“Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.”

Author Unknown

When I joined PriorFatGirl (almost) two years ago… it was a risk for me. It was a beautiful opportunity where I was exposing my most vulnerable self to… well, everyone and anyone who wanted to read my story.

Over the past two years, I’ve learned important lessons, I’ve developed amazing relationships, and I’ve recognized the person that I want to be. I have had so many opportunities as a Future PriorFatGirl that I would have not otherwise had. I am grateful for my two years spent blogging with Jen and the PFG Family.

But the time has come to move on. PriorFatGirl is bigger than I ever even realized. It requires (and deserves) so much attention, and let’s face it, I haven’t been giving it its due justice. Not because I haven’t wanted to, just because life happens. People change. The person I was two years ago, isn’t the person I am today.

As I move on from PriorFatGirl, I can only wish one thing; that people continue to fight the good fight. Fight your little heart out! I had a conversation a couple of months ago with Jen about what PriorFatGirl was for me and my journey. It used to be my outlet, my saving grace, my place to vent, celebrate, and connect with people who had a common struggle and similar goals as me. In my conversation with Jen, I came to the realization that it’s time for me to stop talking and start doing.

In the past few weeks, I have religiously tracked my calories, I have started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred (day 12, baby!), and I have gotten back to the gym…. But I haven’t blogged about it.

Why? Well, because it’s more important about doing, for me¸ than to write about it for you. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the PFG readers, I have met some of the most magnificent, intelligent people by blogging here… but at the end of the day, this journey is about me and putting my words into actions and for some reason, that wasn’t happening. So, for now, I take the pressure off of writing and put my energy into bettering myself.

I’m not GONE. I’ll still be active on Twitter (@MNLinds) and I have a feeling in the future, once I have a handle on everything, I will begin blogging again. I’ll begin blogging somewhere smaller, somewhere quieter, a place of my own. I have so enjoyed (and appreciated!) Jen opening up her space on the internet to allow me to share my story with you… but PriorFatGirl is JEN. It’s perfect for her; it’s not perfect for me anymore.

So instead of refusing PriorFatGirl the attention and dedication that it deserves, I am using this opportunity to find what is perfect for me.

Jen, thank you, SO much for believing in me; for allowing me to be myself here and to share my story, with no restrictions. I will be forever grateful to you for showing me what real passion is and knowing the feeling of someone who truly believes in you.

To everyone else, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for embracing me as a Future PriorFatGirl. For celebrating my successes along the way and letting me vent about my frustrations. I have met some of the greatest friends from being a PriorFatGirl contributor. This decision isn’t an easy one, it’s very bittersweet… but it’s necessary for me and my journey.

So, with that, all I have to say is, onward and upward my friends. I’ll see you on the flip side.

Thank you for making this a most amazing and memorable experience…. It’s something I will never forget.

xo,

Lindsay

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“There can be no better exercise for strengthening the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ~ Gibson Publishing

Woooo-weeee am I exhausted. I feel like I might be coming down with something, Adam said he didn’t feel good either yesterday… so I sure hope that doesn’t mean we’re BOTH getting sick. Let’s pretend I didn’t just say anything about getting sick.. that might jinx me!

Things have been pretty uneventful on my end. Still having to commit to the gym solo since my mom’s still gimpy. Haha Love you mom! I seriously look forward to Thursdays, because that’s Zumba day. Honestly, if I felt this way about OTHER exercises, I could pretty much guarantee that I wouldn’t have a weight problem. Alas.. I don’t get too excited about my other workouts. Now if only my gym could get Zumba about… 4 days a week, then I’d be set.

I did NOT go to the gym on Monday. Instead, I got my oil changed after work. And it wasn’t fun in the slightest. It was freakin’ expensive! Usually the place I go to is like, $25. I can handle that. This place…? $40 for a standard oil change! What the heck.. did they put GOLD in there!? I obviously didn’t do my research and I didn’t realize it was higher priced until they were already servicing my car. So I’ll call this one a loss for me and move on…. but I won’t be happy about it.

