I want to be an example!

[Tasha]

Hi everyone.

 

My name is Natasha and I am ready to start leveling up!

 

I am 29 years old, female, 5' 6" and I am 230 pounds. Six weeks ago I was 242 pounds until a random bit of hope broke through and changed what I want, what I'm willing to accept for myself.

 

This is the begining of my story, my super hero origin if you will.

 

I've always been a little overweight and for nearly two decades I have had skin problems, Rosacea it's called. Both these things and the fact that we moved around a lot led me to be a quiet person. Still, I met my husband through an online game we both enjoyed about 10 years ago, 5 years after that we were married.

 

Then 2 years and 8 months ago our daughter, Becca, was born unexpectedly early at 28 weeks into the pregnancy and after I had an eclamptic seizure. Because of the seizure, even though she was delivered that day, Becca has Cerebral Palsy. She is fed through a tube into her tummy and it's extremely unlikely she'll ever walk. She is fed 6 times a day over an hour every 3 hours from start to start, plus has problems with reflux so needs to be held upright for at least 30-45 minutes after she is done eating. She also suffers from sleep issues, only sleeping 1-3 hours at a time and leaving me with an average of 4 hours of sleep at night(not all at once), with maybe an hour or 2 more during the day. Beyond this she is the most adorable little girl with big blue eyes and curly blond hair. Recently she's begun smiling and her version of laughing, including laughing at me from the stroller as I walk as fast as I can, panting away.

 

The last nearly 3 years have been tough. Sleep deprevation really is a form of torture and I spent many nights eating because I was tired without quite realizing what I was doing. So a lot of stress, eating and forced inactivity led me to gain a lot of weight.

 

Six weeks ago my doctor perscribed a new treatment for my skin and something as simple as that kindled a bit of hope in me. My skin can be better, so I can be better too. Such a strange thing to spark my journey to be a better me, but I'm grabbing it and running with it!

 

I started taking a hard look at my choices, making small changes that I could handle. The first was to drink more water and I made sure always have it to hand which caused me to nearly stop drinking pop and juice. I carved out time to prepare fruits and vegetables as soon as I brought them home, cutting them up into serving sizes which I put in containers in the fridge, easy to grab. I lost 10 pounds over five weeks then saw my doctor again last week, he suggested intermittant fasting (restricting calories to 500 two days a week) and that so far has gone well. I found it really makes me think about the value of the food I'm eating and it spills over onto days that I'm not counting calories.

 

I want to reach my level 50. I want more energy and to have better ways to deal with stress. I'd love to join the Academy but money is tight at the moment.

 

The Assassin profession appeals to me with a hint of Druid thrown in.

-I want to lose another 88 pounds approximately. My end goal being around 142 pounds.

-We travel a lot for Becca's medical needs, so bodyweight workouts that I can do wherever are great.

-I want to be stronger for everyday life.

-I want to be more flexible, agile and graceful.

-I want to be more relaxed and enjoy the body that I have.

-I want these changes for the rest of my life, not just a month or two.

-I want to be an example for my husband to live a healthier life too.

-I want to be able to take care of my daughter as she grows. She's little now, but she'll keep getting bigger. I need the strength and the energy to do that.

 

I saw a link for the Beginner Bodyweight Workout and I plan to start that today! One step at a time, one good choice toward the next level.

 

It's nice to have a site full of nerds who are interested in health and fitness, putting things in terms that I can relate to!

[Elastigirl]

Hugs to you and welcome. Love your goals and congrats on the good start!

[Tasha]

Thanks Elastigirl!

 

I did indeed start the BBWW that very day and I'm about to do it again in a few minutes even though part of me is screaming no. My daughter only slept for about 3 hours last night so I'm pretty tired. In the middle of the night I wanted to find every bad thing in the house and eat it. But I didn't! Instead I grabbed water and firmly walked away.

 

I had the willpower to do better last night, I'm not going to ruin it by not doing my exersice today!

[AlexTheNextOne]

I also just started the BBWW yesterday, and MAN, that was tougher than I thought.

I'm also resisting trying not to eat something high in carbs right now. But I'm not gonna do it. Gotta stick to the plan!

[MegaShe-Ra]

I've done the bbww a few times now and I think it gets easier, at least mentally to push myself into it but it always feels so rewarding after finishing a workout!

Good luck on your goals and congrats on starting towards a better you. you can definitely do it!

[Tasha]

I know how hard it can be to resist. I'm having a hard time at the moment. I really want some ice cream or cookies right now, but so far I am not going near the kitchen, just drinking more water. Today is one of my fast days and I think it's worse because my husband and I are getting a rare night out tomorrow, dinner, movie, etc. I'm really looking forward to it so I keep thinking about it!

 

I've done the BBWW twice now, I'll be doing it again tomorrow and my daughter's occupational therapist suggested I incorperate Becca into whatever parts of it I can. So I'll be holding 20 pounds of 2 year old during the squats and lunges tomorrow. If anyone can suggest other body weight type exercises I can do with her, that would be great. She needs to have her back and head supported because she can't hold them up herself so I'm having a hard time thinking of anything.