The Secret to Weight Loss

     Ever since I started losing weight, people have been asking me what my secret is to slimming down. I always found that question humorous. Not that people would ask me, more so why they thought it was a secret. It always makes me imagine that I'm a spy that has classified Intel, or more accurately, a Bond villain stroking a fluffy cat with an evil cackle. Cause let's face it, that's more my style.
     So what is the secret? I guess the biggest secret to weight loss is......there is no secret. I think too often we try to find short cuts and quick solutions to achieving our goals. There isn't a miracle pill you can take that will shed pounds from your body. There isn't an app you can download and then all of sudden start dropping fat like a bad habit (see what I did there?). Weight loss takes work, effort, and above all else, determination, in order to get results. Think of it this way, you didn't become unhealthy or chubby overnight. Guess what.....losing it works the same way.
     To be fair, there is a million and one diets out there that you can do to achieve fast results. Keto. Palleo. Deathstro. Mysterio. I may have forgot the names of a few and started injecting 80's cartoon villain names instead. But you get where I am going with this. Regardless.....and not irregardless, because that is not a word, right Megan? Regardless, whatever path you choose, the number one thing that is going to make it work is....well...you.
     At the end of July last year, we got back from our annual trip to Comic Con. I started to unpack the clothing I had purchased and began to get that negative feeling. You probably know that one I am talking about. Where your inner dialogue goes from being supportive to sounding like the people who use to ridicule you in high school? I was staring down at one of the shirts I had just bought, and became immediately disgusted with myself for having to wear a size 3X shirt. This was the heaviest I had ever been in my life. And I had no one to blame but myself.
     Every picture I took of myself that weekend looked hideous to me. It was like I couldn't see the real me. Instead, I saw this chunky, flabby, ugly version of my body. I and hated myself for it. This was me being fat shamed.....by myself. When people say "you're your own worst critic" they ain't kidding. Eleanor Roosevelt said "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent," and I allowed myself to put me down farther than I ever have before. It was in this moment I understood people who developed eating disorders. I use to laugh at how that could never happen to me, because I enjoyed food too much. But here I was, on the brink of tipping into that field, and all because I allowed myself to be my worst antagonist instead of supporter.
     This is where the change happened. If there is ANY secret to weight loss, this is it. Stop tearing yourself down, and build yourself up. Too often do we allow ourselves to take the easy road or short cuts, and then we get down on ourselves for the choices we make. Instead, use that inner voice to encourage and motivate you. It's amazing the things you can accomplish when you stop belittling yourself and instead push yourself to your goals and aspirations.
     And that's exactly what I did. I told myself, instead of being a lazy person sitting on the couch watching TV, I am gonna go to the gym and watch my shows on the treadmill. Forty minutes turned into an hour. One mile walked turned into three. Just treadmill turned into elliptical as well. Pure cardio turned into a combo with weight training. Making smarter food choices turned into modified diets. One day, turned into nine months of progress. 3x shirts turned into XL shirts. 46 inch pants turned into 38 inch. 355lbs turned into 270. And even though I have not reached my goal, I am still internally pushing myself every day.
     The most rewarding thing, has been the people I have influenced along the way. I have friends in other states who are challenging me with their apple watch. I have co-workers who ask me for tips and tricks on how they can increase their exercise. I have people that I rarely see except interactions from Facebook who have begun their own workout regimen, influenced by my own posts. I have 5-10 minute discussions with customers at my store who have noticed my weight loss and want to know "the secret." I even have my parents who are getting inspired to get to the gym.
     Here are the things to remember:
1.) Change is only going to happen if you make the choice to do so. No one else can make this choice for you.

2.) It's far too easy to make excuses than it is to follow through. That's how you got to where you are now, and that's the first place to break the cycle. For example: DON'T say "I've had a rough day, I will go to the gym tomorrow." DO say "I had a rough day....and 20 minutes on the treadmill will make me at least feel better about myself."

3.) Set small goals. It's always good to have a lofty goal, but it's easier to set small goals as little milestones to help with your confidence. For example: I wanted to lose 100 lbs before Comic Con, but set small goals of 10 lbs per month. That way, each month felt like I was accomplishing something rather than chipping away at a difficult journey. This saved me from quitting and was a huge motivator.

4.) Find a buddy. It's hard silencing the inner voice that tears you down. If you have a friend who can help build you up, it makes it that much easier, and helps you feel like you are not alone. Sometimes it is hard to find a buddy. But if you're reading this....you already have one buddy on your side right here.

