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
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
What a Summer. . .
Hello everyone!
It has been a crazy summer for John, Griz, myself, and our newest addition Jimba! This crazy summer is why I haven't posted literally all summer long.
In May John and I moved into our own rental house in Provo. It's nice having the house to ourselves. We can cook when we want. Cleaning seems to be easier when its just 2 people making messes. And overall just having the 2 of us, plus the pups, is so much fun!
At the end of May John and I drove to Houston for my best friend's wedding. The drive was LONG! We drove from Utah to Houston all in one go. I drove through the night because John and I just didn't feel like stopping. It was a long drive, but totally worth it. Houston welcomed us in fine fashion with a downpour :) The wedding itself was SO MUCH FUN! I hadn't seen any of my high school friends for about 4 years, so it was nice catching up with some of them. And seeing Missy get married was so sweet. I am so glad we made the trip down to Houston for this very special occasion! I am hoping to get back to Houston for a longer trip soon. Pics will be coming soon!
June was a fairly quite month. It mostly consisted of settling into the house. The big news of June was us adopting Jimba from the Humane Society. We had been wanting another dog, but thought we should wait until after our Connecticut trip to get one. I couldn't resist checking out the pups on the Humane Society website. When we found Jimba we instantly fell in love. We got in the car, drove the humane society and adopted him within a couple of hours. When we met him at the Humane Society his name was Chatanooga. John and I both thought that name was stupid. We had decided before we ever met Jimba that the next dog we got would be named Jimba, after our 2 basketball players- Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker (Jimmer from my team BYU and Kemba from John's team UCONN). Little did we know that Jimba actually has some mad skills. He can climb and jump over baby gates like a champ. He is our little escape artist. Jimba is such a cuddle bug. He loves laying on my lap and taking naps. He and Griz get along great. Griz has a bit more energy than Jimba does, but for the most part they are best friends.
In July John and I visited his family in Connecticut. We went camping in upstate New York, which was so much fun! We camped on an island in Lake George. It was SO BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely LOVE boating and camping so this was the perfect vacation. Aside from the rain storm and caffeine headaches the trip was a blast. After we finished our long weekend of camping, John and I spent a day in Rhode Island. We did some sight seeing and then met up with John's sister to go to a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives featured restaurant. It was pretty tasty. We finished our trip to Connecticut by visiting a restaurant called The Place with a few of John's Aunts and Uncles. I absolutely adore all of John's family. Spending time with them makes me so happy. I can't wait to officially join the Fede family so that I can claim these wonderful people as my family too. The Place is a way cool restaurant that is only open in the summer. It's an outdoor restaurant that features grilled corn on the cob and roasted clams, just to name a few items. The Place has few menu items, but patrons are invited to bring their own sides and appetizers, as well as beverages. It is such a fun atmosphere and SO DELICIOUS! I am just beginning to enjoy seafood such as clams and OH MY GOODNESS these were so good. Seriously I was spoiled to try my first clams in Connecticut. Utah seafood just doesn't compare to freshly caught New England seafood. I always enjoy my time in Connecticut. John's family is so much fun and I always get to experience new things. I can't wait until we get back there!
August was again a pretty uneventful month. We threw a birthday party for John, which was fun. Our house is a little cramped when we get 15-20 people in it, but it's so much fun to have friends over for a good time.
I know it doesn't sound like we were that busy, but with me working a full time job and a part time job, I really am busy! I get home around 730, which leaves me just enough time to cook dinner and eat before going to bed. I am trying to prioritize my time a bit better and make time for the things I enjoy. I do have lots of blog posts in mind so stay tuned! Also I will be posting some pics from our Summer so that you can see what we have been up to instead of just reading about it. Pictures make everything better right?
Stay tuned for pics and updates soon!
~Tara
It has been a crazy summer for John, Griz, myself, and our newest addition Jimba! This crazy summer is why I haven't posted literally all summer long.
In May John and I moved into our own rental house in Provo. It's nice having the house to ourselves. We can cook when we want. Cleaning seems to be easier when its just 2 people making messes. And overall just having the 2 of us, plus the pups, is so much fun!
At the end of May John and I drove to Houston for my best friend's wedding. The drive was LONG! We drove from Utah to Houston all in one go. I drove through the night because John and I just didn't feel like stopping. It was a long drive, but totally worth it. Houston welcomed us in fine fashion with a downpour :) The wedding itself was SO MUCH FUN! I hadn't seen any of my high school friends for about 4 years, so it was nice catching up with some of them. And seeing Missy get married was so sweet. I am so glad we made the trip down to Houston for this very special occasion! I am hoping to get back to Houston for a longer trip soon. Pics will be coming soon!
June was a fairly quite month. It mostly consisted of settling into the house. The big news of June was us adopting Jimba from the Humane Society. We had been wanting another dog, but thought we should wait until after our Connecticut trip to get one. I couldn't resist checking out the pups on the Humane Society website. When we found Jimba we instantly fell in love. We got in the car, drove the humane society and adopted him within a couple of hours. When we met him at the Humane Society his name was Chatanooga. John and I both thought that name was stupid. We had decided before we ever met Jimba that the next dog we got would be named Jimba, after our 2 basketball players- Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker (Jimmer from my team BYU and Kemba from John's team UCONN). Little did we know that Jimba actually has some mad skills. He can climb and jump over baby gates like a champ. He is our little escape artist. Jimba is such a cuddle bug. He loves laying on my lap and taking naps. He and Griz get along great. Griz has a bit more energy than Jimba does, but for the most part they are best friends.
In July John and I visited his family in Connecticut. We went camping in upstate New York, which was so much fun! We camped on an island in Lake George. It was SO BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely LOVE boating and camping so this was the perfect vacation. Aside from the rain storm and caffeine headaches the trip was a blast. After we finished our long weekend of camping, John and I spent a day in Rhode Island. We did some sight seeing and then met up with John's sister to go to a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives featured restaurant. It was pretty tasty. We finished our trip to Connecticut by visiting a restaurant called The Place with a few of John's Aunts and Uncles. I absolutely adore all of John's family. Spending time with them makes me so happy. I can't wait to officially join the Fede family so that I can claim these wonderful people as my family too. The Place is a way cool restaurant that is only open in the summer. It's an outdoor restaurant that features grilled corn on the cob and roasted clams, just to name a few items. The Place has few menu items, but patrons are invited to bring their own sides and appetizers, as well as beverages. It is such a fun atmosphere and SO DELICIOUS! I am just beginning to enjoy seafood such as clams and OH MY GOODNESS these were so good. Seriously I was spoiled to try my first clams in Connecticut. Utah seafood just doesn't compare to freshly caught New England seafood. I always enjoy my time in Connecticut. John's family is so much fun and I always get to experience new things. I can't wait until we get back there!
August was again a pretty uneventful month. We threw a birthday party for John, which was fun. Our house is a little cramped when we get 15-20 people in it, but it's so much fun to have friends over for a good time.
I know it doesn't sound like we were that busy, but with me working a full time job and a part time job, I really am busy! I get home around 730, which leaves me just enough time to cook dinner and eat before going to bed. I am trying to prioritize my time a bit better and make time for the things I enjoy. I do have lots of blog posts in mind so stay tuned! Also I will be posting some pics from our Summer so that you can see what we have been up to instead of just reading about it. Pictures make everything better right?
Stay tuned for pics and updates soon!
~Tara
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