I'm a sucker for an US Weekly, or People magazine issue that features "How They Did It" stories. Weight loss, running a marathon, getting healthy, I eat it up (no pun intended). I love to read how the person succeeded in their goal. I really try to eat right and exercise, but I still need constant motivation to stay on track. When I started this blog, I didn't realize how many fun, inspiring people I would "meet" in the blogosphere. I've decided to feature some of these virtual friends on my blog, so that you can see why I enjoy reading their blogs so much. I'm excited to feature Tricia from Endurance Isn't Only Physical, as the very first. Tricia is a wife and mother of a young son, who has physically transformed herself over the past year. Tricia lost over 122 pounds,
through hard work, determination, and good old diet and exercise. Tricia graciously answered the questions I had for her, so read on to hear her story: 
You wrote that you didn't have an "a ha" moment that caused you to lose weight, but why did you choose January 5, 2009 to change your lifestyle?
Well, I always say I didn't have an "a ha" moment because it wasn't one specific moment. It was several things that all combined together finally convinced me it was time. My son is the most important thing in my life, once he started walking and running it became apparent that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him. I wanted to be a good mother, and a good example. Also right about the time my son turned a year old we had family pictures taken. I was so excited until I got the pictures back. I was ashamed of how I looked and I refused to get any of the pictures printed. I started looking around my house and realized there weren't any pictures of me. And finally, I went to the doctor and he wanted to put me on medicine for high blood pressure. I was only 26. I asked the doctor to give me 3 months to get the numbers lower by losing weight. He was skeptical, but agreed. That was in December, but it took me until January to buckle down. It was supposed to be part of a New Years Resolution, but I didn't get around to eating healthy or working out until January 5th. That was the last time I said "enough is enough". I refer to that as the day I saved my life.
Who was your support system during this time?
I am blessed with a very supportive family. My husband has been there each day, cheering me on and joining in on eating right and working out. My parents and sisters live in a different state, but they were also super supportive. I would call each day and report my successes. You would think they would get tired of hearing "I walked 6 miles today," or "I love a pound since yesterday", but they never did. Instead they encouraged me and even let me know that I was inspiring them to get healthy.
What was the first thing that you did? Did you join a weight loss company, or do it on your own?
I have now lost 122 pounds and I'm proud to say I did it on my own. Over the last 10 years I tried ever fad diet out there without long term success. I knew this time had to be different. I wanted it to truly be a lifestyle change, so to me that meant doing something sustainable. The first thing I did was commit to it for 21 days. I had heard that it takes 21 days to make a habit. I promised myself that I would walk everyday for 21 days, and I would eat healthy every day for 21 days. After those 21 days were over I would reevaluate. If I wasn't happy with the results then I gave myself permission to stop. That may seem silly, but in the beginning that's what kept me going. "Its just 21 days, give it a shot." Well, in those 21 days I lost 20 pounds. Of course I was happy with the results, but by that point it wasn't just about the number on the scale. I was already seeing a HUGE increase in my fitness level. I went from hardly being able to walk a mile, to walking 6-10 miles every day in the first 3 weeks. I no longer looked forward to when I could stop, but instead looked forward to what I could do next.
Did you have a set weight loss number?
My initial goal was to lose 100 pounds in a year and then reevaluate a "goal weight". Starting at 278, that would put me at 178 by January of 2010. Well, I hit 178lbs in September of 2009. It took me under 9 months to lose 100 pounds. By January 2010 I had lost an additional 20 pounds and have continued to lose, just slowly. Today I weigh 156 (I'm 5'8'') and I no longer have a goal to lose weight, instead I am focusing on fitness and lifestyle goals. If more weight comes off along the way then that's just a bonus.
This was a year long process, how did you motivate yourself to keep going?
