Find Something You Enjoy

I know that every doctor/health professional will tell you that the best way to lose weight is diet and exercise. Yes, that is true. We all know that.

For me the hardest part wasn't the cutting calories and watching what I ate, it was finding an exercise routine that I enjoyed. I don't want exercise to be something I have to cross off my ever-growing to do list. I wanted to find something fun, that I would look forward to. Finding that has helped me find the success that I have had. Also, having the coaches and trainers I've had really really help.

I started losing weight in college. I found a kickboxing class and went three-four times a week. It was a blast, it didn't feel like it took a long time (it lasted about a hour) and I saw results. Eventually, I started using the cardio machines in the gym on the off days. When I moved back to Louisville, I joined a gym and continued with cardio, but it wasn't fun and I hated going. While watching "Million Dollar Baby" with my best one evening, I started looking up boxing gyms in the area. I found one that offered Muay Thai and several days later I joined.

I think meeting my coach, Eric Haycraft, is really what propelled the rest. I've been a student of Muay Thai for almost 4 years now. Sadly, the move to Nashville took me away from Eric's gym, Real Fighters. Workouts were usually 1.5-2 hours long and probably the highlights of my week. It is a very cognitive sport, my mind is totally concentrated on the task at hand and not what is going on in my life. You have to pay attention or injuries occur (I only got 5 black eyes). I got the support and encouragement of a team, and I love those guys so much. The combination of a stellar team, knowledgeable coach and a challenging sport, I've had the opportunity to gain strength, power and lose some pounds. Along the way, I also teamed up with personal trainers who really helped me step up my game.

My personal trainer, Garrett Watson (G-Fit Louisville), really helped while I was in graduate school. He has bootcamps at 5:30am and 6:30am on Tuesday and Thursday, that he let me attend at a severally discounted rate. He would also call and yell at me if I was late or didn't show up. I made sure I was always here. In the bootcamps I learned a lot of speed and that I am the Queen of the Kettlebells. Garrett also made me keep food journals, so I learned a lot about what I should be eating and other habits.

Now, in Nashville, I know more about my exercise and nutritional needs. I'm doing Weight-Watchers Points Plus, which is really helping. I had to quit my Muay Thai gym, but I found another one that I'll be joining in the next couple weeks. I joined the YMCA and go daily. I've found a new love for Zumba and yoga.

Getting healthy is an experience and a definite lifestyle change. It's challenging, but it's increasingly beneficial. Find something you like and you're more likely to stick to it.

Spanx: Friend or Foe?

Spanx may be a divine gift from heaven.

Sara Blakely has created an empire forged out of breathable spandex and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for that.  She's created a line of slimming undergarments, swimsuits and even Spanx for men.  Basically, you can sausage yourself into clothes that weren't the most flattering thing on the planet, and everything will be smooth to boot!

Ahh, but herein lie my questions, suspicions, and my criticisms of something that makes us appear to be anything other than who we actually are.  Are Spanx truly an accessory we can treat like intense workhorse pantyhose, or are they a way to help us ignore how we feel about our bodies? 

Help or Hindrance?

My honest opinion?  As women, we want to feel good about ourselves.  All women want to feel pretty (oh so pretty), and that has nothing to do with weight.  Spanx erase my panty lines.  My trousers always lay nicer with them on, and while we're being honest with one another, who ever scoffed at the temporary erasure of cellulite? (sorry if there are any men reading this...)

But they also eventually roll down throughout the day.  I have to frequent the bathroom to do the Spanx-Dance to hike those suckers back up, and forget about going to the bathroom; I'll hold it, thank you very much.  The removing of the Spanx might be one of the most liberating things I will ever do as a woman.

They are wonderful and horrible creatures all at the same time.

The difference is, I wake up thinking; I feel great today, and I want my clothing to reflect how awesome I am/feel.

NOT: I don't like anything about myself so I'm going to squeeze into tiny elastic pants and hope I look prettier because thin and dimple-free is what the world thinks is beautiful.

