the 1 month remaining mark, and I realize that this experience has given me so much.  I have gained so much knowledge, hope, and confidence.  I have lost weight and gained the desire to make sure my son always has a mommy that is there for him.  Many thanks to everyone involved in picking me to participate, keeping me motivated, reminding me to do my blog, giving me tools and resources, lending me their understanding, and occasionally offering me a kleenex.  I not only thank you on my behalf, but on behalf of Miles.

-Kaitlyn

Yeah- Not gonna lie… I fell off the wagon for a minute…  Summer is here, and so is the beer, BBQ, and lazy days staying out of the heat.  I had a little stutter for a moment, I might have gained or at least plateaued. 

But I am back on watching what I eat, and exercising any free chance I get.  I love that Miles is showing people the muscles he says he has… We take turns on the Wii Fit, so he tells people that he has been “working out alot”!  Sooooo Cute…  I know that I can drop at least 20 more lbs. by contest end- but it will take a good amount of work.

So if you see me at a picnic, bbq, or just hanging out- feel free to ask what exercise I have done today, or better yet- hop on a bike, get on a tredmill, or lace up your shoes, and get this done with me!!!

1. What has surprised you most about this challenge so far?

The amount of weight that has come off already and the motivation I am working with, I have never had this much support from such amazing people, so I know that is what is making the difference!

 
2. What has been the easiest part of this challenge? And the hardest part?

The easiest part was starting, the hardest part was keeping with it…
 
 
3. What exercises have you found are the hardest for you?  And the easiest?

The hardest has been doing weights- I know that the Y has the weight classes but I forget, and I feel like such a goofball standing there reading the side of the machine…  I love doing things outside with my son, and I actually don’t mind cardio.
 

4. Who has been your biggest supporter and motivator so far?

My son (seeing him try to work out with me on the wii makes me feel so so good about the example I am setting), friends at work, they keep me in check (ex. “you’re not supposed to be eating that!”), my family, they make me feel awesome about my progress so far and have helped me get there, and that new person who has become a very nice part of my life

5. What nutritional advice have you found to be the most helpful?

Smaller portions, with more frequent meals.  I was always “Too Busy” to eat so when I finally sat down I would eat as much as I could, and that 20 min delay from stomach to brain was like 40 for me… Also WATER; I have cut out almost everything but water and I know that has made one of the biggest impacts on my decreasing waist line.

-Kaitlyn

So blogs have never been something that I have managed to keep up with, so you will have to excuse the delay between posts.  I will be making an effort to update it weekly (at least).  I have dropped some weight which encourages me, I am down 17 lbs according to my scale at home (but all scales are different).  I also completed the Capitol 10K, and although I didn’t run, it felt awesome to finish.  My biggest obstacle right now is staying the course.  I have been given these awesome opportunity’s and yet somehow I run out of time to get everything done.  However, I realize that excuse has plagued me for years, and this is real life, real life is busy, and I need to make being healthy a priority…  I know I can drop more weight, I know I can feel better, and I know that I CAN change my life… I just need to continue down the path of success, and not veer off the road for a drive-thru

I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself in this first blog… by now you know my name, probably my weight (which is incredibly embarrassing), and that like many people I am unhappy with my current body type/health situation.  So I will focus on the things that you don’t know, and are hopefully less embarrassing. 

I am a single mom of a 2 year old little boy, Miles.  I work full-time and my weight/health have taken a backseat to making sure I can keep my head above water.  However, two weeks into this absolutely awesome experience I have learned that taking care of yourself (exercise, nutrition) can come first without bumping anyone (say a two year old) off the top of the list…  In fact, life has become much more enjoyable for the people around me since I started the Get Fit Challenge.  Don’t get me wrong though, there are people in my life that have become, quite literally, lifesavers.  Having a support system is an absolute  necessity.  Having tried to do this alone with no results, I am utilizing all the support I can get, and if you are trying to change you, I sincerely suggest you do the same.  I have EXTREME gratitude for the people who not only gave me this opportunity, but the people that make this opportunity possible at all.  I hope they know how thankful I am, not only for myself but for the little boy who still remains #1 on my list.