More Is Less: Eat Smart!

Image courtesy of sodahead.com

This week, I was asked by Jennifer Swafford from It Sux To Be Fat to write an article for her blog! Jennifer's blog was recently chosen by FITNESS Magazine as Best Weight Loss Blog of 2012. Obviously, writing for her and her audience was such an honor. When she asked me to do it, I tried to play it cool like 'Oh... yeah? I guess I could... if you want', but inside I was screaming 'Yes! Yes, please! Pick me! Pick me!'. j/k

Thank you JENNIFER SWAFFORD for allowing me the opportunity. And now, with no further ado... my article... More Is Less: Eat Smart!

The Experts Weigh In: It Sux To Be Fat

BY: JENNIFER SWAFFORD, CONTRIBUTOR

Picture this... It is 2008. My days are spent teaching full time. My afternoons are spent taking long naps on the couch. My dinners are fast food, casseroles or sometimes my favorite meal of sausage and cheesy rice. My energy is nil. My activity level is also nil. Life is good, but somewhat nil. I feel there MUST be more!

Oh... and I weigh in at just over 280 pounds.

Now, fast forward to January 2009. My dad asks me to join Weight Watchers with him. "What?!?!?", I think. "Weight Watchers... AGAIN?!?". You see, I had done Weight Watchers SEVERAL times in the past and had not been successful. Sure, I would lose a few pounds, but as soon as the going got tough, I got going. I would quit and gain all the weight back, plus more.

I decided to give it a shot though... AGAIN. You see, I had somewhat of a different motivator this time. I didn't want to do it to look better (even though I was VERY overweight). I didn't want to do it to feel better (even though I had no energy, suffered from migraines and was sick constantly!). I NEEDED to do it because my husband and I wanted to start a family, and I knew pregnancy wasn't going to be easy at the weight I was at.

So, I joined... AGAIN.

I slowly started losing weight. I would lose on average 1-2 pounds per week. At around 25 pounds lost, my thinking started to change. I thought for the first time in my life, that maybe this time would be different and I would lose the weight. So... 1-2 pounds added up, and by the end of 2009, I had lost 75 pounds!

2010 was a very up and down year for me. I still continued to go to Weight Watchers meetings EVERY week. Lose or gain. I ended 2010 with a total loss of approximately 90 pounds.

It was in January of 2011, New Years Day to be exact, when my weight loss blog, It Sux To Be Fat, was born. My sister, husband and I were throwing around the idea of starting a weight loss blog. We came up with several names and the one that stuck was, It Sux To Be Fat. Because you know what? It does! There is NOTHING about being fat that doesn't suck. I had lived it for quite a long time. The name just seemed to fit.

2011 was THE big year for me. I hit the goal I had been working toward for over two years. On Halloween, I hit the big 100 pounds lost. There were three people in the meeting to celebrate with me, but my family also came, bringing the grand total to 6 people. I didn't care. I was over the moon with joy and thrilled that I had done it. No matter how long it took me, I had reached the goal I had set out to achieve. The main thing that made it possible was my determination to NEVER quit. No matter how much I gained, I continued to go to my meetings and hold myself accountable. My hard work paid off that Halloween night.

I reached my second milestone this past March. I ran a half marathon with one of my best friends. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours. I finished in two and a half! I didn't walk at all except to get water at water stations. Most importantly, I fnished. It was a huge accomplishment for me!

Just this summer, I had another awesome thing happen. FITNESS Magazine named my blog the Best Weight Loss Blog, and I was awarded the Fitterati Award. I was featured in FITNESS Magazine this summer, and I currently blog for them on their website.

Now picture this... It is 2012. I still teach full time. Every afternoon, I either spend time blogging, working an extra part time tutoring job or going for a run/walk. I am currently training for my second half marathon, which I will run this October. I have not had ONE migraine since January of 2009. I am hardly ever sick and have more energy now than I EVER have in my life.

Was it easy? No way.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Can ANYONE do it? Without a doubt. 

If you would have told me that I would lose 100 pounds, run a half marathon and have an award-winning weight loss blog, I would have told you that you were crazy! Well... guess what?!? All of that happened and so much more! And if I can do it, you can too! All you have to do is start and then commit to NEVER GIVE UP!

Jennifer Swafford is the blogger behind It Sux To Be Fat, named Best Weight Loss Blog by Fitness Magazine. Through a lot of hard work and the support of Weight Watchers, Jennifer succeeded in losing 100 pounds! When she's not blogging or training for a half marathon, Jennifer teaches elementary school at East Valley Elementary in Marietta, Georgia. She has a husband named Jason and a sweet little dog named Maggie. Jennifer is living proof that ANYONE can lose weight if they put their mind to it.

Advice From The Experts: Weight Loss Wonder Woman!

Why is it that men just drop pounds without even trying? They could eat Doritos all day long, while simultaneously watching football and playing HALO, and still magically retain their Adonis figures (blatant generalization here, I'm aware...just go with it).

As a woman, this has forever frustrated me. Angered me even. Made me as hot as a firecracker on the 4th of July. It's JUST NOT FAIR that it's so much harder for us to lose a little weight!

That's why I'm in a continual state of awe of tomorrow's guest contributor, Jennifer Swafford. Let me set the scene... I met Jennifer almost a decade ago, when she commissioned me to paint a mural on her elementary school classroom wall. She was (and still is) a teacher and one of the most bubbly and warm people you will ever meet. In fact, she's so great at her job that she was named Teacher of the Year by her school in 2008-2009. 

From the outside, Jennifer seemed to have it all together... a great job, a strong marriage and a positive outlook on life, but she discovered that one piece of the puzzle was missing. She weighed in on the scale at 280 pounds and just didn't feel that good!

I don't want to give too much away, as it's much better to hear the story from her, but Jennifer has been on an incredible weight loss journey for the last few years. Her story is so inspiring (even for those who don't need to lose weight) because she turned her weight loss into something much larger than just size alone. She now uses her journey to inspire thousands... and has even been recognized for it!

I should stop before I spill the beans, but be sure to check out Jennifer's article tomorrow. She has a lot to share!