About Katie

First of all, thanks for visiting LLER!

My story is my own, but similar to that of many others.  I've never been skinny, or small, or dainty.  Ever since I was a year old, I've been chubby.  Which is so strange considering the rest of my family has always been tall and skinny.

I was always really active, participating in rec sports and high school activities.  I played volleyball, softball and even basketball for a while (I think I gave that one up in 8th grade).  I was always riding my bike around the neighborhood, going on walks with friends and just goofing off.

In middle school I was at what I would like to think was a normal weight, but I had a lot of people telling me I was heavy. I got picked on and was teased for a lot of things, but mainly for my weight.  Unfortunately, not knowing how to deal with the feelings I had from being teased turned into emotional eating, a habit I kept up for a good 15 years or so.

When I was a senior in college, I was at my highest weight.  I brought all of that weight with me when I moved to Richmond in 2006.  I started my first real job and decided it was time to get in shape, so I joined Gold's Gym in December 2006 and got a personal trainer.  I weighed in a 223lbs.  I know I was heavier than that before I joined the gym, which is why I'm pretty sure my highest weight was somewhere around 230lbs.  I worked with the trainer and tried to focus on a healthier diet, and did end up losing weight.  It took a lot of time, but eventually I got down to around 206lbs.  I remember that number well because I was stuck there for a long time.

In February 2008, I met Robert (now my husband).  Robert is incredibly in shape, has been a runner his whole life, eats crazy healthy (the man doesn't like chocolate...whaat?) and is just fit.  When we met, I had been working on training to run the Ukrop's Monument 10K, which was in April 2008.  I told him I was trying to run it, and he helped me create a training plan so I could train correctly and finish the race.  Over the next several months, I dropped another 10 or so pounds.

On June 26, 2009, Robert proposed.  This meant wedding dress!  I went and met with a doctor, since I was once again stuck at a weight - 196lbs.  I was eating about 1600-1700 calories per day, exercising and not getting anywhere.  He prescribed me with Phentermine.  I was on this for a year.  The recommended time to be on this medicine is 6 weeks.  I didn't know this until my friend Stephanie, a pharmacist, told me to stop taking it immediately, that people literally drop dead from heart attacks after taking that medicine.  Needless to say I did stop.

After the Phentermine and lots of monitoring what I ate and exercising a ton, I was down to my smallest weight just in time for our big day, 171lbs!  I had never stepped on a scale and seen that number, so I was thrilled.  We had a wonderful wedding, I felt great and I was so happy!

We went on our honeymoon to Kauai, had a fabulous time there, and then came home to be newly weds.

In a little over one year, I had gained nearly 20lbs.  Talk about a bummer.

A short while ago, I met with a nutritionist at Commonwealth Sports Medicine in Richmond.  I recounted my ups and downs and fessed up about the Phentermine, and told her I was sick of carrying around extra weight and never being able to figure out what to do about it.  I felt lost and annoyed and totally unhappy.

Liz told me that a "guarded carbs" i.e. low carb, high protein, was the way to go and guaranteed me that it would work.  She recommended I buy the book "The Schwarzbien Principle" and read it.  It has a lot of helpful advice and information regarding high proten, low carb and why it is beneficial and lots of medical terminology.

So that leaves me here.  I'm in a place where I've seen changes and I'm ready for more. I am motivated to be the healthiest I can be and I have a ton of inspirational friends around me who are crazy supportive and helpful.  My goal is lose weight, but mainly to be healthy.  I want to find recipes for food that taste like they are full of bad stuff, but really are healthy and fit a balanced diet and are just plain good!  I don't want to be on a 'diet' - people start a diet, which means ultimately they end it. I don't want to start anything - I want to live a healthy lifestyle and be fit and comfortable and happy.  I don't want to feel held back or feel as if I can't have a cookie if I want a cookie, but I have to learn to be strong, learn limits, and know that one extra glass of wine or a cupcake won't destroy all of my efforts.  Life is about happiness and fun and I want to keep it that way!

This is my journey for healthy happiness.