|

I Used To…

Home Science Tools Banner
* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

This weekend, I was thinking about how much my life has changed in the last two years.

I used to go through a carton of ranch dip a week.

Now, I throw away uneaten dip that I buy for the kids. I rarely eat chips anymore, opting instead for hummus and jicama.

I used to dread meeting people or have unnecessary attention focused on me.

Now, I actually look forward to meeting people and I don’t mind speaking up at life group meetings. I’m even looking forward to being in our church’s Thanksgiving parade this year.

I used to reach for sugary snacks or chips and dip.

Now, I will purposely choose fruit over other options. I actually crave things like pineapple.

I used to settle for any halfway decent-looking clothes, as long as they fit.

Now, I’ve become something of a clothes snob. If I don’t love it, I don’t want it in my closet. I’ve also developed a fairly extreme prejudice against stripes and floral patterns – it seems that many plus size clothing manufacturers are under the misguided impression that obese people like to try to hide behind these two patterns.

IMG_36803

I used to watch movies lying in the bed with a bowl of buttered popcorn.

Now, I watch movies on the treadmill, running 5 mph.

I used to sit around on the computer all day.

Now, I…okay, I still sit around on the computer as much as possible, but I workout before doing so.

I used to go up and down every aisle of the grocery store and speed through the produce section – as often as not, never even stopping there unless I wanted lettuce for a rare salad.

Now, I skip entire aisles full of processed foods and spend the bulk of my grocery dollars in the produce section.

I used to eat an entire days’ worth of calories at breakfast.

Now, I eat a days’ worth of calories in a day. Sometimes I go over my calorie budget, but not by a whole days’ worth of calories.

I used to always get fries with my fast food meals.

Now, I get a side salad. The kids know that I get TWO fries. That’s all I need to keep from feeling deprived. If we go somewhere that doesn’t have a side salad or that has nasty salads, I’ll get fries, but I give half of them away (usually to Brian) before I start eating.

I used to eat at McDonald’s.

Now, I never get more than an occasional sweet tea there. Other than my obligatory two fries when they kids get them, I haven’t eaten McDonald’s in nearly two years.

IMG_3548[4]

I used to actually get mad when it was time for my annual health risk assessment.

Now, I actually look forward to seeing how much my health has improved.

I used to drink sweet tea from the time I got up to the time I went to bed. Seriously, we were going through 10 lbs. of sugar a week and I was drinking probably a gallon a day (at least a half gallon). Oh, and Cokes. I would buy a 24-pack no less than every other week.

Now, I drink sweet tea at lunch and at supper. I allow myself one refill because I use a smallish glass filled with crushed ice. I trade my supper tea for Coke once a week when I eat dinner at my sister’s house. I never buy canned sodas anymore.

I used to never eat fruit, other than the occasional banana, handful of grapes, or strawberries (sliced with sugar added, preferably on top of shortcake).

Now, I love fruit: pineapple, grapes, cherries, bananas, strawberries, apples, oranges, peaches. Yum!

I used to have trouble bending over to tie my shoes.

Now, I can bend and breathe at the same time.

I used to get out-of-breath climbing the stairs in our house. I’d try to hide it behind a cough, but I think it was obvious.

Now, I can run 5+ miles without stopping!

I used to think that I could never be a normal size again, that losing weight was something I couldn’t do.

Now, I’m somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 pounds from my goal weight!

What are some of your “used to’s”? If you’re at the beginning of your weight-loss journey, what are some of the things you’re looking forward to when you get to your goal-weight?

Do or do not. There is no try.

+ posts

Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.