About Me - My Personal Story

I've been chubby most of my life, except for a few brief and glorious periods when I actually weighed what I was "supposed" to weigh.

I was a chubby child. I was a brainy little kid, and spent an inordinate amount of time reading books. I also ate ice cream almost every night, and sometimes ate brownies for breakfast. Not a good start on the road to health.

I wasn't a big sports fan until I took up tennis in my pre-teen years. Daily tennis practice, along with some other team sport participation during the winter months, helped lean me out during those all-important high school years.

I maintained a reasonable weight throughout college, which I attribute to one part working out, two parts waitressing, and zero parts diet. After classes I'd hit the gym for a workout, then go to my waitressing job at a pizza joint. I ate something cheesy and gooey almost every night. Then I'd stop for a "treat" on my way home, usually a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream or a package of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, and head home to watch Cheers with my two roommates.

Now you'd think I'd share my "treat" with my roommates, or at least make it last more than one night. Heck no! I'd eat the whole thing while my roommates ate their own "treats." And yet somehow I managed to stay slim.

THEN I got a REAL job. You know what I mean, one of those great gigs where you sit behind a desk all day. A typical day would consist of scarfing down a donut or bagel at the morning meeting, eating fast food for lunch, helping Bob from the IT department celebrate his birthday with a slice of cake in the afternoon, and then hitting happy hour with a few friends.

I quickly became a chubby chick.

Don't get me wrong, I tried to work out. I tried to lose weight. It was simply a losing battle, due to the inordinate amounts of food I ate.

So I remained a chubby chick until the age of 34. I was invited on a trip to Mexico with some friends. Immediately, images of my big white belly and jiggling thighs danced through my head. I almost turned the invitation down, but instead said yes. That trip to Mexico quickly became a HUGE motivating factor for me to lose weight.

I joined the YMCA and started working out daily after work. I took a class on Weights for Women. I took Step classes. I'd pound away on the elliptical trainer for an hour at a time. I ate a lot of protein and downed protein shakes. And I lost the weight.

I went to Mexico with my friends, and pranced around in a bikini. I didn't look great, but I LOOKED GOOD.

And that lasted for about six months.

At about that time, my former fiancee decided to start a new business. And because I SO wanted him to be happy, and because I SO wanted to PLEASE him (one of my major problems), I went along with the idea and we quickly became in debt to the tune of, oh, about TWO MILLION DOLLARS. Yep, you heard that right.

And so we moved out to the middle of nowhere and raised dogs and ran a hunting preserve. We were "on call" 24/7. Not a day off. Not a holiday break.

Not a gym in sight. Not a minute to spare for exercise.

Forty minutes round trip to the nearest grocery store. Steak, potatoes and deep-fryable appetizers delivered by Sysco.

Not a way to live...

As the days went by, the pressure mounted. The stress kept building. The verbal abuse (oh, I didn't mention that tidbit yet, did I?) got worse. And I ate and ate and ate. And washed it all down with a big jug o' wine.

And then one day I left. I went to the post office, and I never went back.

That was a year and a half ago. I thought that once I got out of that situation, the weight would just drop off. Not so.

My diet has improved dramatically. I joined the YMCA and started taking classes. But I have yet to get over that "hump" where working out becomes a pleasure, not a chore. I'm hoping this blog will help push me over the edge.

Back pain (all that stress and tension landed in my upper back) has slowed me down. A heel injury slowed me down even more. After much searching, and trial and error, a combination of a wonderful chiropractor and a great massage therapist has improved my physical condition enough that I can now get back to cardio (last week I took my first Body Step class in six months!) and plan on re-joining the early morning Body Pump classes this week.

I've learned a lot about fitness and exercise and nutrition over the last twenty years. I'm not a trainer, or a nutritionist, or a doctor. I'm just a 42-year-old overweight woman with a lot of accumulated knowledge, a thirst for more knowledge, and a passion for fitness.

I started Little Black Dress Fitness Tips, both the website and the blog, to share what I know and to encourage you to get into shape. The website will focus on fitness tips, workout routines, exercise equipment and gear, etc. The blog will focus on my daily workouts, meals, struggle, etc.

I'm tired of wearing a big black tent. My goal is to fit into a little black dress. Not because society says I should, but because I want to be healthy and fit and proud of accomplishing that goal. Join me, interact with other like-minded people on this blog, get healthy, and get into your own little black dress!

PLEASE read the disclaimer before browsing the website - thanks!

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