12 Mile Bike Ride - Weekly Summary

Ride Ataxia - July, 2015

Every now and then something exceptional happens. 

Today's Non-Scale Victory - completing a 12 mile bike ride in support of good cause.  Perfect weather, awesome location, and a great group to ride together. I surprised myself. Plus I didn't even mind about wearing those silly bike shorts and shirt (well not too much!)

Here is a shot of me crossing the line at the end of the race! I had lost track of the distance and was surprised to be at the end - I thought there were a few more miles to go. That was such a great feeling; to not be exhausted. 

Everyone was in such great spirits and I met really great people. Lots of inspiration around each turn.  Many people have challenges in their lives, that I can work to overcome my issues with weight is a blessing. 

Biking - part of my new routine. Never would have guessed that. 

What I need from you to help me be successful...

They say that change is hard and the having a strong support network is critical to sustained life choice adjustments. 

After trying many diets and exercise programs or having them thrust upon me (by parents or loved ones) I'm taking steps to ask for and get the support I need.  As you can see by the picture to the right, I've had a long history of being over weight. Even at this age (6-7 years old) I was being told what to eat. 

Chubbie Girl - circa 6-7 years old

Now much older (and maybe wiser) I'm in charge of my destiny. A step I took last year was to apply to the "Be a Loser" contest at Five Seasons Club. It was challenging to go into a room and discuss how I arrived at being morbidly obese and what I was willing to do to turn a new leaf. One of the key questions asked was "Do you have a support network?" The answer is yes!

Do you have someone in your life who is looking to make a big change and you might be asking yourself 'How do I support someone on a diet or who needs to lose weight?" Are you looking to help those around you be better supporters? Well here's my guide (Part 1) to what I'm looking for in my support network. 

Applications being accepted online :)  This is just my perspective - it might not be right for everyone.  

7 Months - 70 pounds!

6 Months - 60 pound weight loss
You Can Do It!

Last December I turned over a new leaf to make healthy choices in my life, for life. In January 2015, I started with the "Be A Loser" program at Five Seasons Club.  Since then I have been on a journey - eating right, moving it to lose it.

The result has been a loss of over 70 pounds. That's ~60 pounds since January 2, 2015! YEAH! 

I use an App that tracks activity and weight. The chart at the right is my trajectory since the first of the year. My current weight is down 3 more pounds since I snapped this photo - but you can see DOWN IS GOOD!

So lucky that I haven't really plateaued yet - but it feels like more work now for every pound lost. 

Let me put this in context:

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend...

Teresa's New Ride - July 2015

.... and I'm not talking gemstones! Its the brand of my new bike! Super excited to be riding again.

There was a time when I biked 10 miles to work each day. 

Sadly, I haven't riden a bike in over 25 years - that was until this week!  Friends helped me pull my son's 15 yr old bike out of the corner of the garage, fix it up, and take it for a ride.

Pleasantly, I remembered how to ride :)

RideATAXIA : http://rideataxia.org/

After 4 days of riding 4-5 miles each day, besides having a sore butt, I had the desire to get a better bike and really start riding again. That is good because a few months ago I signed up to participate in a charity ride later in July. 

Today was the day - this baby followed me home! After texting riding buddies I decked this gem out just enough. I bought a pair of those super flattering bike shorts too. 

Wow - when did bikes get so complicated and so expensive? Luckily I'd been saving up to treat myself mid-year through my commitment to turning over a new leaf. I guess this was it!

Rack, Comfort Seat, Water Bottle clip - Good to go!

Another way to get out there and get moving. Plus after the bunion issue - this was Doctor Recommended :) 

Maybe I'll see you on the trails!

Teresa Marie

Whoopsie - Weekly Update

I have been absent minded in posting my weekly summaries - so here are a whole bunch!

New Habit: my typical lunch.
Greens and protein

Good news - last few weeks I have continued to go down in weight. Last week, I logged a 4 pound loss! My total average is tracking to just over 2#/week so that is great news. 

I had an odd train of thought the other day - a friend was rationalizing for me that my weight loss should slow down because I've already lost nearly 70 pounds. Well that might be true - then again, I'm still obese and have a long way to go. Should it really be slowing down at this point? I hope not.