Preparation part 2

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Leah Mae and Leah Renae Sommer

The Leah Sommer Doppelganger chapter is coming to a close. I, Leah Renae, have decided to take the plunge and change my last name when I marry my favorite person in the world later this year. 

The future Hudsons

 This last year has been incredible for me. With 2013 ending, 2014 promised exciting new beginnings, new memories and I did what came naturally to someone who struggles with weight and started eating whatever I wanted.  Unfortunately, I had somehow forgotten how hard I had worked to make the progress I had made in the prior years. I was now eating poorly, excersizing sporadically and in the end I gained back most of the weight I had lost over the past few years. 

But I'm not defeated. That's life. Time to move forward.

Weight management will be a life long process for me. I will have lows and highs. I know that this may not be the last time that I gain weight and lose the battle against the bulge, but I refuse to lose the war!

For the past few months I have been getting "serious" with my weight loss trying to go back to my size 4 by doing any number of new and improved diets and excersize routines. I started by cutting portions, then I cut bread, then I switched everything over to Carb Cycling and tracking every ounce of food that went in my mouth. All worked.... Sort of. After 2 months of my "new diet" I had only lost about 5 lbs. I was getting very frustrated. I had forgotten how hard it is to get the weight off and how easy it is to gain it back. 

Then I got engaged! What an amazing night. What an amazing man. We share so many similar interests. He might be the funniest person I know and he loves the Lord! My Mr. Right.  So when he popped the question one beautiful night while fireworks lit up the sky just enough to see him on bended knee, my first thought was YES, YES, HECK YES! but the next day the goal of getting back to my "best me" began to nag at my mind more than ever. I want to feel beautiful, not only for my wedding day, but I want to feel good about myself starting out my marriage. I want to start this new adventure on the right foot.  It's funny how when push comes to shove you know exactly what to do. It was time to Prepare!

• I immediately started cooking huge amounts of chicken on Sundays so I wouldn't have to think about lunches through the week. 
• I bought sliced turkey breast... and LOTS of it.
• I boiled a dozen eggs to eat as snacks
• I raided my parents garden and filled my refrigerator with peppers, kale, onions, cucumbers and snap peas.
• I found a protein powder that didn't make me gag and purchased enough to get me through for a month.
• I began following Doug Chapman's blog Hyperfit.com work outs and it kicks my butt.  
• I've said no to cakes and cookies and my biggest weakness BURGERS!
• I've started running most days. If you know me even a little bit you know that running is on my "fun list" right under sitting in a traffic jam. 

Now that I've been back to my old healthy habits for a few weeks it's even easier to stay on track. It's been 3 weeks since I've cracked down, and gone back to basics and yesterday I was down a full 10 lbs.
It's not always easy losing weight, but it IS simple. I was over thinking and worrying too much about the details and the long term plan when I should have only been focusing on my next meal and my next exercise. 
My goal is another 10 lbs in the next 10 weeks... I know that's a TALL order but doable with proper preparation.