I tried to break it down into small goals, like one workout at a time or one healthy meal at a time. And then repeat that process. Its easy to do anything "once" and those "just one times" add on each other and before you know it you've strung together a week of being healthy. I'd be lying to say I wasn't motivated by the numbers. Each time I got on that scale and the number was lower I would get an instant boost. Nobody wants to eat pizza when they've just lost 3 pounds.
You have a young son, where do you find the time to fit in your workouts?
I'm a stay at home mother, so I had to work around my sons schedule. Sometimes that means working out when he naps, but more often that meant putting him in the jogging stroller and going for a walk (and later on a run). I'd pick a scenic route that he would enjoy and off we would go. Now when I'm working on strength training he does it with me. I love that my son comes up to me and says, "Can we work out Mommy?" He loves it!
Running is your passion, are you a treadmill runner, or do you run outdoors?
Outside, outside, outside, outside. :) I seriously avoid the treadmill at all costs.
Do you try and run every day, what kind of mileage do you do?
When I first started I was running everyday, but low miles. Once I got the miles up over 3 a day I cut back on the number of days I ran and increased the distance. I average 25 miles a week now, with a long run on Sundays and shorter runs on Tues/Wed/Friday.
If you run to music, what is on your ipod?
Lately I have been listening to audio books on the longer runs. "Eat,Pray,Love" is a favorite to run to. I've noticed I run slower to books though, so I'll only listen for about 20 minutes and then I'll go without music and just talk to my husband, then I'll listen to a book for awhile longer and finally finish out the run with some upbeat music. You can find anything from Black Eyed Peas, The Fray, Cold Play, Lady GaGa, AC/DC, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith and more on my ipod. Its such a crazy mix, but I love all kinds of music.
I know you plan to run a half marathon, but as you recover from your stress fracture, what new fitness goals have you set for yourself?
Yes, I was training for a half marathon when I got a stress fracture in my ankle. While that heals I have really been focusing on getting comfortable with strength training. I'm working on getting Michelle Obama arms. :) Once I'm released by the doctor to run again I'm going to slowly train for a full marathon. I'm planning on running Rock 'N Roll San Antonio in November.
What food items do you always have in your fridge or cabinets? Take us through a typical day of eating for you.
My day usually starts with a cup of hot green tea. I don't like to eat right away, so I'm usually up an hour or so before I eat breakfast. My favorite breakfast is a small whole wheat bagel with laughing cow cheese and an apple. Mid morning I'll snack on fruit or nuts. For lunch I often eat leftovers from the night before. Today I had a bowl of spaghetti squash with diced tomato's. In the afternoon I like an apple with all natural peanut butter. For dinner we're having grilled shrimp, baked squash and zucchini and a sweet potato. I end each day with a square of super dark chocolate. Yum! Of course there are some days where I don't want to cook. In that case, I'm a huge fan of the Morning Star Farms black bean patties and steam in a bag veggies. So simple. Staples in my house are the laughing cow cheese wedges, fresh Brussels sprouts (my favorite veggie!), all natural peanut butter, apples,100 calorie popcorn bags, black bean patties, Newmans Own Organic Chocolate, Steam in a bag veggies, and Arnolds Sandwich Thins.
When faced with a tempting food option, how do you tackle it?
Well, first I ask myself if I really want it. So often we eat things out of habit, not desire. If I do actually want it, I usually allow myself to have it. The key to my weight loss success has been moderation. I allow myself to eat what I want but in a small portion. My family teases me about my two bites of cake, but in all honesty usually we just want that taste. The first few bites are always the best anyway, so I just skip the rest.
I'm pretty loyal to brands, I have a favorite sock, running shoe, and pants that I go back to again and again. What are your running favorites?
For shoes I like my Mizuno Waves. Lately I've been loving my Oiselle Running roga shorts, my favorite running shirt is a Brooks tech tshirt, and my socks are Bridgedale Speed Divas. I almost always run in a hat, my Under Armour running hat is my favorite. I wear an iFitness sportbelt to hold my ipod and chapstick.
