Wanna Bet?

[Braembel Bera]

I'm staring outside at a midnight world coated in snow, and I'm thinking about fear. I'm feeling plenty that right now: fear. Alongside the fear and anxiety is a new emotion - I want to call it "hope". So with hope in hand, I will do my best to explain how I got to where I am, and where I plan to go. 

 

Thomas, otherwise known as Thomas the Doubter, was recorded in the Gospel of John as asking Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Not gonna get all preachy here, but Thomas's doubts are on my mind right now. If I don't know where I'm going, how can I know how to get there? Well, my new friend hope (with her bosom buddies "trust" and "faith") will get me there.

 

My name isn't important, because I choose to call myself on these forums by my superhero name. This is the name I'll wear when working out; the identity I will assume while planning meals. The life and skills and mindset of Bera are not those of fear. Bera is the me I've been called to be: strong, sexy, faithful, kind, fit, healthy, poetic, crafty.

 

I've promised to say how I got here, haven't I? I was diagnosed with a mental disorder in my teens. I've been found and labeled "disabled", and I've worn that label fairly well. (What better alter ego for a super hero, though, am I right? I think Matt Murdock would agree.) The medication that saved my life also messed with my metabolism, more than I knew even at the time. I gained over 50 pounds in just a few years. At my highest I was around 250. I'm 5'6'', female, 31 years, and right now, I've yo-yoed my way to a steady 220. My lowest since hitting 250 has been 208. 

 

I've been blessed with two beautiful children, and both pregnancies were rough. I was gestational diabetic, and needed insulin in the second pregnancy. Since delivering my now five month old daughter, I've been diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic. It turns out the medicines that saved my life and keep me stable mentally also give me a much higher risk of developing Type 2. I've been researching nutrition and fitness for years, too fearful and anxious to move into for more than a few months. All of the advice led me over and over to a calorie- and fat-restrictive version of the same-old SAD, and I know that doesn't work (for me). 

 

It's been a few days now that I've transitioned to a Paleo-esque diet. I'm not following 100%, though I want to in the near future. Right now, managing stress during this season of my life involves not going gung-ho into the diet. For that reason I'm going to begin changing my sedentary lifestyle at a brisk walk. Besides eating much cleaner than before, I'll walk most days each week. My alter ego may want to go full charge into a workout routine, but Bera knows how to stay cool and level up at an even pace.

 

The title of this post is Wanna Bet, because I plan on asking my husband to make a bet with me. He's under a ton of stress, but he is finally in a place in his life where he wants to change. He isn't entirely sure what is best for him, and he isn't ready to start, mostly because we know willpower is limited and he's maxing his out daily trying to survive other challenges. My bet comes in this form: if I can get from an obese BMI of 36 (at around 220 pounds; I plan to weigh in when morning comes) down into the mere "overweight" range with a BMI of 29 (around 180 pounds), by the dawn of 2015, he has to get fit my way. This includes Paleo, strength training, and basically doing everything I learn here on NF.

 

Don't tell him, but if he agrees to this, he'll lose. I'll let him set his own prize if he wins the bet, though. I know he'll lose, because I've calculated a few things, and with steady and consistent effort, I could be at my goal weight, and in the "normal" BMI range by then. Secretly, I will be aiming to be at 155 or lower by the end of this year; my husband will be expecting me to aim above that. 

 

So there you go: a bit about me, how I got here, my secret identity, and my main quest including my why. A big secret I've learned about myself is that if I have to get fit for myself, I won't make it a priority. I'm guessing that if my "why" is to lord victory over my husband and then boss him around, I may just get fit. Maybe. Don't tell me that wouldn't work for you.

 

 

[UnlikelyHeroine]

You are a lovely and inspiring woman, Beta. Way to jump life's hurdles!

[Basement Cat]

Welcome to the rebellion, Bera!

 

Ooh, the plotting, I love it! Paleo is a good choice for diabetics considering how little sugar of any kind is in there. You say you want to start strength training? Would that be with iron or bodyweight? You'll find plenty of resources around here to help you:

 

Workouts, eating, habit building, etc.

Powerlifting forum

 

If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask! Good luck with your goals and keep us posted!

[Braembel Bera]

Thanks for your support, ladies. I'm checking out those links now!

[SuNoYo]

Bienvenue Bera!

 

Those look like great goals, and that you've planned out a rough yearly course for your goals just makes it all the more likely to succeed! It's fairly late into the most recent six week challenge, but have a scout around those sub-forums and see the kind of fun you can have with interim mini-goals to help liven up your main quest.

Aside from that I'll just second Silver's links and add that it's about the fun you have on the journey more than the overall end. You say you want to be around 155lb by 2015, but if by the end of the year you're 170lb, but you can do [insert awesome things here] and enjoy them it's as much a success, if not more, than having lost [x] weight. So just have fun, look around, stick on your hard hat if necessary and have fun. Can't say that enough.

[Braembel Bera]

You say you want to be around 155lb by 2015, but if by the end of the year you're 170lb, but you can do [insert awesome things here] and enjoy them it's as much a success, if not more, than having lost [x] weight. So just have fun, look around, stick on your hard hat if necessary and have fun. Can't say that enough.

 

I like this enough to almost want to have it tattooed on my forehead, so I'm reminded when I look in the mirror (to check my squat form, of course!!) Almost. 

 

Thanks!

[Why not?]

You may recall that Phillip followed up with an inquiry of his own.  The response involved two main concepts, faith and belief.  Those two are the means by which we overcome these doubts you speak of.  I like your perspective.  Just remember, this year, whether you hit your goals or not (and I definitely believe that you will), is merely the first step on a journey to a healthier you.  Since you draw the parallel to Faith, think of it as a similar journey to that which you embarked upon when you took up that Faith.  It's not just a new habit or a new behavior.  It's a new life.

[Elleme]

Beautifully put, inspiring. You can do this, your determination is obvious!