Positively Weightless

Here we are again, at the end of yet another year. With that comes the time to reflect and look back on what we accomplished (or didn’t get around to accomplishing) over the past twelve months. As anyone that may have read this blog in the past (in other words my Facebook friends haha) you’ll already know that this is my first update in almost a year. I promised that I was more determined than ever in the New Year and was going to lose more weight. Well here I am now and I did not accomplish that at all, quite the opposite.

2015 was a pretty decent year all around. Shortly after my last post I started a new full-time job, and up until August was working two jobs. My full-time job is one that I am very happy at and feel like part of a big happy family (most days!). Leaving my part-time job that I had been at for over five years was hard (truthfully A LOT harder than I expected), and I still have friends there that I will probably have for life, but I am glad I was finally able to move on to the next stage in life. 2015 was full of laughs, love, new friends, and even some heartache but through all that I gained a lot of life experience. Unfortunately that was not all that was gained.

Throughout the year I gained probably around 70 lbs back of the weight I lost. I am not back to where I started, but on some days it felt like I was close enough. I was working over 60 hours a week at one point and I just was too tired to work out or worry about what I was eating. No, that is not an excuse, but that’s why I got so off track, however, the fact that I can recognize that as a problem, well I think that’s a pretty good start.

Here is probably the most important thing I hope to gain in 2016: Self-love and self-acceptance. Don’t be freaked out by that, I by no means hate myself, but there were times that I was not very happy with myself for letting my weight get out of control again. Not that weight is the only factor in loving yourself, but I need to get control of my life again. Back when I was at my lowest weight I was more confident than I had ever felt in my life prior. Will I ever be in a size 2? I highly doubt it, but that is not what I am getting at here. Your weight should not be what decides your self-worth, but if it gives you a little more confidence it certainly helps! Also, your health is what is important, not your appearance. That is something I have also learned throughout the year again.

I want to get my life back under control. I want to be and feel healthy again. Someone very recently said to me “you have all the tools and everything you need right in front of you” and you know what? He is absolutely right. I am very fortunate and do have a lot of access to things that a lot of people don’t, so it is time I utilize that to its fullest extent and regain control of my life. I have everything I need to get my confidence back in 2016. If you’re reading this, I know you’ll know who you are and I’ve said it before but I have you to thank for a lot. Thank you for pushing me and not sugarcoating the truth. For making me stop having a pity party and to start to do something about getting my life back under control. I will forever be grateful for the many ways you have helped me throughout our time together.

So here is to starting a new year off fresh and slowly getting myself back in order. Once I get my driver’s license (yes everyone, the road test is FINALLY officially scheduled) I will be at the gym a lot more, I will get my eating habits back in order and I will not let myself get frustrated if I don’t see immediate results. I may even go back and read all the previous posts in this blog to get my old ways of thinking back as well.

So since this is in a way an advice page I want to stay true to that. If you have read this whole entry, thanks for sticking around this long! My advice would be to ditch the New Year’s resolution and simply make promises to start off with small changes in your life. Start drinking less soda and drink a lot more water. Start setting a time at night were you won’t have anything else to eat. Plan one set day a week to work out and as you find time and endurance to add to that do it. New Year’s resolutions hardly ever stick anyways. For those of us that go to the gym, I’m sure we all know that in January the gym is filled with people 24/7 and by March it goes back to its usual amount. Don’t set these huge goals for yourself because you are only setting up yourself for failure. That goes for other “resolutions” as well, not just weight-loss related ones!

Lastly, I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year! <3

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Okay so a little more time between posts has passed than I had hoped but the reasoning behind that (other than job searching and other reasons for being busy) is a good topic for this post. Over the last few months I have been pretty much at a stand-still with my weight-loss. For the most part I have stayed in the same 10 lb range, so even though I haven't gained a lot of weight I have been getting a little frustrated with my progress, however, it is all due to reasons that are all on me.

I haven't been putting all that much effort over the last few months into eating right and exercise, although I have without a doubt made certain healthy ways habits now, so it is not like I in any way went back to my old ways. Between finishing up my final (and by far most difficult) semester at college, being a bit frustrated with the job search, and also getting frustrated with my progress slowing down I pretty much have been thinking about other things. That being said I finally am getting myself back on track eating better and I even had a killer workout at the gym last night so my progress is finally back on track!

The reason I bring this all up would be to remind anyone trying to make changes in their life such as these that you are only human! Weight-loss really can be a vicious cycle sometimes in the sense that frustration with progress can really lead to backtracking. Don't be discouraged though if you start seeing results and they slow down, this is something I have to remind myself of constantly, because logically thinking when there is more weight to lose it will come off faster. What I try to do is think of the fact that my weight-loss is slowing as a positive! The fact that it is becoming more challenging to lose weight just shows me how far I've really come. I use this fact as motivation to push me even harder and now that I am finally getting myself back on track I am more motivated now than I have ever been.

To sign off here's a little tip: One thing I do when I get particularly frustrated is remind myself just how far I've come. Just yesterday I made myself this picture. The first was taken in 2011 and the second in 2014 (The lovely T-shirt was made for a concert... I (sadly) have no shame wearing the shirt haha) but it really is a reminder of my accomplishments and what I really am capable of!