I AM committing to going to the gym tonight. Not sure what the plan is yet… maybe another evening of running intervals. Last week that workout gave me a good sweat, good calorie burn, and only in a little amount of time, so maybe that’s what I’ll do.

What is your workout standby when you’re undecided on what to do?

In other news, I think Adam just might be jumping on the “lets be healthy” wagon. We had a conversation recently about the way we eat. And needless to say, neither of us were too proud of some of the choices we make. Adam has talked lately about his desire to lose weight as well – which REALLY helps me because I should be able to overlook temptations he keeps in the house to benefit my own weight loss journey, but let’s be real, that’s not always easy. If there are cookies in the house for him, of course I want to eat them too!

Well, we had a conversation recently about how we need to turn things around. Which was like music to my ears because if HE’S being mindful about his choices, it’s only natural that there will be less temptations around here for me.

We talked about a list of “no-nos” (soda, candy, etc). It’s not like we’ll NEVER, EVER have those things again in our lives, but we’ve decided that they aren’t allowed in the house anymore because if they’re here… we eat them.

He’s been doing really good and I’m really proud of him! He’s a huge fan of candy and usually when we do our weekly grocery shopping trip, he’ll grab something to munch on at home or at work. Well, I’m proud to say last time we went to the grocery store, we passed up the candy isle! It’s really great because we are keeping each other accountable. For instance, when we walked past the isle with all of the candy, Adam asked if we needed anything down there. I politely told him no and we skipped that isle all together – less temptation that way. He does the same for me too. And I’m kind of mean and test him every once in a while. For instance, we were talking about having a soda or something like that and I asked him if I could have one (hoping he would stick to our new “rules”) – which he did. He politely told me I couldn’t have one. It used to really piss me off when someone would tell me I could or could not have something, but I know he’s coming from a good place, of support, so I actually really appreciated it.

That’s not to say that I am going to ask Adam for permission if I can have certain things (that’s ridiculous) – but it’s good to know he’s supporting me in this. It’s not like I feel like he wasn’t supportive before – but it seems like it’s more so now since he’s in a similar situation.

I definitely know my biggest problem with food is portion control and that’s something I’m still actively working on. I’ve just come to the realization that I don’t NEED as much as Adam does. Do I want as much as he has… sure! But we are different and I don’t NEED it. It’s still a struggle, but it’s something I continue to work on.

So… that’s life in our house.

How’s the journey going for you? Any new developments?

Anyways, thanks for stopping by… I’ll chat at ya soon! 

Happy Wednesday!

Twitter: @MNLinds

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“Pure and simple, balance is happiness.” ~ Frederick Lenz

Yesterday morning was the same ‘ol, same ‘ol for me. My alarm clock went off at 6:37am, hit snooze 3 times and ended up dragging myself out of my nice, warm cocoon of covers at 7:07am. (PS, yes, I am a little obsessive when it comes to 7′s… maybe a little OCD, I can’t help myself!)

The morning was pretty typical. Jump on the scale, sigh. Look at my closet at all of my clothes that are feeling a bit uncomfortable, sigh. Hop in the shower, realize the rolls are still there, sigh. Get out of the shower and put on the clothes I had thought up while showering, usually dark clothes… ya know, the “slimming” ones that don’t make me very slim, sigh.

As I was standing at the vanity putting on my make up. Something popped into my head. Seriously, out of no where, I just thought to myself,

I’m in control of this day.
I’m in control of my body.
I’m in control of the decisions I make.

I thought about it for a moment, wondering where that came from, had I heard that somewhere? No… I hadn’t, it was just… there.

I thought I was a little crazy at first. I don’t usually do “daily affirmations” or “mantras” or whatever you want to call them. But this was just there. Without even thinking about it. It was in my head. I thought to myself, if those phrases are just in my head, out of the blue, there has to be a reason for them to be there.

I went about my morning routine, repeating those 3 little phrases in my head. Seemed silly, but it seemed right.