5.) Believe in yourself. 90% of people fail because they lack the confidence to see it through. And would you rather be the person that gave up on themselves or the person who was their biggest supporter.
     This was not an easy journey for me, but it also wasn't a difficult one either. It has, however, been one of the most rewarding things that I have done. I no longer tear myself down. I have become a lot more positive about other things in my life. At almost 38 years old, I am the most active I have been since High School. I am fitting into clothes I haven't fit into since I was 17. I have new friends messaging me about their work outs everyday and planning gym trips. And all because I decided to be my best critic, instead of my worst.
     So that's the secret people. There are too many things in this world that will try to tear you down. If you're not the one building yourself up......who will?

Guess Who's Back

It's been nearly five years since I have last blogged. To be honest, I couldn't even tell you for sure why I stopped. I could use the excuse that sometimes life gets in the way, but doesn't that happen to all of us? Saying that now almost invokes a response that would be reminiscent to that gif of Boo from Monster's Inc. blinking sleepy eyes. Maybe it isn't that life got in the way, or rather life has provided me with some new outlets.

Since I've been gone, I have discovered two new loves. No, not Kelly Clarkson. I've always loved her. If I were my mother I could use that as one of my new discoveries. Apparently, according to her, Kelly is her new BFF. After catching her on The Voice, she has decided that they were meant to be friends, and the TV had some how magically connected them to some strange relationship that works on some non-communicative level. Did you know that Kelly Clarkson's Mother-in-law and my Mother have the same birthday? I did. As I was told. Several times. By her. But enough about the Clarkson/Huckaby love affair.

The first thing I discovered is I love to cook, or even more so, create dishes for people to consume and then make themselves. I spend a lot of my spare time with my nose in a cookbook, surfing recipes online, or shopping at the store for new exciting ingredients. I cook, on average, about forty different dishes a month. Last Christmas, I put together a cookbook for my friends and family as a gift, showcasing a multitude of dishes they could try and make themselves. After some of the reception from that book, I was told they enjoyed my stories and that I "should get back to writing."

The second, my quest for a healthier me. After coming home from Comic-Con last year and looking at the photos we took, I was not happy. For whatever reason, I had let myself get lazy, plump up for whatever reason, and become the heaviest I ever was. I will save this story for a later date. But what I can say is as I shed pounds and fat from my body, people kept asking me what the secret I was using. After giving them a very long winded answer (cause anybody who knows me understands that brief is not a quality I possess), I was told numerous times that I should start a blog about working towards a healthier you.

Truth is folks, I can't be either one of those people. I have no interest in being a food blogger and fitness self-help guru I am not. I enjoyed blogging before because it was just the random things that came to my mind. I was fueled by the many people telling me how much they enjoyed reading it or appreciated my writing. The best is when I would catch people quoting it or telling me it brightened their day. But that was me just being funny and silly, not teaching or inspiring. How does that work hand in hand?

I discovered the answer from the most unlikely places. Freddie Prinze Jr. That's right OG readers of my misadventures. I took inspiration from one of the ten things I hated. Even more so, I have moved Freddie Prinze Jr from least liked list to most influenced list during my absence. While I could write for days about how this occurred, I am just gonna give you the back of the book description. The Prinze and The Wolf Blog has made me open my eyes to who I am as a person, and who I ultimately want to be. They taught me that when you have a voice and people want to listen to you, that is a very valuable thing. There are not many in this world who take the time to listen to others. But when they seek you out, always remember the responsibility that goes with that.

This got me thinking about all the many people who asked me why I don't blog anymore. Yes Joie, I was really listening. No David, I didn't forget about you. And yes Josh, you have always been one of my biggest fans. And to everyone else, you taught me that I can make my blog whatever I want it to be because I set the rules. The only responsibility I have is to you, and not abusing my platform.

And that is what brings me here today. For the past year, I have been on a mission to make my Facebook page the positive or uplifting outlet that it could and should be. Rather then focus on the negative or complaining about everything under the sun, I turned my posts into something that would make people smile and remind them that everything on social media isn't negative. I actually had people message me trying to figure out why I stopped posting as much or missing segments they looked forward to in their week. So why not have both? Why not bring back my blog, and have it be that positive thing that can influence people to do the same? Even at the least, if it made the difference in one persons day, then I accomplished my goal.

So let me know what you want to talk about. You want some food recipes? I got you. Want me to throw in some tips about the lifestyle changes that made a difference for me? Sure thing. Movie or TV reviews? Absolutely. Crazy stories about my life? I got that in spades. I want to make this blog whatever you the reader wants it to be. Because you're the ultimate reason I am here. Maybe it will brighten your day? Maybe it will spark a change in you like I got from Freddie Prinze Jr. Or maybe this is just something for you to kill time at work. Whatever you want this to be, tell me. And I will keep myself accountable to you. After all, with great writing comes great responsibility.

Yes, that was cheesy as hell. Did you really expect anything different?