Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves – Part 2


~Jenn

Last week I posted Part 1 of my discussion with my sister Sharon about her weight loss, and similarities and differences with mine.  She has lost over 40 pounds in just over a year, and is a big source of inspiration and motivation for me. This is Part 2 of our conversation.

 

Jenn: Do you like your healthier lifestyle? Why or why not?

Sharon: Absolutely!  I feel like I’m in control of my eating habits now and I can’t see myself ever going back to the unhealthy lifestyle I was living.  I have way more energy, and shopping for clothes is now a treat instead of a depressing chore.  I’m a much happier person because of it 😀

[Jenn: Clothes shopping has definitely been a huge and awesome change since my weight loss. It’s a lot more fun buying clothes when you like how you look in them. I can’t imagine living like I used to, again. Physically alone the lack of energy and carrying that amount of weight around with me again would be not good, much less the mental/emotional ramifications.]

J: What motivates you to continue?

 S: I love being full of energy and the whole thing is now routine for me.  It gets much easier with time.  I’ve lost a little over 40 lbs now and am constantly getting complimented on what a good job I’m doing.  I have great support from everyone in my life, especially you, and that is a wonderful thing.

[Jenn: Awwww! Thanks!! 😀 Energy is a big difference for me too. You would think doing nothing on the couch would leave you lots of energy to do things. Turns out working out gives you five times more energy than doing zero does. It’s counterintuitive, but I’m not complaining! The support I received from you then, and still do now, keeps me going when I want to sit on the couch and eat guacamole. Thanks kiddo.]

J: What challenges do you face, and how do you deal with them?

S: There’s always the challenge of eating out at restaurants.  Now I pre-plan what I am going to eat before I get there.  When I am feeling blah and don’t want to exercise I just tell myself that it is only an hour and it will fly by.  Even if I only do 30 minutes of exercise, it’s better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.  I get nagged at work to eat junk that people bring in but I don’t give in and think that one cookie is an extra 30 minutes of exercise I don’t want to do, so that makes my decision not to eat it come very easily lol

[Jenn: My motto when losing weight was ‘That won’t get me where I want to go.’ I had always though that saying no to bad food involved willpower, but it really didn’t when I was losing. It’s a decision I made, and re-made every time I was offered something. That’s a good viewpoint about food and exercise, and I like that you follow through – if you eat crap, you exercise more. Awesome! 😀 ]

J: What do you think about this whole healthy thing anyway? Glad you did it?

S: For one, I can’t believe I did it.  But yeah, I love it!  I got rid of all of my old clothes and continue to have to buy smaller sizes.  That’s a feeling I wouldn’t trade for the world.  I promised myself that I would never buy clothing in bigger sizes ever again.

[Jenn: I got rid of my old clothes too, as I ‘under-grew’ them. Keeping them would have been like subconsciously saying I would need them again. I will NEVER need them again.  I can believe you did it. You’ve always been a stubborn one. 😛 I’m so glad you did it, you inspire me every day!]