10 Things about Me

The loverly Laura over at 100 in 12 completed a biographical-type survey over on her blog yesterday, and I’m gonna give it a shot over here.

1. Who are you?
I’m Katherine (my friends call me Kat…no “grownups,” though, just friends).  I’m 25 and have a BS and an MA from Clemson – public health and professional communication – and am looking for a job.  Both of my degrees were kind of jack-of-all-trades degrees, so there’s a pretty wide range of things I’m capable of and interested in.  I’m a crafter and aspire to be a feminist domestic goddess.  I’m single…dunno if I’ll ever find love or have kids, but I’m enough for me for now.  I love animals and have always had a bajillion pets.  I’m an only child and my hair color is natural.


2. What is your current health/weight status?
I weigh around 235…at my highest I was around 270lbs at the end of grad school.  I’m currently on a diet prescribed by my endocrinologist – essentially low-carb.  It kinda bums me out because I have to eat meat on this diet, and I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian for a year and a half prior to starting it.  I’ll go back to being a veg-head when I reach my goal weight, because overall I was doing a good job of maintaining my weight when I was meatless.

While I’m doing a good job of losing weight on this plan, I’m looking to start an exercise habit and to force myself to enjoy exercise.  I’ve always hated it, and getting used to exercise, getting to enjoy it, getting to crave it, are goals of mine.

3. What does being "healthy" mean to you?
(I started writing out things that would indicate I’m “healthy,” but then looked and realized I was answering the next question about my goals!  Good sign, eh?) 

• Eating real, whole, close-to-the-earth foods as a majority of my diet
• Having normal blood chemistries (cholesterol profile, blood sugar, insulin, etc.) 
• Having a low-to-normal blood pressure and resting pulse
  
• Listening to my body and eating what I need when I need it, not putting myself through the cycles of hunger/stomachache)
• Being able to do a reasonable activity without getting winded (like climbing stairs, doing basic yoga)
• Having a “normal” BMI (I know the system isn’t perfect, but it’s a pretty good indicator of healthy weight)
• Not always feeling tired and run-down…there are so many more!

4. What is your ultimate goal?
I don’t want to say have a BMI of X or weigh X or fit into size X because that’s unreasonable.  An ultimate fitness goal is to run.  If that means a mere 5K, that’s cool.  If I’m able to run a half marathon (can’t even fathom a marathon), great.  An ultimate eating goal is to be so comfortable with eating that I can easily go from events with lots of people to eating lunch by myself and not make my weight fluctuate too much.  I want to know my body well enough to know how it responds to certain foods, and to be able to maintain a healthy weight fairly easily through eating habits.
Smaller goals include:

• Being able to climb a few flights of stairs without getting so winded I need to take a breather before talking to someone
• Having strong, toned muscles
• Not sweating the first 5 minutes of exercise
• Not sweating so much, period
• Being able to buy clothes at regular stores and not cry in dressing rooms anymore
• Being able to go sleeveless
• Being able to wear shorts
• Being able to consider taking a trip somewhere without being scared I won’t fit in the seats on the airplane
• Being able to flirt with a dude and not be afraid of him flirting back
• To not have this freakishly weird roll on my left arm
• Wearing a dress without needing Spanx
• Do jumping jacks without a shaking bowl-full-of-jelly stomach to rival Santa’s
• Do 20 pushups (and not with my knees down, either)
• Being able to attend a class at my gym without wanting to hide in shame
• Being confident to do things I’m too scared to do now.

5. What is the biggest obstacle on your way to your goal?
MYSELF.  I think a majority of weight loss is mental.  You have to WANT it bad enough and be STRONG ENOUGH to make good decisions.  You have to get your ass up and get active, even when you don’t want to.  I’m a lazy person, and I have to change my whole PERSONALITY if I want this to work.  Things don’t happen TO you, you MAKE them happen.  I can say all these things, but internalizing them and LIVING them is the hardest thing ever.

6. Who or what do you look up to the most, in regards to your goals?
There are so many bloggers out there who have done what I want to do and who are living examples of how to balance healthy living with everyday obstacles and occasional indulgences.  To name a few, Jen, Jennette, Roni, Michelle, Kayla, and Jenny are strong women with wonderful personalities who have lost huge amounts of weight the hard way and who continue to live healthy lifestyles.  They’re still working hard to either continue to lose or to maintain their losses, and they don’t pretend like it’s easy to lose weight and keep it off.

7. If you could take a magic potion, instead of working for it, would you?
Haha, now that I’ve waxed poetic about the importance of working hard for it and earning it, hell yeah I’d take a magic potion!

8. What do you look forward to the most?
Pretty much my entire list of goals up there. 

• I can’t wait to get rid of all my fat clothes and fit into all the pretty stuff I wore when I was slimmer. 
• I can’t wait to go shopping with my friends in little swanky boutique stores without having to sit in the “husband” chairs and get dirty looks from the size-0 employees
• I can’t wait to jump in front of the camera instead of offering to hide behind it. 
• I can’t wait to “go for a run” to blow off steam instead of stewing in stress and eating more. 
• I can’t wait to look for a relationship and be comfortable in one. 
• I can’t wait to visit Emily in Colorado and be comfortable in a plane seat and try skiing and snowboarding without being scared of fitting in ski gear or collapsing from exhaustion. 
• I can’t wait to visit Joy (and Layla soon!) in NYC and wear cute peacoats and not compare myself to everyone else on the street. 
• I can’t wait to seek out a blogger meetup or attend a conference without fear of judgment
• I can’t wait to go to the gym and rock out 30 min on several machines without batting an eye or feeling paranoid that people are staring at me. 
• I can’t wait for a normal-sized towel to wrap around me. 
• I can’t wait to wear a simple sundress with flip-flops in Charleston.
• I can’t wait to attend a family function without ending up separating myself to cry and feel sorry for myself.
• I can’t wait to go out on the lake in a bathing suit and not constantly tug and pull and try to cover myself
• I can’t wait to cry big fat tears of victory as I cross the finish line
• I can’t wait to choose a seat at a restaurant without having to consider how my largeness affects other patrons
• I can’t wait to wear a cute dress without grossing people out
• I can’t wait to have small boobs again
• I can’t wait to earn the title of “healthy living blogger”
• I can’t wait to stop hiding behind self-deprecating humor

9. What is the biggest lesson you've learned so far?
This shit ain’t easy.  You can’t go back to eating like you want to 24/7 after you lose the weight.  Plus, I put this weight on one bad decision at a time, and I’m having to take it off one good decision at a time.

10. Do you have any big rewards planned?
The first time I went on a weight-loss plan like this, my dad promised me a $1000 shopping spree to replace my fat wardrobe if I got to my goal.  That’d be nice, but I doubt the offer still stands.  I’d love to go on a cruise if anyone wants to foot the bill!  Never been on one!  A trip anywhere would be awesome, really.