small changes and vitamin D

A few months ago I was diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency. I follow a vegetarian diet and don't drink milk, so my doctor prescribed a supplement. After doing a little bit of research (thanks internet!), I discovered that Vitamin D comes from the sun, something my doctor failed to mention. He made it sound like it was because of my diet. Since I'm otherwise healthy, I just needed to add a little sunlight to my day. I was pretty embarrassed when I realized this. How awful is it that I don't get enough sunlight? So I stopped the supplements, and decided to spend at least 15 minutes outside a day. Sometimes I read, sometimes I eat dinner on my back porch, sometimes I exercise, and sometimes I just take a walk outside on a break at work.

Now that it's summer (I was diagnosed in winter), I'm dedicating my weekends to getting as much sunlight as possible. Which has led to some great weekends of kayaking, swimming, and tennis playing.

At my last blood check said my Vitamin D levels were normal.

I'm noticing some small changes that I'm very satisfied with. I attribute it to these lifestyle changes I've made:

In addition to the added sunlight, I've been trying to eat a healthy diet. It's so hard, but I can say for the first time in years (uh, ever?), I'm probably getting my five servings of fruits and veggies a day, every day. Sure, it is embarrassing to admit my past dietary habits. But I've come strides from my eating out every day, three meals a day behavior. Yes, I still eat out. But not nearly as much. Also, I've lost my taste for soda, which was a gift from God, because I wasn't sure how I'd ever stop drinking soda. I'm also exercising more than I've ever exercised in my life. Yes, last week I only worked out twice, which I wasn't happy about, but I'm blaming it on PMS. But most weeks, I'm doing at least 3 sessions at the gym, a yoga session or two, and then some other outdoorsy and active activity.

I'm not seeing the weight loss I'd like. Probably because I'm still addicted to cookies and cheese. But I am seeing some really nice changes that are making a difference in how I feel about myself and my body.

#1 - My hair has stopped falling out. Yes, this is a gross thing to share. I talked to my doctor about it and she said it was caused by stress. For the past four years, my hair has been falling out nonstop. Luckily, I have a lot of it. A few weeks ago I was trying to do my hair and it felt really thick. Then today in the shower, I realized I wasn't losing any hair. How long has it been since I last noticed a lot of hair falling out? I'd guess a few months.

#2 - My skin looks radiant. I'm almost offended no one has said anything. But I looked at myself in the mirror today and I actually smiled at myself. Hey, look at that girl with glowing skin. My pimples have cleared up and I just have a nice glow, which may be because of #3.

#3 - I'm happier. I got off of my anti-depressants a few months ago. I was worried it was going to be a rough transition, but it hasn't been so bad. My doctor was in a little disbelief when I told her I'm happier now than I have been the past year on medication. Not much else has changed except my diet, exercise, and sunlight.

Those are a few of the small changes I've seen in my health journey. In case you're wondering, I've lost weight the past two weeks in a row, but not much. The past two weeks I've been involved in the 52 Days till Summer Challenge.
5/9 Weigh-In: - .8 lbs
5/16 Weigh-In: - .4 lbs

I've lost a total of 4.2 lbs. I really hope something changes in my metabolism soon. I'd like to lose around a pound each week.

about my health holiday

So, I've spent all week practically binging on whatever I could get my hands on. It's been two weeks since I've been to a Weight Watchers meeting and I'm terrified to go back tomorrow.

Hi. My name is Heidi. I've started this blog because I'm sick of just reading weight loss blogs. I want to be part of the dialogue. I want to track my progress, my set backs, and my success. I hope to share my experiences with others and learn from their advice. Hopefully, this blog will hold me accountable. A lot of the time, I feel like I cannot share my food and body image issues with the people who are closest to me. Does anyone else feel this way?

Here is some information about me:

 I recently started Weight Watchers for the third time in my life. I successfully lost 40 pounds on my first attempt. I eventually gained it all back and about a year after being off of the program, I returned for a brief re-try, but I quit in about a month. It's been more than three years since I've been in weight watchers. This time I hope to lose the weight and keep it off.

I am 24 years old. 5 feet 2 inches tall. I'm also 70 pounds over my recommended healthy weight. I don't believe I have ever weighted 135 pounds, or ever will, but it's a nice thought. I'd be very happy to weight 145 pounds.

I like exercising. It's never a chore for me. But I often have a hard time finding the motivation to go.

I have a severe binge eating problem usually brought on by the slightest level of stress.

I am a vegetarian. You'll only find vegetarian recipes on this blog.

For now, I will be focusing my weight loss on Weight Watcher's program. However, I hope to figure out how to eat mindfully without the help of a program or diet. Regardless, I'm done sitting around reading about other people's weight loss success. I'm ready to engage in my own.