I continued on my day, as usual. At work, those 3 little phrases would pop into my head, out of no where. So I’d silently think about them for a minute and continue on with my day. At one point, I found myself writing them down. In cursive, in print, in all CAPS, just writing it to write it. To see it down on paper rather than floating around in my head.

After work, I went to Zumba, solo. My mom broke her foot (poor momma!) and I will be 100% honest when I say that without my mom meeting me at the gym, it’s about a billion times harder to force myself to go. But I went. And I had fun. And I burned 842 calories. I’m in control of my choices. And I chose to go to the gym.

For dinner, it was one of those nights that Adam and I didn’t plan ahead so in a few e-mails back and forth throughout the day, it became apparent that we were going to “wing it”. Winging it is never good in our house. We are usually swayed towards the quick and easy meal (read: unhealthy).

We decided on a frozen Simeks lasagna we had in the freezer. 330 calories per serving. It was delicious. And I could have easily enjoyed another serving. But I didn’t. I chose to enjoy one serving. The other will be enjoyed for lunch today.

After dinner, Adam and I settled in for a couple of episodes of Breaking Bad (omg, we are so obsessed!). As I was sitting there zoning out at the TV I realized just how important my little mantra was that morning.

I’m in control of this day.
I’m in control of my body.
I’m in control of the choices I make.

Those little phrases got me through the day. On a day that I would normally skip the gym (because it’s easier than going) and help myself to another serving of lasagna (even though one serving was more than enough) – I stayed in control.

I like having control. And finally, finally I’ve realized that putting my health into the perspective of something that I can control – I feel like I have a handle on things.

Yesterday was a very good day. And today…? Today will be just as good because I KNOW that

I’m in control of this day.
I’m in control of my body.
I’m in control of the choices I make.

Until next time…

Twitter: @MNLinds

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“Nothing is worth more than this day.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sometimes, I have this “all or nothing” mentality. I’m trying to do away with it. I’ve come to realize that every little bit adds up.

Every little nibble, bite, taste… adds up to calories consumed.

5 calories, one time.. not a huge deal. 5 calories, twenty times… that can be a problem.

On the flip side, every little walk, run, and little bit of exercise adds up as well.

5 minutes of exercise, one time… not monumental. 5 minutes of exercise, six times… now we’re getting somewhere!

Take Monday, for example. My mom hurt her foot doing some yard work, so I knew I was on my own for the gym. I made a commitment to go anyways. I told myself I NEEDED to. It took some convincing, but I did it, I convinced myself that I’d go to the gym. I really didn’t want to. I told Adam I’d be home by 6:30pm for dinner, so I knew it would be a quick workout. Pointless, I thought.

Well, I thought wrong.

I went to the gym.. and just for a little bit of time. I was there for just under 35 minutes, total. But I committed to working out hard while I was there.

I haven’t been on the treadmill for a loooong time, so I jumped on one and got to sweatin’.

I knew that in 30-ish minutes, I needed to have a good workout and I wasn’t going to let the limited amount of time dictate the quality of my workout.

I started out doing intervals.

It was hard at first, having not run in a while. But soon enough, I got the hang of it, again.

After 34 minutes on the treadmill, I had burned 431 calories. That’s pretty darn GOOD, if you ask me!

So, what did I learn?

It’s NOT about this “all or nothing” mentality. Every little bit DOES add up. Something IS better than nothing… every time. It’s time to lose the thought that if I binge or have one bad meal, or heck, one bad DAY, or skip a workout, or whatever it may be – it’s not all completely ruined. I’m 100% capable to picking myself up, dusting myself off, and setting back out to accomplish what I want to accomplish.

Those 34 minutes weren’t a lot… but it was better than nothing, and each one of those “little” calories added up fast!

Every.Little.Bit.Counts.

What “little bit” are you going to accomplish today?

Me? I’m off to the gym again today, solo, since momma’s still recovering. This is my public announcement that I will be there – want to or not, I’ll be there.

