***I will update this every now and then, as some of these facts are subject to change***
The updates are in bold.
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Hi there! My name is Aidyn. I'm 22 and I live in the fantastically exciting (NOT!) college town of Gainesville, FL. I'm originally from the DC area and it took me awhile to get used to the culture (or lack thereof) of this town, but I have now. I'm very into the creative arts, from theatre to graphic design to songwriting, fashion design, rock shows, arts festivals, and everything in between. I am now a certified personal trainer and nutritional consultant, though I am an office slave by day because it's quite important to have steady money in these times!
DIABETES INFORMATION:
Type 1 since 16. I felt like diabetes arrived at a perfect time - I was already starving myself, and suddenly, more weight was coming off without me even having to try! Of course, it all went downhill when I felt too crappy to continue. After being diagnosed, I was an avid fan of practicing a dreaded tactic called diabulemia, which is skipping insulin to stay thin. I didn't completely take care of myself (I either skipped insulin, starved, or was too occupied/conveniently forgot to eat much) until I moved down here nearly two years ago... and THAT'S when *BAM* I gained 50 pounds! Now, I'm just trying to maintain the healthy habits I've formed. I'm on shots right now... Lantus and Humalog... I know shots are kind of old school, and a lot of people have moved towards getting a pump, but I am not sure how I feel about the idea of something being attached to me 24/7.
Luckily and thankfully, I don't have any complications.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN:
I'm 5'6" and
I met my goal of 135 pounds on 11/07/07! Before I started losing weight at all, I was around 180, though once I started watching my weight, I dropped down to 175. Anyway - I try to eat small meals every few hours in hopes to kickstart my metabolism. I ride my bike to and from work (8 miles each way), run 3-5 miles every other day, and weight train each morning with rotating muscle groups. I do a combination of high weight low rep and low weight high rep for maximum muscle development. I like running up and down stairs, too.
Diet wise: I started out eating 1,800 caloies or less a day, followed by 1,600, 1,500, 1,400, 1,300, 1,200, then back up until I lost all my weight (had to bust those plateaus!) I tried to get 100g protein in every day, and kept my fat intake at 30% or less. I wasn't an extreme stickler for any of that, and I messed up more times than I could count, but if I guilt tripped myself every time I broke a dietary guideline, I'd have quit by now!
My maintenance diet has a range of 1,800-2,100 calories a day. I'm still eating very healthy things, just more of them. Because of my vigorous exercise routine, I can eat plenty of food, have a few treats every now and then, and still look good and be happy.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS:
I placed first in my weight class and second overall in a bodybuilding contest on 7-18-09! My body is something constantly up for improvement, BUT I am pretty happy with it overall. Non-weight-wise: I have quite a few performing arts achievements: I was in a traveling production of Guys & Dolls several years ago and got to play Sarah Brown. I was an extra in an episode of Law & Order. I hosted a huge arts festival in the DC area. I've performed stand-up comedy at the Improv at DC and in LA. Weight and health wise, my biggest achievements have been losing
7 inches off my waist, losing
40 pounds,
being able to wear fitted tees again without looking like a stuffed sausage, going from a size 14 to a size 4 (well, I was a 12-14, and now I'm a 4-6/5-7 in juniors, to be precise), getting a flat stomach, developing healthy habits and a more healthy attitude towards food, and shedding that eating disorder mindset that once plagued me for almost 5 years!