Being healthy goes WAY beyond the physical aspect of wellness.  Our minds are precious and very easily fooled.  I read books to keep my mind sharp, and I also love it.  I do not work out because I love it, but because it keeps my body "sharp" and tuned up.  And I wear metallic shoes and seek out vintage gems because they represent my creativity.

So are Spanx evil?  Nah.  Do I think we misuse them like a drug, just so we can get that high of feeling good with them on and angry and ashamed when they're off?  You bet.  I think it's high time we really examine why we choose the clothes we wear.  Are you a slave to a label?  Do you feel inadequate without the latest trends?  Are you reliving your long-gone youth?  Or do you wear clothes that bring out the beauty you were born with?

Here's a challenge: grab a friend(s) you really trust and go shopping.  Let them choose an outfit or two for you to try on and see how you look in something a pair of outside eyes think really represents who you are.  You may be surprised at what you see staring back at you :)

--Rita

I’ve been labeled a lot of things, but I also wear a lot of hats. I’m a therapist, a musician, a best friend, a sister, a roommate, an artist, a daughter and lots of other things.

Hi, I'm Amy and I am over-weight.

I’m not lazy though. I've completed 2 mini-marathons and I've trained in Muay Thai for almost 4 years. I'm nearing in a 200 pound weight loss, but I'm still far from where I want to be.  I can’t explain what made it happen; before I knew it I was tipping scales. I’ve tried my hardest to blame others, describe myself in other ways, crash diet and the list grows. I can only point fingers at myself and the only person that can change everything is me.

Rita and I didn’t start this blog to make people feel sorry for us, or even a support group for people with weight issues. We want to inspire you by watching us take control of our lives and health. Also, it’s all about accountability. We have to be honest with you about our struggles; like I can’t say no to ice cream and there’s a Jeni’s Ice Cream opening just down the street from my house. I have to be honest about times I’ve gained and rejoice when I’m losing (weight that is).

Sift Happens 2 is a place to swap ideas and let you know what’s working (and not working) for us. We may even throw in a recipe or two that we think is worthy.

Can’t wait to share this journey with you.  It’s a honor to have you be a part of our stories. Feel free to ask questions, argue with us, whatever, we're up for it.

--Amy

I am...

I AM:

a friend.
a daughter.
a teacher.
a worker.
smart.
single.
an only child.
forgetful.
funny.
disorganized.

I am also fat.

People hate that word.  For every person who doesn't want to be called fat, there are 10 synonyms for the word (my favorite is paunchy...and don't ever call me paunchy, haha).  So let's be honest with each other, I'm not a big fan of the F-word either.  But in a world where we all wish we could be identified by who we are as people, by our "personalities", we are really identified and judged by what we look like.  At least, that's why I'm assuming everyone tells us to Dress For Success when we interview for jobs.

I won't deny our tendencies to judge people by appearance only, but I won't sit idly by and blindly participate either.  This is not a blog where we take back the word fat, and embrace everything, and use it in my every day vocab.  I don't want to be called fat.  It will still hurt my feelings.  I want to be healthy, and Amy and I really want this blog to inspire people.  We don't want you to feel less than normal because someone said something mean to you once. 

I'd bet they had low self-esteem too.

We want you to get to know us better, and we want to get to know you.  We want to let you all into our lives and experience our struggles with weight loss, weight gain, clothes shopping, cooking, and just life in general.  We want to get healthy mentally, physically, emotionally, and who knows...maybe one day I'll run a marathon and live to brag about it ;-)

Talk.  Interact.  Share.

--Rita

Intro to the blog:

As you can read in our profile, we're Rita and Amy. We met on a trip to India and became quick friends. Here in this blog, we'll share recipes, cookbooks, exercise tips, triumphs and failures of food and body. Having struggled with body image and our weight a majority of our lives, we thought this would be a great place to share it.

Pretty soon, we'll post some formal introductions individually as well as posting recipes and the like.

We're really glad you came to visit, read on!