Just a few more questions, they're easy:
salty or sweet? sweet (although I would give up sweets forever in favor of my true weakness---bread)
George Clooney or Brad Pitt? George Clooney
Beyonce or Lady Gaga? Lady Gaga
Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owl
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers
Dogs or cats? Dogs
and finally...
Reality TV, yes, or no? Yes, although I'm going to admit I'm probably the only one that's never seen a single episode of The Bachelor, or Jersey Shore.
Who was your support system during this time?
I am blessed with a very supportive family. My husband has been there each day, cheering me on and joining in on eating right and working out. My parents and sisters live in a different state, but they were also super supportive. I would call each day and report my successes. You would think they would get tired of hearing "I walked 6 miles today," or "I love a pound since yesterday", but they never did. Instead they encouraged me and even let me know that I was inspiring them to get healthy.
What was the first thing that you did? Did you join a weight loss company, or do it on your own?
I have now lost 122 pounds and I'm proud to say I did it on my own. Over the last 10 years I tried ever fad diet out there without long term success. I knew this time had to be different. I wanted it to truly be a lifestyle change, so to me that meant doing something sustainable. The first thing I did was commit to it for 21 days. I had heard that it takes 21 days to make a habit. I promised myself that I would walk everyday for 21 days, and I would eat healthy every day for 21 days. After those 21 days were over I would reevaluate. If I wasn't happy with the results then I gave myself permission to stop. That may seem silly, but in the beginning that's what kept me going. "Its just 21 days, give it a shot." Well, in those 21 days I lost 20 pounds. Of course I was happy with the results, but by that point it wasn't just about the number on the scale. I was already seeing a HUGE increase in my fitness level. I went from hardly being able to walk a mile, to walking 6-10 miles every day in the first 3 weeks. I no longer looked forward to when I could stop, but instead looked forward to what I could do next.
Did you have a set weight loss number?
My initial goal was to lose 100 pounds in a year and then reevaluate a "goal weight". Starting at 278, that would put me at 178 by January of 2010. Well, I hit 178lbs in September of 2009. It took me under 9 months to lose 100 pounds. By January 2010 I had lost an additional 20 pounds and have continued to lose, just slowly. Today I weigh 156 (I'm 5'8'') and I no longer have a goal to lose weight, instead I am focusing on fitness and lifestyle goals. If more weight comes off along the way then that's just a bonus.
This was a year long process, how did you motivate yourself to keep going?
I tried to break it down into small goals, like one workout at a time or one healthy meal at a time. And then repeat that process. Its easy to do anything "once" and those "just one times" add on each other and before you know it you've strung together a week of being healthy. I'd be lying to say I wasn't motivated by the numbers. Each time I got on that scale and the number was lower I would get an instant boost. Nobody wants to eat pizza when they've just lost 3 pounds.
You have a young son, where do you find the time to fit in your workouts?
I'm a stay at home mother, so I had to work around my sons schedule. Sometimes that means working out when he naps, but more often that meant putting him in the jogging stroller and going for a walk (and later on a run). I'd pick a scenic route that he would enjoy and off we would go. Now when I'm working on strength training he does it with me. I love that my son comes up to me and says, "Can we work out Mommy?" He loves it!
Running is your passion, are you a treadmill runner, or do you run outdoors?
Outside, outside, outside, outside. :) I seriously avoid the treadmill at all costs.
Do you try and run every day, what kind of mileage do you do?
When I first started I was running everyday, but low miles. Once I got the miles up over 3 a day I cut back on the number of days I ran and increased the distance. I average 25 miles a week now, with a long run on Sundays and shorter runs on Tues/Wed/Friday.
If you run to music, what is on your ipod?
