I just reached a mini-goal, and am here to share my story for my first post!
I made a major life change in August. I got my first teaching job and moved to a remote community in northern Quebec, Canada. At the same time, I decided that it was time to change my body, as well.
When I arrived, I was 210lbs. I did minor exercises on the Wii Fit until I felt ready to go to the gym, and now the Wii Fit is only for my weekly weigh ins. When I started on Wii Fit I was obviously in the obese range, but this week's weigh in brought me down to
overweight for the first time. I now weigh 174lbs. There's still a lot farther to go to get down to the
normal range I'm aiming for, but I'm actually more than half way!
Living in this community has really allowed me to succeed. There are no restaurants, so I don't feel compelled to treat myself to fast food. All groceries here are flown in, so they're very expensive. Fatty foods I used to eat like chips and chocolate bars cost up to four times as much, and my cheapness wins out over my cravings.
I have also changed the way I eat. I used to eat large portions and I never planned meals in advance. Now I cook a large meal on Sundays, divide it up into individual serving containers, and freeze it for the following week. I thought I'd get bored eating the same thing for lunch and dinner every day, but I like how simple it is to just reheat and eat, and know at the same time that I'm not going to overindulge.
Another thing this community has given to me is more time. I live not even a minute from the school where I teach, so I have more time for exercise. I used to live far away from work and sometimes lost three hours in a day to getting around by bus. By the time I got home I felt so pressed for time that I just grabbed something fast and fatty so I wouldn't have to lose even more time cooking before I started my studies. I find that the more free time I have, the
less time I have for excuses to eat poorly and shirk exercise.