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Seeing Myself Thinner
Posted on Mar 2nd 2011 11:00AM by Ashley WisniewskiFiled Under: Motivation, Tipping the Scales
Ashley Wisniewski
When I first saw this picture, I couldn't help but notice my weight loss! My face looked thinner, and my body looked slimmer. Just a couple weeks ago I mentioned I was halfway to my goal but was worried about having the momentum to lose the rest of the weight; after seeing this picture, I have renewed motivation.
Often, it's the before pictures we see that shock us into making changes, so I was really surprised at my reaction to this particular photo. This was the first picture I've seen that really shows how much my body is changing. Instead of focusing on the things wrong with my body, which I'm guilty of far too often, I found myself complimenting my features. This particular picture was captured in the middle of a four-mile walk, so it also signifies my commitment to my physical fitness.
Noticing that my taste in foods and drinks is really starting to change also surprised me this week. I'm from the South, and we really like our sweet tea. On a recent splurge dinner with my husband, I decided to order a sweet tea. It has been months since I had tea with anything other than honey or Stevia for a sweetener, and since it was our belated Valentine's Day dinner, I opted for a small indulgence. When the beverage arrived, I could hardly drink it because all I could taste was the overwhelming amount of sugar. After adding water and lemons, I finished a glass but declined a refill. I never thought I'd see the day when I thought a tea was too sweet.
I like the way my body feels when I fuel it with the foods it needs. In the not-so-distant past, it was very common for my so-called "vegetable" intake to come in the form of potato chips or French fries. Now it is very rare for me to go a day without some assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. The best part about these changes is that they are starting to become a normal routine. Each morning when I pack my lunch for work or when I come home to make dinner, instead of overanalyzing my food choices, I am able to quickly pair items that are filling and nutritional.
Though I didn't purposely plan it this way, to get to this point I concentrated on one meal at a time. I didn't do very well trying to master each meal at the same time. Instead, I focused on learning how to build a balanced breakfast and then moved to the other meals. Just recently, I've started building better snacks, and I've noticed a huge, positive difference in my hunger levels throughout the day.
Also, I finally signed up for a 5k race! A friend and I are registered for a race on March 26 in my hometown. I'm excited to have a target to train for and to have a running buddy! We frequently communicate online and on the phone about our running efforts, share tips and genuinely motivate each other to reach our running potential. The same day of the race, we are both ordering our bridesmaid dresses as we are in the same June wedding. I am actually looking forward to having my measurements taken -- I don't think I've ever said that before!
My friend and I are so committed to training together that we've also signed up for a 10k race in May. While it might be difficult and perhaps I will end up walking part of the race, I am confident that I will cross that finish line with a smile on my face knowing that I'm winning my race to healthy lifestyle.
After decades of dieting only to gain it back, two That's Fit readers have decided to finally rethink their relationship with food and exercise over the next year to move toward a lifetime of fulfilling, healthy living. Come by every week as Ashley and Lee share their successes and challenges as they tip the scale.