Lately I have been listening to audio books on the longer runs. "Eat,Pray,Love" is a favorite to run to. I've noticed I run slower to books though, so I'll only listen for about 20 minutes and then I'll go without music and just talk to my husband, then I'll listen to a book for awhile longer and finally finish out the run with some upbeat music. You can find anything from Black Eyed Peas, The Fray, Cold Play, Lady GaGa, AC/DC, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith and more on my ipod. Its such a crazy mix, but I love all kinds of music.
I know you plan to run a half marathon, but as you recover from your stress fracture, what new fitness goals have you set for yourself?
Yes, I was training for a half marathon when I got a stress fracture in my ankle. While that heals I have really been focusing on getting comfortable with strength training. I'm working on getting Michelle Obama arms. :) Once I'm released by the doctor to run again I'm going to slowly train for a full marathon. I'm planning on running Rock 'N Roll San Antonio in November.
What food items do you always have in your fridge or cabinets? Take us through a typical day of eating for you.
My day usually starts with a cup of hot green tea. I don't like to eat right away, so I'm usually up an hour or so before I eat breakfast. My favorite breakfast is a small whole wheat bagel with laughing cow cheese and an apple. Mid morning I'll snack on fruit or nuts. For lunch I often eat leftovers from the night before. Today I had a bowl of spaghetti squash with diced tomato's. In the afternoon I like an apple with all natural peanut butter. For dinner we're having grilled shrimp, baked squash and zucchini and a sweet potato. I end each day with a square of super dark chocolate. Yum! Of course there are some days where I don't want to cook. In that case, I'm a huge fan of the Morning Star Farms black bean patties and steam in a bag veggies. So simple. Staples in my house are the laughing cow cheese wedges, fresh Brussels sprouts (my favorite veggie!), all natural peanut butter, apples,100 calorie popcorn bags, black bean patties, Newmans Own Organic Chocolate, Steam in a bag veggies, and Arnolds Sandwich Thins.
When faced with a tempting food option, how do you tackle it?
Well, first I ask myself if I really want it. So often we eat things out of habit, not desire. If I do actually want it, I usually allow myself to have it. The key to my weight loss success has been moderation. I allow myself to eat what I want but in a small portion. My family teases me about my two bites of cake, but in all honesty usually we just want that taste. The first few bites are always the best anyway, so I just skip the rest.
I'm pretty loyal to brands, I have a favorite sock, running shoe, and pants that I go back to again and again. What are your running favorites?
For shoes I like my Mizuno Waves. Lately I've been loving my Oiselle Running roga shorts, my favorite running shirt is a Brooks tech tshirt, and my socks are Bridgedale Speed Divas. I almost always run in a hat, my Under Armour running hat is my favorite. I wear an iFitness sportbelt to hold my ipod and chapstick.
Just a few more questions, they're easy:
salty or sweet? sweet (although I would give up sweets forever in favor of my true weakness---bread)
George Clooney or Brad Pitt? George Clooney
Beyonce or Lady Gaga? Lady Gaga
Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owl
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers
Dogs or cats? Dogs
and finally...
Reality TV, yes, or no? Yes, although I'm going to admit I'm probably the only one that's never seen a single episode of The Bachelor, or Jersey Shore.
Thank you Tricia! I think you truly rock.
40 comments:
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This is a wonderful interview on Trish! She continues to be inspiring as she gets around to so many blogs to comment and encourage. I enjoy these interviews you do.
Oh my goodness I LOVE LOVE Tricia and this format is GREAT..
OK so I thought of you on my run today.. It was about 54', warm and sunny. As I rounded a corner my face got COLD and I could see my breath.. Ummmm?? I swear to goodness it was either a ghost or one of those big Harry Potter things. Soooo strange.. So that was my Ghost running moment for the day..
Very impressive! I'm ashamed that I have not lost anymore since the initial 20 which came off by early October. But, I haven't gained any back either. That's a plus.
Great interview! She really is amazing and makes it seems so simple. And like she says, it's simple... but not necessarily easy.
I'm going to have to try on her attitude and try to get those stubborn 10 pounds gone that I've been carrying around!
