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For the majority of my life I danced 4-6 hours per day. Despite this my lowest weight on my 5'2" frame was 148 pounds. I come from a lineage of curvaceous women. At age 22 I quit dancing, knowing that I didn't intend it to be my career, and wanting to focus on my Kinesiology classes. I stopped exercising all together because I was convinced that nothing would satisfy me in the same way dance had (because you HAVE to love what you do). I have always hated the gym, and pumping iron. So boring! Not for me.

Over the next 4 years I gained about 25 pounds, and was up to 170 pounds (May 2006). But I held my weight well (people were consistently shocked to hear how much I weighed) and so hadn't really thought about losing weight. I just kind of accepted that I come from a lineage of curvaceous women.

In the summer of 2006 I decided to do a whole-foods, naturopathic, detox and went off sugar, wheat, dairy and alcohol for a month. I dropped about 7 pounds just eliminating those foods, and found this energy and a desire to move again!! But I quickly got bored walking in my local park. This is when I got online and ordered the Turbo Jam videos. Sometime that summer I actually started considering weight loss as a goal. I was moving 4-5 times per week and I got down to 144 pounds. I occasionally incorporated weights, resistance bands, ball workouts, yoga work outs and pilates.

In the summer of 2007 I was studying for my licensing exams and was eating primarily a paleo diet (give or take) and had incorporated some calisthenics into my routine which was then primarily cardio. I got down to my lowest weight (135 pounds) and best body composition since I remember. After writing about 25 hours of exams over 5 days in August, I went on holidays. Bye bye progress!

When I came back from holidays in October of 2007 I was back to 152 pounds and was itching for some variety and challenge. After reading every single testimonial about it and doing the fit test, I ordered P90X. I completed the standard program, and then went on to complete the lean program. I've since ordered P90X+ really enjoyed it. I found that resistance work and `pumping iron`wasnt`so bad after all! I certainly liked what it did to my physique.

Exercising keeps my weight pretty stable at approximately 145 pounds. I've found the only way my body will actually loose weight is by restricting my food choices as I described above. I keep wheat far from my diet, and consume very little dairy, sugar, and alcohol. It's good to know what works for me though and I'm glad I can speak credibly from experience to my patients about diet and weight loss. It is easy to get hung up on weight as a number even though I know that body composition is more important. For example I weighed in after 28 days of Tony's P90X antics (and I mean that in the most loving of ways), and was up 2 pounds, but my body fat percentage had decreased by almost 4%. When I am consistent with my exercise I feel fantastic, my energy unparalleled. I am constantly annoying people by dropping to the deck at random times and doing push ups - my record is 270 (!!!) during Tony's Chest and Back from P90X. An added bonus to feeling energetic, strong, capable, fit, and healthy is the shadows of definition that I've always wanted for myself. Hello triceps, lats, deltoids, obliques... "Thank you Tony Horton," is a phrase I commonly USED to hear my then boyfriend, now husband say.

UPDATE January 2012:
MUST.
GET.
BACK.
ON.
THE.
WAGON.

Currently I'm dancing 3-4 days per week, mostly salsa. It's more social than good exercise. I need to get back into a steady resistance-based work out plan. I'm still strong, and abled bodied, just need to tone up again. I see there is a new P90X-2! Hmmm....

Yep.

I know moving and eating well will always be a central part of my life - it does go hand in hand with my career as a Naturopathic Doctor. Since marriage, other things have become a priority: my growing practice, my husband. It is time now to make myself a priority again, especially today on my thirty-two-riffic birthday!

One of my main virtue words in my life is accountability. One always has a choice. Always. One can choose to change their life if they allow themselves to be accountable for their choices. It's hard to look internally for the root of life's woes, but probably the most important thing one can do for themselves to find a sustainable solution. (For completeness my other favorite virtue words are wisdom, integrity, strength, and courage).

That being said my focus words for 2012 are: gratitude, love, joy, value, reward, balance, and abundance. I know I will be rewarded when I'm in a good routine again.

(I'm back here after a long absence do to a recent buddy request. He reminded me about this support system, and I'm glad to have rediscovered it.)


Oooh... and I love my vegetables. Mmmmm...