Until next time…

Twitter: @MNLinds

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“The impossible can always be broken down into possibilities.” ~ Author Unknown

I lost it. I lost something really big this weekend….

My motivation.

Seriously, does this happen to you ever? You’re so goooood during the week and it’s like as soon as 5:30pm on Friday evening comes around, it’s just….. gone. Without notice, without warning… your motivation is gone.

This happens to me, a LOT.

I can stay pretty much on track throughout the week. At work, I only eat the food I bring. I have a rule, that I read on another blog (s0rry, I cannot remember which blog!) – the rule is if I didn’t bring it to work, it’s not leaving work in my belly. So, basically, I don’t eat any junk at work from the candy bowls. Haha Especially with Halloween right around the corner, there have been TONS of candy bowls popping up and my rule helps me avoid them.

But as soon as Friday evening comes around, it’s like I’ve lost all motivation. I wouldn’t say it’s a “free for all” from Friday evening to Monday morning, but it’s definitely not as rigid and calculated as when I’m at work during the week.

I’ve even been bad about getting to the gym on the weekends – which was never a problem for me before. Granted, last weekend we were in Colorado, so the gym was out of the question, but this weekend, we were around – I had no excuses, but I still chose to sleep in and NOT go to the gym. Of course, the work week is back, so my gym schedule will be reliable again – but what about the weekends!?

Tell me, am I the only one who struggles 1000% more on the weekends? Do you too? How do you keep your goals in the forefront of your mind ALL THE TIME, not only M-F.

I realize this can’t work as a Monday-Friday gig… but I’m needing help with my weekend motivation. Can you help?

Regardless of my sloth-like weekend, I still enjoyed it – go figure.

How was your weekend?

Here’s to a crazy week ahead for me – I work in higher education and this week is a start week… the first two weeks are always a bit nuts!

xo!

Twitter: @MNLinds

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” ~ Jim Rohn

Hello, hello!  We are back from Colorado! It was an amazing trip. A close high school friend of mine got married and we were lucky enough to be there to watch them exchange their vows. It was a beautiful ceremony with a beaaaautiful back drop.

Breathtaking

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Howdy! I was hoping next time I came back I’d have updates from my doctor about the thyroid test… however, nope! Nothing yet. Like I said in my previous post, both my doctor and myself suspect that it will come back just fine, but it’s something to rule out.

Also, being that I have quite the busy weekend coming up, I have yet to contact these weight loss clinics to ask questions. I’m still unsure if that’s the route I want to go anyways. Depending on the cost… who knows if it’s even feasible. I was going to wait until after I spoke with my doctor to set up my appointment with the dietitian, but since I haven’t heard from her yet, I need to just bite the bullet and make that appointment, again, depending on the cost. I know money shouldn’t be the deciding factor, but truth is… it might be. I feel pretty good about my finances… but Adam and I have other things we want/need to pay for… so we shall see.

This week has been absolutely insane for Adam and I and I’m doing my best to continue to track my calories. I’m not even going to pretend I’ve been to the gym this week, I haven’t. I normally go on Monday and Wednesday, but this week – it’s not happening. And beginning on Thursday I’ll be out of town, so I don’t see much gym time happening this week. Such is life.

The good news is, my eating has been pretty on par this week. I did go over my calories slightly yesterday, by a little over 100 – but I’m not going to make excuses or whine about it, it happened and all I can do is move forward and make better choices today and going forward… and that’s what I fully intend to do.

I would like to apologize in advance, being that I will be out of town starting EARLY on Thursday morning and will have limited access to internet… it may be pretty sparse around here. But I’ll do my best to cook up some shenanigans while I’m away so I can report back.

I hope you have a fun weekend – do you have anything exciting planned?

See you next week!

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

“Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.” ~ Lowell Thomas

I think it’s pretty well known that when a blogger disappears, it’s because there is trouble in paradise. And so it goes for me, too.

I’ve been struggling, real bad. After having a conversation with Jen, she helped me realize that coming here, admitting flaws and struggles, isn’t a sign of weakness… it’s life. And there are other people who can relate to the struggles I’m going through.