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Okay it is that time again that I spill my stories on the internet for all of you to read. I've already covered finding motivation and having a strong support system behind you so the next step would be finding a way of doing things. Now I think we all know how many different crazy diet systems there are out in the world. Everything from only eating one type of food to cutting out any kind of carb imaginable. Let's be totally honest here, who in their right mind is happy eating that way? I will be the first one to admit I would probably have a nervous breakdown if I couldn't have carbs ever! I am by no means saying these systems don't work nor am I saying that they do, but when choosing a diet plan there is only one simple fact that one should keep in mind and that is to choose something that works for you and that you will be able to stick to.

I feel like one of the most frustrating parts of starting out a new way of eating right is if results are just not coming. I will be perfectly honest and say that the first thing I tried actually ended up working out for me but from what I hear most people do not have success with their first attempt. There are so many different ways of keeping track of what you are eating. From counting points to counting calories (to many more), these are all ways in which you can keep track of what is going inside your body. Everyone deals with these things differently and everybody's body is completely different! That being said, even if a lot of people have had success one way, does not necessarily mean that you will! My advice to you is to not be discouraged and just keep searching until you can find a system that works for you!

One really important thing to remember upon starting a new lifestyle is to start slowly. If you go from pretty much taking no care into what you're eating straight to eating nothing but rice cakes and carrot sticks for lunch, you're really only setting yourself up to binge later. Cheat days are a must as well (I will dedicate a future post to cheat days)! It is completely unrealistic to expect yourself to just completely cut out the things you are so used to eating on a daily basis! Heck, I still eat certain things I shouldn't from time to time and I've been doing this for over a year! Set realistic goals for yourself and don't expect to loose a large amount of weight right away (a realistic goal is about 2 lbs a week!). Keep calm and just stick it out until you find something that works for you!

Right off the bat I decided to track my calories with an app I have on my phone. This is something that really worked for me and I still have a lot of success with, but I also know people that flat out say counting their calories does not work for them. There are so many ways to go about this but one fact is universal with every single diet system: You must exercise! Sure eating right will cause weight-loss, but the fact is that diet AND exercise are the key to getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.

The bottom line is that nobody can ever provide a magic answer to how to lose weight! Only you can provide the tools and answers for yourself. Don't get discouraged if results do not show up right away and don't have way too high of expectations! I promise that taking things slowly and taking the time to find the best system to fit your lifestyle will reward you with the results you're looking for.

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Something that truly means a lot while on the weight-loss journey is the support you get from others. I'm sure everyone's story is different, but it is genuinely amazing the amount of comments I've received and sometimes even the source of some comments is also surprising. I've had so many people who I haven't really talked to in years (some of you are perhaps even reading these words) telling me how well I am doing or how good I look. Just today a girl, who I knew but really didn't talk to all that much in high school, told me how good I look. I don't think people realize just how encouraging those words truly are, but they honestly are much appreciated. One thing that truly is a key factor in success is the support you get from others. Yes, I know I said in my previous post that you should only be doing this for you, and I stand by what I said, however, the encouraging words and actions of those around you can give you the extra boost of confidence you need to keep going!

There are two main points for me of outside support. I'm sure I am going to sound completely cliché when I say that these sources are my friends and family. So many of my friends have been completely encouraging and supportive this entire time. There are far too many to list but I know you all know who you are and you also know how much I appreciate you! As far as family goes there are also a number of people to list but the main three of course would be my Mom, Dad, and sister Cheryl.

To start off my parents have been nothing but completely supportive of my weight-loss the entire time. From letting me throw some healthier food options for myself into their grocery cart, to driving me to the gym (yeah I know, I REALLY need to get a driver's license) they both are nothing but supportive and encouraging, and are constantly telling me how proud of me they are. Although you should know that you're still not off the hook for secretly video-taping me while I was running in the living room Mom (I bet you thought I forgot)!

My sister Cheryl is also a big influence in my life and has been especially encouraging during my weight-loss journey. She always comments on my pictures and lets me know just how proud of me she really is! I do have to admit though when she decided to try and lose weight and was constantly asking me questions she was driving me absolutely crazy, but I was glad I could offer her some advice! Although I clearly became annoyed at times (I mean really Cheryl, how am I suppose to just know how many calories, if any, are in lemon pepper?!) I was genuinely honored when she came to me seeking advice. Although the amount of junk food I typically consume at her house is typically criminal, she is a huge part of my support system.

Although I did not list the number of friends that have offered me a huge amount of support,there is one person that deserves a lot of credit. I have known this girl for almost 16 years now (we met in 1^st grade religion class—she swears the head popped off of my doll although I have no memory of this) and she has been a huge part of my life in many ways. Her name is Stephanie. I cannot even begin to describe just how supportive this girl really is! When I had weeks in which I was getting frustrated with my results she knew just what to say to encourage me. She is also my gym buddy and motivated/motivates me to keep going to the gym (on top of driving me there on many occasions). I honestly can't even begin to describe the ways in which this girl (as well as my parents and sister) have helped keep me on the correct path in my weight-loss journey.

