Hello…it’s me.

It’s been over a year and a half since my last post. Similar to my last hiatus, I wish I could say that during my time “away” that I’ve finally run a 5K, lost a significant amount of weight, and won the lottery. Alas, none of these things are true.

via Giphy

What I can say is that I’ve gained a significant amount of weight, bringing me to my highest recorded weight (that I can remember).  I am so embarrassed to even type that, but I need to be honest with myself. Even though I can try to ignore the numbers on the scale, I feel the weight every time I walk; every time I tie my shoe; every time I try on clothes. It’s upsetting to look back at my post from May 2014 and see how unhappy I was then about my health. Yet, it only got worse. How did I let myself get this heavy? Why did I let it go so far?

I’ve moped about this long enough, and in true New Year’s resolution fashion, I started on yet another journey towards a healthier lifestyle by making the following changes:

1. My husband and I have committed to going to the gym before work at least three times a week. This means getting up at 4:45 AM – yes, there is a 4:45 in the morning and it can be painful – to be at the gym just after five. Our workouts typically last between 45 and 50 minutes and include cardio (I alternate between the elliptical and the stationary bike) and weight training.
2. We signed up HelloFresh, a meal delivery service that provides me with everything I need to make fresh and healthy meals four times a week. Aside from a few delivery hiccups, which were quickly remedied by their awesome customer service reps, I have been pleased with the service. Most of the meals take about 30 minutes to make, and it has been great to try out so many new recipes. Plus, it makes going to the grocery store much less painful seeing that I’m only worried about picking up stuff to make breakfast and lunches for the week. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can use promo code UQMARM to receive $40 off your first HelloFresh delivery.

Thus far I have lost over 7 pounds (admittedly, I haven’t weighed in yet this week) and have so much more energy than I had in recent months. My joints no longer ache and, according to my Fitbit, I’m getting better sleep at night. I even enjoy going to the gym – GASP! Though this enjoyment does not officially kick in until I’m at least 15 minutes into my workout. I just have to keep moving forward while forgiving myself for the small setbacks.