My Time

I want to make one thing clear. I do not like getting out of bed. I'm one of those people that knows exactly how late I can sleep in and still get to school on time. A few weeks ago when I decided to get serious about getting in shape I decided the best way for me to do it was to split my workouts into two sessions each day. So I started setting my alarm for 5:20. That would give me just enough time to get in 20 to 25 minutes on the elliptical before school.
The first week was simply awful, but when I was finished I really felt like I had earned my shower. The second week was easier. Now here I am in the third week and I actually look forward to my morning workouts. In fact, I get up at 5:00 instead of 5:20! Contrary to what I believed for years---exercising early in the morning will NOT kill me! I cherish this hour or so. It is my alone time that I value so much. I usually watch 1/3 of an episode of Extreme Weight Loss. I have found it incredibly motivating to hear the stories about people who have lost about half of their body weight in a year. I figured if someone can lose 200+ pounds in a year then I should be able to lose 80 in 10 months. I also take this time to remind myself that the changes I have made are "forever" changes and that it will take time to see the results.

If you are in the same boat as me and you are trying to get in shape, but you find that there are always other things to do, I strongly encourage you to get your butt out of bed and do it first thing in the day. In the afternoon and evening I always had other things to do----fix dinner, help with homework, clean the house, go grocery shopping, plan lessons, grade papers, bathe the dog, get my car detailed---you get the picture. Nothing stands in my way at 5am. (Nothing that some ibuprofen can't handle anyway!)

Tracking My Progress

I am tracking my weight loss on a spreadsheet and I am using a tracker, but I wanted something more. I needed something more tangible so I came up with a plan. I purchased two votive holders (shot glasses would have worked, too!) and some pretty pebbles. I counted out 85 pebbles to represent the pounds that I need to lose. Each time I lose a pound I move a pebble. This morning I was able to move my 9th pebble over!

Click here to see more ideas ideas for visually tracking weight loss.

My Motivation

Losing weight is never easy. I am so lucky to have a wonderful family and friends who have offered their support over the past couple of weeks. I know they will continue to support me throughout this long process. A week ago my daughter decided to join my on this journey and I could not be more proud of her!

We have decided that our big reward to ourselves for meeting our goal will be a trip for just us. We have a long time to figure it out, but right now we are considering going to the Grand Canyon, Florida, or Washington DC.


She and I are both using the LoseIt app because it allows us to track our calories as well as our workouts. We have both set very realistic goals that we hope to achieve by the end of June. We have talked about how this is all about permanent changes in lifestyle and making healthy choices most of the time. We are not dieting. We have both eating and exercising like we plan on doing for the rest of our lives. We are both on the right track as well. I have lost over 9 pounds over the last 15 days and my daughter has lost 2 pounds this last week.

My Plan

My plan to shed around 85 pounds over the next year is pretty simple: create a caloric deficit of around 7000 calories each week. To do this I will eat better and exercise more.... A LOT MORE!

I started by eliminating the empty calories in my diet. This meant giving up my daily iced or frozen coffee as well as the 16 ounces of soda that I consumed on a regular basis. Those two changes alone save me at least 700 calories a day. SEVEN HUNDRED CALORIES! (That is 73 pounds a year!) I no longer drink any calories. Since I'm only consuming 1400 to 1500 calories a day I want to spend them on food! Ice water is my new BFF. Not only does it taste better, but I can burn up to 70 calories a day just to warm it up! (That's like an extra 6 minutes on the elliptical!)

I decided the best way for me to lose weight was to do it slowly, steadily, and naturally. I knew that in order for me to lose weight and keep it off I needed to make permanent lifestyle changes. I use an app called LoseIt to track every single calorie I consume. This not only helps me track my calories, but I can track my exercise for the day as well. I can see very quickly if I have had too many carbs or if I've consumed too much fat for the day and make decisions for the rest of my meals based on that information.

The biggest (and most difficult) change has been increasing my physical activity. I decided my goal would be to exercise at least 40 minutes every day. I decided to break up my time into two different workouts. I have been waking up early to get in anywhere from 20-30 minutes on my elliptical trainer. I never thought I could enjoy early morning workouts, but they make me feel GREAT! I usually get in another 30-45 minute workout in the late afternoon or evening. Breaking up my workouts has allowed me to work out much longer each day than my 40 minute goal which has allowed me to lose nearly 8 pounds in two weeks.

My goal is to lose about 2 pounds a week for the next 43 weeks or until I lose around 85 pounds. While I am ahead of my goal, I don't think I can continue to lose four pounds a week. (It isn't healthy!) I want my changes I make to be healthy and responsible. Like I said earlier, these are changes that I will have to live with for the rest of my life so I need to make sure I can live with them!

No More Excuses

Beth in 2013

My name is Beth Still and this is the most difficult post I have ever written. I have written about issues in education on my other blog, Nebraska Change Agent, since 2008, but I rarely write about anything personal. A couple of weeks ago I made the decision that it was time for me to change my life and today I decided to start this blog as a place for me to share my journey. Before I share my goals and plans, I want to provide some background. 

When I was in high school I was in great shape. I was no athlete, but I looked pretty descent in a bikini. I was able to eat anything I wanted and I never gained an ounce. I went to college and obtained my degree in veterinary technology and a week later I got married. A few months later I found out I was pregnant. I got HUGE! I figured since I was pregnant then I could eat anything I wanted. I thought the weight would come right off. 

Beth in 1992

It wasn't that easy. I stayed home to raise my daughter, but I never seemed to be able to find time to exercise. I was 130 pounds when I got pregnant and ballooned to 200 by the end of my pregnancy. Three years later I was still around 180 and the scale was not budging. I took Phen Fen for 3 months and dropped a lot of weight, but it came right back. I eventually went back to college to get my teaching degree which meant I had zero time to eat right or exercise. 

During the middle of my first year of teaching I got pregnant again. By then, I was almost 30 and had been overweight for nearly a decade. I promised myself that after I had my second child that I would focus on getting in shape. But life got in the way again. I had become an expert on coming up with excuses to not exercise and eat right. 

So here we are another decade later. I stepped on the scale a few weeks ago and I weighed 223 pounds. I knew I had gained a lot of weight over the last year, but it still shocked me. I decided on the spot that would be the heaviest I would ever be. I know most women are mortified by the thought of sharing their weight with anyone and I am no different. I decided to share my story publicly because I need the help and support of my friends and family. It's not like its a secret that I am way overweight! 

I hope that by sharing where I currently am and where I want to be a year from now will help me stay accountable to myself. No more excuses EVER AGAIN!