Why, hello world!
Blah blah, haven't been here in a minute, blah.
I've been on two 'diets' in the last couple of years which have resulted in the rapid loss of significant amounts of weight, even while eating whatever I feel like. And I thought I'd share them with you, while I have a second before another class comes marching in to my student teaching life.
1. Divorce. Best diet ever.
My ex did not eat healthy stuff. We would try for a while, but really his heart was set on boxed mac and cheese combined with a pound of ground beef and whatever other cheese was lying around the house. Screw veggies, more lard! And, because when you're married to someone you pick up some of their habits, I ate like that. I was never fat, but looking back at pictures, you can see how round I was. I was a size 12, and pushing out of that rapidly. (Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people comfortable in size 12 or larger, and I am not judging you for it. However, I'm 5'4", and that extra weight was never something I was comfortable with.)
ANYWAY. When we split up, even while I was still in Michigan, I started dropping weight. Not in an unhealthy way, but I stopped eating like it was going out of style, and started walking our dogs about five miles a day. I felt really good, and the sizes melted off. When I got to DC the trend continued, since I was cooking for myself, walking to work every day, etc. I went from pushing 150 to about 125 in a matter of months. Got myself down to a size 2, and there I was, happy and several sizes smaller.
2. Student teaching and working full time.
Oh yes, you want a good diet? Go 15 hours a day, minimum, at least five days a week. Add another 10 hour day (on Sunday she rested is NOT the case), and you've not got a lot of time to eat extra stuff. When The Guy and I were dating (did I mention on here that we're not anymore? No big drama, we just didn't work out, but we're still good, good friends) I put on a few pounds, like you do when you're content and going out to dinner a lot. I never moved out of my size 2 jeans, but they were getting a little snug in the thigh and muffin top area.
Insert student teaching. And the inability to eat more than what I can order from work, or buy at the grocery store and consume in roughly 45 minute total. Which has meant boxed mac and cheese, but when you add veggie sausages instead of a pound of ground beef, the end result is significant different.
I wasn't paying any attention to my weight, mind you. I haven't had time to. And frankly, laundry has been low on my list of things to do. So I was wearing the same pants over and over and over. And you know how pants stretch out when you wear them? Yeah, that.
I did laundry a few days ago, and put on my very favorite ever pair of Gap jeans (why yes, I DID pay $75 for a pair of jeans, and they WERE worth it, thankyouverymuch). And I thought maybe my washer/dryer weren't doing a good job, because these jeans have been SNUG for a while. Not quite muffin topping me, but close. And my thighs have never been small, so the close fit was to be expected.
I put my belt on earlier this week, cinched it to it's normal place, and there was a slight fold in my jeans. There is room in my size 2 Gap jeans. I jumped on the scale last night, after work and full of beer, and I'm thisclose to the weight I was just out of high school. A small concerted effort and I could get there.
People at work have been noticing, and saying stuff. And I swear I'm not anorexic! I AM eating, some days way too much and other days really junky food, but I am eating! It's just that I'm on my feet at least six hours a day, and if I'm teaching classes it's even more. I have no time for snacks or laziness (and it's killing me, I LOVE being lazy).
I've also cemented my venture into vegetarianism. Rubbing oil on a raw turkey on Thanksgiving convinced me that not eating meat is right for me. If I'm disgusted touching something, I probably shouldn't be putting it in my mouth. My entire digestive system is much happier with me since I stopped eating meat, and obviously the rest of me is OK with it. So there that is.
When I was a freshman in high school I weighed 115 pounds. I've not been lower than that my entire adult life, nor do I strive to get back to that now. But if I could get to 120 or a little under, I could dig it.
But I'm not buying any new pants until student teaching is over and I know whether or not this baggy pant thing is just a phase, or if I'm pushing towards a new jean size.
Also, I'm done student teaching in a week and a half. Expect a long post then, a reflection of what I've gone through and whatnot shortly thereafter. Until then, you probably won't read me again.