Over the past few months I've started gaining some very unwanted weight. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, NO I am NOT pregnant. There are a couple of possibilities as to why I'm packing on the pounds. Either my family's history of thyroid problems has decided to manifest in me or I've become a lazy bum that eats a lot of junk food. Or both. I think it's a little of both personally.
Back in April I went to my doctor for a routine "hey I need to refill this prescription" check up and the PA decided to do some blood work while I was there. Ashley (my awesome little sister) had recently discovered that she had some thyroid problems so getting this blood work done wasn't completely a waste of time and money. They called me with the results which were "you are borderline for hypothyroidism. Come back in 6 months to get it checked again". Well 6 months is up and I have started showing a LOT of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism. I've gained weight (like 15 pounds. . .NOT FUN), I'm tired ALL OF THE TIME, I'm a grouchy grouchy grumpy gills, I'm depressed for no apparent reason, and I am always cold. I would say my dry skin is attributed to this as well, but I live in Utah after living in Houston for years. My skin has ALWAYS been dry since moving to this desert. So yeah, making an appointment to get my thyroid check should probably be high on my priority list.
While there is a good chance I can blame my weight gain on my thyroid, I think my eating habits might have SOMETHING to do with it. As it turns out, junk food is good. And fast food is a lot easier than making dinner after working for 10+ hours a day. There have been more than a few nights over the past few months that John and I just don't feel like cooking. So off to McDonalds or Chick-fil-a we go. It doesn't help that we live so close to pretty much any and all fast food restaurants Provo has to offer. Sometimes a girl just wants some french fries and a fountain Dr. Pepper! Needless to say, while a lot of fast food restaurants offer some healthier options these days, if you are already at McDonalds, why choose a salad when the hamburger or hot and spicy chicken sandwich is on the dollar menu? It's a horrible decision, but SO tasty!!!!
I finally have reached the point where I'm having to buy new clothes to accomodate my weight gain. As someone that lived comfortably in her size 4-6 pants for years and years, going up to a size 8 or 10 has NOT been fun. And nothing makes me feel worse than going to H&M and having to buy pants in the PLUS SIZE section because their sizing is stupid and apparently all 145 pounds of me is considered a size 14. Way to boost my ego H&M. . . way to go. . . A lot of people might say "seriously Tara you only weight 145 pounds and you are all upset. That's below the national average. You have nothing to complain about". I know that is all true. But I don't have the money to afford a whole new wardrobe. I do have the money to NOT go out to eat all of the time and to make much better food choices. I also have a gym membership that is all paid for and good for the next year and a half or so that I am NOT getting enough use out of. And I have an awesome friend that is as dedicated as I am to potentially running a half marathon a year from now. The key word there is POTENTIALLY. We'll see how it goes. So while I know I am not "overweight" I could be making much better decisions. And I want to feel better about myself. I have what my sisters and I call the Biggerstaff Belly. Us Biggerstaff's tend to carry all of weight in our midsection. So when I gain weight, it's simply in my tummy area. It makes me super self conscious. I like looking cute and wearing cute bathing suits and all that good stuff. But this summer I was not feeling good about myself while out on the boat in Connecticut. So I have a good 7-8 months or so to get my butt in gear and feel better about myself.
First up: a Thanksgiving 5K with one of my best friends Ky. The 2 of us ran the Rex Lee Run back in March, so we know it's possible. We are just hoping to not INCREASE our time from that first race! With very little training we ran the Rex Lee Run in about 40-ish minutes. It would be great if we could shave 10 minutes or so off that time. Ky and I have realized that just vowing to go the gym doesn't work. We have to have a goal to work towards, so this 5K is perfect. We'll see how that goes. I will definitely keep you posted.
I also am making a goal, right here for anyone that might read this to see, to eat healthier! I actually really like cooking and trying out new recipes. I have discovered a lot of new foods that I really like that are healthy. Avocado? Delicious! Quinoa? Love it! Couscous? Fantastic! I hope to share some of the recipes I find and try out. And if anyone has any suggestions for recipes I should try please share!
Hopefully I can start some good, healthy habits that will get me back on track. Being healthy can be fun, right?
Here's to working out and eating right!
~Tara
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