Goodbye Curve Hugging Jeans

I think I may be the only person to admit that it is a little sad when your once curve-hugging jeans are now saggy-ass jeans. I like my big butt and I cannot lie. But, I also like the fact that since January 22nd, I have lost a little more than 6 pounds without really even trying. Yeah, you probably think I'm full of shit, but hear me out... 

After my 10th anniversary party, it kinda hit me that I wasn't as healthy as I should be. I reached my goal of being freed of my medical problems, but now I was faced with keeping it that way. I still have one ovary, and thus, still have polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and will remain on meds for that until it's time to hit menopause, but I can still help my body be all it can be. Or something like that. 

My main enemy is sugar. My PCOD causes insulin resistance, meaning that my body doesn't respond to normal insulin levels, leaving my blood sugar quite high and thus shooting me into the high risk category for type 2 diabetes (already made high by my family history). This also makes it hard for my cells to metabolize sugar for energy and stores it as fat instead, causing excess weight gain. 

The other side of PCOD is that I have slightly more male androgen hormones than I should. This makes exercise difficult as certain exercises or too much exercise can exacerbate the production of male androgens and bring on a range of other shitty side effects of PCOD like acne and facial hair. 

Anywhoo, given these two circumstances, I had to come up with a plan to get healthy without throwing my body into whack.

I simply started watching what I ate, and not just as it went into my mouth. I began looking at calories and protein and carbs. I downloaded an app on my phone that helped me to chart what I was eating in terms of not just calories, but also in terms of nutrition. I started making healthier choices right away. 

The key for me was simply moderation. Let me give you my first example. I LOVE my morning coffee with lots of coffee creamer. I am a Coffee Mate fanatic! But, when I started logging calories, I noticed that my morning cup o'joe was almost 100 calories. Holy shit! So, I took out my measuring spoons and started measuring my coffee creamer. I shaved off extra sugar and calories really quick. 

I also was looking at my morning breakfast. Instead of eating Cheerios out of the box with my son, I started using my measuring cups and measured out one serving. I also have tried to stay away from morning carbs day after day and have started drinking protein shakes and eating protein bars. I did notice that I stayed fuller longer and didn't get as many carbs each day. I still don't always pass up a bagel, but I am more aware of what I eat the rest of the day after that bagel.

I love pizza and Chinese food buffets as much as anyone. Instead of staying away, I plan out what's for dinner. If we're ordering pizza, I add those calories into my app first, then plan lunch and breakfast around my highly caloric dinner. It's amazing what a little planning can do!

I also make sure I plan out meals for my family each week. I write what we're having on the calendar and the night before, I will put that into my app and use my dinner options as a base for what I should eat during the day. If we're eating chicken and vegetables for dinner, I can splurge on lunch. If I treat the kids the Happy Meals and eat Chicken McNuggets for lunch, then I back off on the second serving of spaghetti for dinner. It's all about moderation.

 I refuse to stop eating foods I love. I LOVE Girl Scout cookies, but I am more likely to stick to a single serving (say, 4 Thin Mints) now than sit and eat a whole sleeve. My personal beliefs won't ever let me give up things I love. I live my life to enjoy it, not restrict myself from it.

I hate the word diet and I hate to think about weight loss. I've always been happy with my body. It's another part of my personal beliefs. If I can't love myself, I shouldn't expect anyone else to. If I can't love myself, what example am I setting for my kids? If I can't see that I am beautiful inside and out, I shouldn't expect others too. 

Besides being able to drop some pounds, I am proud to say that my PCOD is under control. I PMS more normally and regularly than I EVER have! I don't get periods because of my hysterectomy last year, so that's nice. But, it is nice to know that my body is on track. I don't get as many acne breakouts as I used to. And, I know this is public, but I am happy to say that I have a great sex life (something else PCOD can ruin!). 

So, yeah, I am a little upset that my "great looking ass" jeans are getting saggy, but I'm proud that in just two months time, I've made myself healthier than I have been in a long time!