Here’s the hard thing to admit, after FOREVER of maintaining, I’m now (dun, dun, dunnn) gaining. Since the 1st of August, I’m up about 4.6 pounds. I’m still tracking and working out and I honestly, truly don’t believe I’m doing something to warrant a almost 5 pound gain in the past month and a half.

Because of the struggles I’m having, I decided to finally go see a medical professional yesterday morning. I didn’t know where to start, so I just went to my family practice doctor.

If you know me, I can usually brush off my issues and struggles, laugh it off, so to speak… so I didn’t expect to get emotional at all when I went in to talk to my doctor… boy, was I wrong. As soon as she asked me what was up, the tears started. I guess I didn’t realize how much being overweight and unhealthy and struggling really is taking a toll on me emotionally, as well as physically. We talked for a while, about what I’ve been doing to try to lose the weight, etc.

By the end of the appointment, I had had my blood drawn, to test my thyroid – which we both expect to come back “normal” – but at least it’s something we can rule out. I have a follow up appointment in a month from now, to get my cholosterol and sugar-something-or-other tested. She couldn’t test me today since I had eaten breakfast and both of those tests require 6-8 hours of fasting before they are administered.

I also left with pamphlets for a couple weight management specific clinics that my doctors patients have had success with. I also left with a referral for a dietitian.

I have yet to call the dietitian or weight clinics to get more information, but I feel good that I have some place to start.

I didn’t go to the doctor in hopes she would give me THE answer, the end all, be all, or any sort of magic pill… But after two years of trying I obviously need some help so I can start doing.

Twitter: @MNLinds

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

Bali Intimates, the No. 1 department store intimate apparel brand, has announced the launch of its Live Beautifully Daily campaign, a national movement focused on helping women embrace how to LBD through the way they look and feel.

As part of the movement’s kickoff, Bali has joined with Jennifer Rade, one of the country’s top celebrity stylists, to encourage women to LBD. Bali will also donate up to $50,000 to its long-standing partner, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which plays a critical role in helping women with breast cancer LBD. Women can join the movement by visiting www.facebook.com/BALI.intimates.

Bali, together with Rade, will provide tips on how women can customize their personal style to fit their body type and how to dress for every occasion – helping them feel beautiful on the inside and outside.

In August, Bali launched its second-annual fundraising drive to support BCRF, a national nonprofit organization that helps increase public awareness about good breast health and whose mission is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. For every 25 new “likes” the Bali Facebook page received, the company donated $25. In fewer than two weeks, the brand reached its goal of 25,000 new fans and donated $25,000 to support BCRF’s critical clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide.

To continue the momentum, beginning in September, Bali will match donations to BCRF made by Bali Facebook fans, up to an additional $25,000, for a total donation of up to $50,000.

Since beginning its partnership with BCRF in 2007, Bali has donated more than $200,000.

About The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. In 2010, BCRF awarded $33 million to 172 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. Currently, more than 90 cents of every dollar donated is directed to breast cancer research and awareness programs. With exceptionally low administrative costs, BCRF continues to be one of the most efficient organizations in the country. BCRF has received 4-stars from Charity Navigator and an “A+” from The American Institute of Philanthropy.  For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

If you’d like to make a difference, go “Like” Bali’s Facebook page and consider making a donation. Please, spread the word and continue to Live Beautifully Daily.

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.

Holy smokes! You guys REALLY want some new work out gear, huh!?  182 comments!!!

Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?

Here’s our winner!

Congratulations Gina!  Please shoot me an e-mail at Lindsay[@]priorfatgirl.com so we can finalize your outfit choices and sizes.

And MAJOR congratulations on your first little one!! I hope the last 6 weeks of your pregnancy go smoothly!

Thanks to everyone for commenting – be sure to check out Champion for a peek at all of the fabulous Champion gear!

Major thank you to Kori and HanesBrands for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

©2012 Prior Fat Girl. All Rights Reserved.