I wanted to use this post to obviously thank all of the mentioned people as well as all of you that have offered me an encouraging word or comment and thank all of those who are constantly supporting me. Even though I did not list you all, I completely appreciate all that you say/do! For those reading looking for a word of advice: embrace all of the support and encouragement you get from others! Words cannot express just how good they make you feel and just how much of not only a confidence boost but a boost in motivation as well that they provide. The people and loved ones around you genuinely do have a lot of power with their words. Although some of the sources of this encouragement will come from expected places, you may just be surprised what another source may be.

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I have a question for those that may have any sort of issue with their body weight: How many times would you say you have heard the sentence, “Wow you have such a pretty/handsome face just think if you lost a few lbs. You would be even prettier!” or how many times has a family member (or anybody close to you) basically tried very politely (or perhaps for some, not so nicely) to get you to start losing weight? The truth is that while most of the time these comments are meant in the most positive way and in hopes to encourage the recipient to start getting healthier, most of the time it really just hurts. Pressure from outside sources is nothing but negative (at least for me, I am by no means speaking for anyone else) and for years these comments meant absolutely nothing to me, I'm sorry but any sentence that pretty much starts with “Well you are pretty BUT...” isn't exactly going to give a confidence boost. My parents often would very subtly try to coax me into losing weight, something I know was strictly out of concern and love for me, so I have no hard feelings about it whatsoever (I promise Mom and Dad!) but the truth is most human beings don't take too kindly to being told what to do.

The little bit of background leads me to my first major tip that I will be providing in this blog, and that is that only you can find the motivation to change your life (in this case through weight-loss but this really applies to any positive change in your life) within yourself, not because anyone tells you that is what you should be doing. As a young girl I always hated going to the doctor's office because my doctor would obviously always tell me I needed to lose weight and that my weight was getting into a dangerously high level. We would always talk about what I ate (I would always lie out of embarrassment) and other things such as this, and although my doctor was always completely friendly and encouraging about it, I always absolutely dreaded going to checkups because of it. I would always try to watch what I ate after these visits but it would only last at most a week or two. Other times my parents would voice their concern over my weight and although I knew what they were saying was absolutely true nothing ever resulted from these conversations. My main point in telling all of these incredibly boring stories from my childhood is that I only saw results once I decided completely on my own to make changes in my life that lead me to write these words today.

My word of advice to anybody looking to lose weight or make positive changes in your life is to find your own personal reason behind making these changes. It may be trying to fit back into those jeans from high school, or maybe being into the yellow polka-dot bikini for summer, really anything! As long as you are making these changes for you and nobody else (yes that means deciding to lose a few lbs so that guy at work may look your way is a BIG no-no) you will find success, I promise! Nobody is a bigger motivator for you than you! The bottom line is to find a reason within yourself to make these changes and you will succeed, and although your loved ones really do have your best interest at heart when they say these things, nobody truly knows what's going on inside your head but you. You are your biggest cheerleader and as long as your mind and your heart are all in, you will succeed.

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The subject of obesity and weight-loss seems to constantly be present. Whether a commercial with a new sort of crazy diet system or supplement is splashed across the television screen, or a new article is popping up with new statistics on just how dangerous extra body fat really is, the topic is without a doubt a relevant one. My name is Amy Maier and throughout most of my life I have been obese, but about a year and a half ago I decided to change that.

Senior Prom, June 2010

I am only 22 years of age but the majority of those years I've spent being obese. I honestly can't even say when I really started gaining the weight because it has been so long and I was so young. The later years of elementary school was when I started to realize that I was heavier than a lot of my peers and naturally I've had a lot of self esteem issues most of my life because of it. I will admit that I was very lucky in the sense that I (for the most part) was not bullied during my teen years because of it. Once I hit college I was already over 300 lbs. and it didn't bother me all that much.

The only main issue that has stemmed from my weight would be that I am incredibly shy, but other than that I really didn't think about it too much. Looking back now makes me realize just how scary that is.

On February 19^th, 2013 I woke up and decided something needed to change. I had a long late conversation with a friend about losing weight the previous night and it really made me think. Being so overweight was really putting a toll on my body and considering there is a long history of diabetes in my family I figured I was tempting fate and something had to change. I decided to start slowly and hope something worked for me. I went out and bought a new scale the next day and was very alarmed to see the number “345” glowing red between my feet, which was a lot higher than expected. My mind was officially made, I absolutely needed to change certain aspects and habits in my life.

Today, about a year and 4 months later, I have lost around 118 lbs and still have a little ways to go. I honestly cannot say what clicked in me all of a sudden, but thank God it did! I want to use this blog to tell my story and record my past progress (and future progress seeing that I am still about 70 lbs away from my goal) in hopes that I can help someone struggling the way I was and

explain just how I had success naturally. No gimmicks, crash-diets, or pills (although I will admit to using a raspberry ketone pill for about a month when I first started. Trust me, they didn't do a thing), just portion control, healthy food, and exercise. This blog will by no means provide a magic answer to the road to weight-loss, but I am hoping my story will set a spark in someone just as one did in me.

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Positively Weightless

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