What Healthy Looks Like

On January 31, 2011 I went to the doctor about my weight. I count February 14, 2011 as the official start date for my diet since that's when I started to see Gabriel, my Nutritionist and started a professionally guided diet plan. Ironically, it looks a lot like my eating disorder! At the time, I had a 40" waist (the highest recommended for my age and height is 30 based on webmd.com but Gabriel says 31-32 is healthy since I do have a kid so I take her more seriously then the website). I didn't take any belly pictures back then.  I didn't take any pictures that would show how big I was but it was 40" and although I wore my same cloths, they were tighter and the skirts were very high. Truth be told I wore my 10 bottoms but I probably was really a 12. My weight then was 132, still healthy for my height but on the higher end.

I recently read an article in the Huffington Post about life after an eating disorder. In the comment section, I posted a link to this blog and mentioned that in my No, I'm Not Pregnant post I talk about my eating disorder. I do, quite openly, and it's been VERY popular. What's bothered me upon rereading it recently is that I talk about how I looked healthy for my age and height. That was written on November 10, 2010. At that time I was 124 lbs. Gabriel agrees that while the goal is 120, 124 and less is reasonable. I didn't know then how to measure my waist so at 2" above my belly I was 30" but around my belly button was 35". I'll estimate that in the correct place (1" above the belly button as told to me by Gabriel) I was about 33". That was big but not huge and because I'm on the pill I'll probably remain above 30" but 30 - 32 is healthy. I was right, mostly, I did mostly look healthy and I was right that between overly thin models and the obesity epidemic we don't know what healthy really looks like, but I do now. Pictured below!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aimee-liu/eating-disorder-treatment_b_1195009.html

http://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-im-not-pregnant.html

On August 6, 2011 I did an update including belly pictures on how I looked then. Even with Gabriel's guidance I was 35.5 around the belly button 32.5 at 2" above the waist. I had started to learn where to measure but didn't have it right. I probably was closer to 34".  I had reached 126lbs. During that time I was eating a salad almost every day for lunch but come the fall I found myself switching to more starches (my body needs some) and while I didn't gain, I really stabilized at that amount no matter how much exercise I got.

http://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2011/08/diet-update.html

I had been using my Victoria's Secret Skirt as a tester early on but when I started measuring and keeping notes, that stopped. The chart started on July 28, 2011.

Currently:
Waist: 32.5 (1in. above the belly button goal: 31)
Weight: 123 (Goal: 120 but anything under 124 is good)

ALMOST THERE!!!

With Zach in preschool and other activities we are eating lunch here instead of Grandma and Pop's and that means salad (Zach too with a sandwich for him). I have also, with Gabriel's help redefined need miles verses got miles. I have more time with him in school to exercise and on nice days we take a 5 mile long family walk (previously mentioned). While I don't think I'll always be good at eating salad every day for lunch (with a protein), I do have a better range for exercises expected then before and more opportunity for getting it. Last week I had 8 miles extra for the week. Bottom line, you really need to eat a salad with protein for lunch almost very day if you want to be healthy or lose weight. Something like grilled chicken is a preference.

January 21, 2012 32.5" waist 123 lbs

Now I can say it and mean it:

This is what healthy looks like!!! (okay it's 1.5" big but it's close and I doubt I'll look that much different when I do lose that last 1.5" since it took losing 8" to get there. I feel confident saying this is what healthy looks like and Josh say's words like "amazing" and "sexy" to discribe me.)