Thanks for sharing her story. :)
Great post! It is inspirational how she took control of her life.
This is just what I need to give me a kick in the pants. Thanks for posting this!
Cool interview! I'm with Tricia, Lady Ga Ga all the way! I've never seen a single Bachelor or Jersey Shore either. I've seen too much of Snookie as it is.
I love, loved reading that. Hearing about people's journey's, especially about weight loss is so MOTIVATING! Thanks Molly for putting that together and for Tricia for all your hard work and for sharing your personaly story! Food is my biggest struggle. I am a totaly sweet tooth. CONGRATS on all that weight...it's AMAZING...it really is.
Great story from Tricia and great questions from Molly. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks... Tricia is an inspiration to us all.
Great interview! The best part is Tricia's positive attitude.
This is great. Thank you for sharing. And it's so much more realistic than the 'How I Did It' stories in People...
BODA lose weight
Great interview. I love Tricia and those were great questions!!
Very cool post Molly! I love Tricia's blog, she rocks!
Hi there! i'm over from Tricia's blog.Thanks for posting your interview. You asked her a lot of the same questions I would have. Your health goals sound similar to mine and your blog is cute. :) I'm happy to say, I'm going to be your newest follower!
Great interview and so nice to hear that she did it all herself without help of meds, surgery, or even weight loss companies. Great job, Tricia!
Great story. Good for her, she looks great.
I love Tricia's blog. Her philosophy about giving it 21 days is such a great idea. We can all hang in there for 3 weeks right?
She does rock! She should definitely get a magazine cover.
Holy crap, what an inspiration! I feel like I've been stuck in a rut lately where I'm unhappy with the extra pounds that are sticking around... and since I'm unhappy, I eat a little more... leading to more extra pounds... vicious cycle. Anyway, I love that Tricia just decided to do what's right for herself! And the before and after pictures are amazing!
Great interview. Tricia is an inspiration! :)
What an awesome idea for posts Molly! I love those articles too and look forward to reading more profiles.
Way to go Tricia!!
Hi Molly,
You did a nice job on your interview with Tricia:) You and Tricia both rock!!
What an awesome story! I totally agree with eating in moderation - how can anyone not eat dessert or bread?
Great interview...I admire Tricia immensely!
just found your blog. Great interview!
Wow-what a change! I tell my kids that moderation is the key, and she's proof.
Wowza! What a story and inspiration. Great interview, too!
Great interview Molly!
Tricia is truly quite an inspiration. Being healthy is so important and I love her initial 21 day approach. Even I can commit to 21 days!
www.thewannabewahm.com
Great interview! I agree- Tricia's definitely an inspiration! :)
This is truly inspiring! It makes me really want to take it slow but take it smart--one decision at a time. Thanks!
Thanks for letting me share my story Molly.
And everyone else-thank you so much for the wonderful, supportive comments!
That is so wonderful. It looks like your one hot mom and you did it the healthy way:) Thank you for your motivation.
What an amazing story.
That story is truly inspirational. Best, I love your idea of featuring another blogger and think the interview is terrific. I am looking forward to more!
Cool, very motivational, makes me wanna keep on getting on the treadmill
LOVE Trisha, and love this interview! Thanks for the great questions!
This is a great interview! I love the questions and the answers. Very inspiring. I'm struggling with ten pounds, which is frustrating for me, but nothing compared to Tricia.
My daughter who is 21, weighs about 290lbs. and she is only 5'3". I'm going to have her read this, and hope that it will give her some inspiration.
Thanks for this great post!
hey there molly!
thanks so much for stopping by and for your sweet comment! what an inspiration trisha is! that is some kind of weight loss! please stop back and make sure i'm still "breathing!" i'm hoping that more people will follow me as I begin my journey and hopefully i will inspire a few to start to eat a little bitter and get up off the couch and get fit! lol
shelley
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