Nest Caitlin answers our questions about getting back in shape!
Posted
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 11:03 AM
Nest Anni: So what’s your overall goal? Weight loss? Getting toned? Running a race?
Nest Caitlin: At this point, weight loss is my goal. In my mind, getting toned goes along with that.
Nest Anni: What was the breaking point that provoked you to make changes?
Nest Caitlin:
I attended one of my sister’s college basketball games this past
January. It’s a regular occurrence for me in the winter, but I was
irrationally annoyed when my dad told me that our high school
basketball coach would be in attendance. He knew me as an
over-achieving, spunky, three-sport varsity athlete who never quit. And
now -- I was 24 years old, overweight, out of shape, and completely
unhappy about it. I was totally embarrassed for him to see me. It
wasn’t just because I was an overweight person (I mean come on, I’d
gone through the last two years this way), it was because I knew that
it wasn’t the “real me.” Just chatting with him during the game about
my high school athletic career, I was reminded of how active,
competitive, and -- damnit -- happy I was then. Until recently, I had
fooled myself into thinking that I couldn’t be that way again, making
excuses like “I was younger” and “I blew out my knee (ACL tear) in high
school” -- but HELLO! I’m only 24, it should be a good six years or so
until I even attempt to use that excuse. That week, I rejoined Weight
Watchers (for the third time in two years) and committed to finding the
real me that I know is still under there.
Nest Anni: What kind of changes have you made so far?
Nest Caitlin:
I’ve been religious about working out at least four to five times a
week. I don’t just “get to the gym” -- I push myself every day, it
really helps to feel like I’m making real progress, even on a
day-to-day basis. I also reenrolled myself in Weight Watchers to get
control of my eating habits. This time only online. I’ve heard people
say they like the meetings because there's a sense of accountability,
and I finally figured out this time that I'm the only accountability I
should need. I’m the only person affected by and in control of my
health. I shouldn’t need a meeting leader or someone behind a counter
weighing me in to achieve that feeling. I also look at it as a
lifestyle now, not a diet. I make changes by asking myself if I could
really keep them for the long haul.
Nest Anni: What’s your favorite healthy snack?
Nest Caitlin: It’s a toss-up between fat-free kettle corn in 100-calorie bags and Laughing Cow light cheese wedges.
Nest Anni: What’s your biggest obstacle?
Nest Caitlin:
I detest vegetables and really don’t care for fruits. I’m learning that
to sustain this new lifestyle, I’ll need to break those barriers down
for good. I’ve taken baby steps by having a vegetable soup everyday and
making recipes that sneak veggies in, like lite mashed potatoes with
secret mashed carrots (I know, I’m like a 5-year old).
Nest Anni: Do you have any secrets to your motivation?
Nest Caitlin:
I find that writing down your goals is really important -- even better
if you post them around your home, desk, car, etc. It’s important that
I remember that it’s not just about weighing less, so I write down all
the reasons why I want to lose the weight.
Nest Anni: What HASN’T worked for you in the past?
Nest Caitlin:
1) Eating the same old crap with portion control. It’s not sustainable;
that’s why I quit Weight Watchers the first two times. I was only
modifying my habits; I wasn’t changing them.
2) Weight Watchers meetings. There was way too much coddling going on there for me.
3)
Setting short-terms goals that were too intense. When I didn’t meet
them, I got discouraged, quit, and probably packed on five more pounds
each time.
Nest Anni: Any advice for others trying to get on track?
Nest Caitlin:
First thing, don’t think of it as a diet -- it’s a change in lifestyle,
that’s the only way you’ll keep it off. You also need to be ready to be
completely honest with yourself; it sounds simple, but until you get to
the core of why you’ve been making the kind of decisions that made you
overweight, you won’t be able to figure out how to change them for
good.
So far I’ve lost 20 pounds. My goal is to lose 55 to 60
pounds by the end of the year. Maybe I’ll pay my basketball coach a
“thank-you” visit over holiday break.
Thanks Caitlin!
This month you will see Caitlin and me on the Shape-Up Challenge board. Stop in to share advice with other Nesties who are getting bikini-ready for summer!