I was going to write a "cute" post about Jerry and me, considering our 19-year anniversary is tomorrow, but I feel like I've done that probably every year. So, I thought I'd tell the story of our sixth anniversary in 2009--we had big plans for the following day to get serious about losing weight. We wanted our anniversary to be the start of a fresh new beginning for us both.
We set the date of our new journey to August 17th, 2009--the day after our anniversary. So what did we do on our anniversary? Well, I'm sure many of you are familiar with "the last meal" before starting a weight loss diet. Might as well eat it all for dinner the night before! (Not saying that's what we should do, but I'm pretty sure most people have done that.)
We chose for our last meal to be at Red Lobster. We used to go there a lot when we were dating; the movie theater was only a block away, as was Walden's (an old chain bookstore--remember them?). We liked to eat dinner, then browse at Walden's until the movie was getting ready to start, and then we'd head to the theater. There, we would get a large popcorn, pretzel bites with cheese sauce, and a large sprite + lemonade (love that combination). We did this way too frequently.
If you're wondering, I always ordered the coconut shrimp with a coconut sauce that could have eaten straight from the bowl with a spoon. It was so good! But that evening, considering it was our "last meal", I ordered all you can eat shrimp. Shrimp pasta, coconut shrimp, and shrimp scampi. And you'd better believe that I ate every last bite! Including my caesar salad and several biscuits.
We both weighed the same that morning--253 pounds--and I thought it was funny that we had the same starting weight. Our plan was to do the Weight Watchers 1-2-3 Success program (which focuses on calories, fat, and fiber).
This was taken a few days before we started...
The next morning, all of our motivation had waned. We agreed to start other time (Ha! How many times have we said that over the years?). But I was still feeling like I *needed* to lose the weight. Noah was starting kindergarten and as kindergartners do, he spoke the truth. Not with any sugar-coating, not with ill intentions, not out of anger... he just stated the fact that "My mom is fat" to a couple of kids at school.
Hearing him say that broke my heart. Not because my feeling were hurt, but because he noticed that his mom is different and felt the need to explain it. I just couldn't get that out of my mind. I wanted Noah to be proud of his mom as he went through school.
Coincidentally, on August 18, my sister called me to ask me if I'd start doing Weight Watchers with her. Back then, I had ZERO self-esteem and I was constantly intimidated by people who I thought were better than me--which was most people. My sister always intimidated me because she just seemed "perfect". She is also eight years old than me, so I'd wanted to be like her the whole time I was growing up. She's outgoing, assertive, determined, very active, and social. Basically everything that I wasn't.
However, we had started talking quite a bit after Noah was born (I'd asked her to be in the delivery room with me and I think that may have made her feel closer to Noah--and me). So when she called that night in August and asked me to do Weight Watchers with her, I felt too intimidated to say no, even though I really wanted to. I wanted her to like me! I agreed to start the following morning.
August 19th, 2009 - The very last day I saw 253 pounds on the scale. My sister called the first few days so we could talk about how we were doing, and I was so nervous to let her down that I made sure to stick with the program. The first few days were terrible. I hated it and I wanted to quit but I didn't want to let Jeanie down. So I kept going.
Jerry, however, had decided that the timing just wasn't right for him. He didn't have that determination that I felt. I told him that I was going to do it and he could join me if he wanted, but if not, that's fine too. I said I was going to be making healthier dinners and he said he was cool with eating them. The kids were young enough (three and five) that they didn't really get many choices. They just ate what I gave them.
I continued to lose weight, and by January I'd lost about 40 pounds I think. Jerry was inspired and decided his starting date was going to be January 1st, 2010. At that point, I had gotten into a great routine and I was more comfortable making recipes my family would enjoy. Jerry just ate what I gave him, so he likes to say he lost weight "by default"; but he put in a ton of work, too.
That year, 2010, was a big game changer for me. I started running in the early spring and then after my half-marathon in May--I walked with my sister--I started running three times a week. I continued with counting WW Points and I eventually switched the to Winning Points plan. I liked both plans, but once you figure out how to cheat the plan, you've got to find another plan. So, I settled on counting calories.
Jerry didn't really track his points (at least not regularly) but he just ate the food I made and he surpassed me in weight loss (frustrating that guys can do that!). We both started looking better than ever, so it was exciting to see us reach our milestones.
And we eventually reached our goal weights! We were both so proud of all of our efforts paying off. I was still running and getting more and more interested in it, so I continued with that. And of course, continued counting calories.
I won't go on to the rest of the 13 years, because my story is all over my blog, but I don't think I ever told the story of my "last meal". I haven't been to Red Lobster after that; it just brings back bad feelings of binge eating.
So, for our anniversary tomorrow, we think we'd like to take a picnic to Elizabeth Park; we used to go there for picnics every once in a while we were dating, and then we took the kids a few times as well.
There are some really pretty spots for taking pictures and I'd like to get a photo on the bridge my parents had their wedding pictures taken. (Hopefully it's still there!) I'm going to have to pick out tonight what kind of vegan lunch I'll pack; but the best part is that vegan food is so much easier to prep than meat and dairy.
After that, we may go see a movie. It sounds cliché, and it is, but that was "our thing" when we were young. Jerry's been dying to see the new Top Gun movie, so maybe we'll see that. With our bedroom being what it is right now, we'll probably just come home and chill. Sexy time is impossible when you have a room that echoes through the whole neighborhood! Hahaha. Before I repair our walls, I'm going to add foam insulation between each stud in the wall. That should make it significantly quieter.
Tomorrow is Transformation Tuesday, but I still only have one that is ready to post. So, unless I have a couple more by tomorrow morning, I may have to post something different. I have to get the post done in the morning so I can spend the rest of the day with Jerry.
If you have a transformation to share, please email it to me ASAP so I can hopefully make a TT post. To send in a transition, just email a before picture and an after picture to me at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Include your name and a description of your transformation. Don't be shy about sharing them! I get tons of emails saying that they really like Transformation Tuesday.
