5 things I didn't know about losing 20lbs

When it comes to blogging I have been doing just awful this year haven't I?  Life has continued to be super busy.  Training, training, training. Easter orders for Engineered Cupcake. Taking Amtrak like a fiend.  Exercising like one too apparently lol.

New Year's Eve in Augusta with my BFF

I wanted to wait till I was pretty sure I'd "really" lost 20lbs as my weight fluctuates a pound or two. So as of yesterday I actually have lost almost 23lbs. And this is what I've learned

1. 20lbs isn't that much   I admit when an "average" side friends laments to me about wanting to lose 20lbs I look at them and wonder "where in the world could they lose 20lbs from".  Most of pants still fit. Some of my blazers are getting due to be taken in. For the most part though, it's nothing major. Honestly I barely noticed the last 10lbs till I looked at a picture.
2. Haters steady hating  I'm going step on my arrogant engineer soap box for a moment and let you know it isn't easy being this awesome.Besides my neighbors, who think I'm losing weight because I'm getting married -_-.   For the most part the Y I frequent is awesome with chill people but occasionally I run into 2 different kinds of folk. 1. The skinny-average sized girl who tries to out-perform me when we're exercising next to each other.  >_>  Once a week I get on the bike for 65 minutes, that's a long time. I wouldn't do that if I wasn't trying to lose a whole bunch of weight 2. The disheartened overweight person. This usually is someone who recently started exercising more, usually over 40 (not always though) and they will actually talk to me. "I don't know how you can do all that, I get so tired. I'm never going to be able to that"
   But here's the the thing, I have a semi-active job where I'm out in the field 1-3 days a week. I've been exercising semi-regularly for the past 2 years. For the most part I've always done some sort of exercise. Even when I was over 400lbs. So my body's used to it and even though I hadn't done much cardio last year it got back into the swing of things.  Everybody is different. You can't compare yourself to someone because they're the same age or size (or bigger) and think you should be able to do what they do.
   
3. Exercise helps sexual frustration.  Hey I'm grown, I'm just keeping it real.  Besides isn't going to the gym a better alternative to going to the bar and picking someone up?  That's what I thought. Even exercises you think would make it worse like pole dancing, actually still help. lol
4. Talk it out  I normally am not the type to talk about my weight loss attempts. Because when I was younger that meant people (most of who were older than me) side-eying me when I ate icecream and giving me advise I didn't ask for. This go around, I've told allot more people.  Of course there was the family weight loss challenge, but I also mentioned it to my new co-workers...I'm not quite sure why I did that. I was either super pumped that I had lost 15lbs or I was trying to convey that I'm in fact I'm a relatively healthy person. It's been nice to share with my friends something I dedicating a good amount of time to.  Them, my family, and my coworkers have been very encouraging. And when we go out and I get that next drink or I order a milkshake, no side-eye. Just me texting them next day with "last nite was hella fun....I need to go to the gym today. lol"
   



Late March (most recent in same dress)

5. Eating enough food is very important. I have to admit I should probably apologize to a few people for those last 2 weeks of March when I wasn't eating enough calories and vitamins and got a mini-bout of paranoia.  I got super anxious and it didn't dawn on me it was the fact I wasn't eating enough. I thought it was the ADHD or I was drinking too much caffeine. But a few days there, woo I lost it. Why am I telling you this? Coz the struggle is real. It happened. lol. Why wasn't I eating enough? I didn't feel hungry and this is the hardest part of dieting. Once again back to my days of chubby child 46 would tell me "don't if you're not hungry". I learned that doesn't always work after my surgery and I missed a couple days of eating. And today I still feel bad about eating when I'm not hungry. I'm not sure if it's directly because of the surger or the increased exercise. I think it's a combination of the two. So I bought some more protein powder and I'm trying to meal plan but it is hard. I think in keeping with my 5 a day pledge maybe I can start by just planning what 5 fruits and vegetables I'm gonna eat and figure out how I'll eat them as it comes to me.