Reflections on July

The previous 31 days were an incredible learning experience. I took it upon myself to do my own research instead of just blindly following fitness article after fitness expert. It was overwhelming at first, for sure. To make sure I was doing something manageable (and sustainable), I chose to focus on nutrition.

I got back to more strict discipline on what I'm eating. As I learned from the ZERO pounds I lost in June, working out, alone, is not enough to combat poor eating. But clean eating impressed me in a way that I couldn't believe.


I really learned first hand that "fat is lost in the kitchen." I did not restrict my calories any more than they were previously; I only changed what I ate. More healthy fats, more protein, less starchy carbs. That does not mean I went on a low carb diet. In fact, the macronutrient breakdown was closer to 50/20/30 carbs/protein/fats.

I am not a supporter of any diet that excludes entire food groups. I've seen far too many "Paleo vs Vegan" battles over the past month. And to be honest, different things work for different people. I can't say that one way is better than another... For starters, I'm no expert. And secondly, I can only share with y'all what has worked for me.

Right now, my 50/20/30 breakdown is working out rather well. Everything in moderation. Some days those old habits creep back in. Like I had 3 donut holes this weekend. I enjoyed them, tracked it in my food journal, and went on about my day.

Back in 2008, I had joined Curves when I hit my "I can't take it anymore" point. In reading through all of my old progress reports, I lost 42 pounds in a year with them. That was good, but I still didn't have the right mindset. What sticks out the most about my time at Curves was the attendance. The most I ever worked out in a month (over the course of that year) was 15 days, with the fewest being 2 days.

Now I'm averaging 23-25 days per month. I put a lot of time into building my schedule and it is paying off. The first thing I do on my calendar is pick rest days. Then I highlight them on my wall calendar. At a glance, I can tell if I've got something scheduled or not. By planning the routines ahead of time, I have ZERO excuses when that day rolls around. I don't have to waste time figuring out which muscle groups to target or what my macros should be for the day.

I am a creature of habit, and whether that is fortunate or unfortanate is beside the point. What's important is that I know how I function, so I build my schedule around my personality. There are people who wake up some mornings and decide they want to go for an 8 mile run. And more power to them! But I know that's not me.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point. But the reward is SO. WORTH. IT! Yes, I go to bed early. Yes, I wake up early. Yes, I spend HOURS chosing and planning my workouts. Yes, I track everything I eat. And yes, I'm one of those Instagram hipsters that chronicles every workout! But I'm happy with my progress. I'm happy with the changes I've noticed in my body and mind. And I can only get better from here!

I want to thank everyone who has shown me support through all this. I wouldn't be here without it! I say that a lot, but it's absolutely true! The first leg of this journey was done in "secret" because I was embarrassed that I joined Weight Watchers. Well you know what, that was stupid.

I never should have been embarrassed that I made a decision to make a change. Now that I'm "out of the weight loss closet," I've found support in the most unlikely of places! To hell with keeping this a secret! It's too easy to slip back into bad habits. The more people I talk about this with, the more people there are to hold me accountable. And I fully expect some tough love throughout this journey.

Operation Sweaty Summer officially ends for me on September 19th. But that won't be the end. I'll come up with a new plan, new goals, and I hope y'all are gonna be there with me come fall!

As of July 27th, I'm 11.5 pounds away from my summer goal. If I stay focused, if I push harder, if I keep saying no to donuts (ha!), I KNOW I can reach my goal!!!