Skinny Fat Girl
I have never been strong. As a kid I was always skinny. And, admittedly a picky eater -- I hated cheese of all kinds, condiments, especially mayo. If I had a nickel for every time my Grandma said to me, "You eat like a bird", well you know, I'd be rich. Imagine my glee when I learned in science one day that a bird eats twice it's weight each day! I could barely wait for the next family dinner, the inevitable comment, and my reply. I can still see it in my mind. My grandparents, great Aunt Betty, parents, sister.....all assembled and someone had to say it...."Beth, you eat like a bird". Oh, it was a glorious moment!
In high school, I had to lift weights so that I could propel the ball from the serving line over the net in volleyball. In basketball, my coach made me use a weighed ball to do passing drills to help me build up muscle. I am not sure it ever worked. I remained thin -- skinny. I remember some boys in high school telling me my arms looked like a praying mantis. Sometimes during basketball season I would lose 15 lbs without trying. I even ate raw eggs in a protein shake just to maintain weight. Oh such problems, right?
Then in college, eating dinner, then a bowl of lucky charms, and then a bowl of ice cream, and then the dorm monitor saying........."come back when you are 30 and tell me if you can still eat like this". When I was in my 20's my friend's taught me to like beer, and chicken wings. I already loved chili cheese nachos, but yet, through my early 20's I could eat wings on wing night, and again on the weekend, and drink my fair share of beer without a thought.
So, what a shock, when I got married and gained weight. What is this, what do I do about it.....yuck. Shocking -- really it was! I was ill equipped for this sudden weight gain. And, tried a few things to slim down. Weight Watchers, Jazzercise, work out videos and "healthy eating". And it worked a little. But I have never been strong, or had anything that resembled muscle tone.
Then of course, the pregnancies, and the weight, and the postpartum depression, and more weight gain. So, it all left me more hefty than I liked. But, I still felt unequipped for such a dilemma. And then came boot camp.
In high school, I had to lift weights so that I could propel the ball from the serving line over the net in volleyball. In basketball, my coach made me use a weighed ball to do passing drills to help me build up muscle. I am not sure it ever worked. I remained thin -- skinny. I remember some boys in high school telling me my arms looked like a praying mantis. Sometimes during basketball season I would lose 15 lbs without trying. I even ate raw eggs in a protein shake just to maintain weight. Oh such problems, right?
Then in college, eating dinner, then a bowl of lucky charms, and then a bowl of ice cream, and then the dorm monitor saying........."come back when you are 30 and tell me if you can still eat like this". When I was in my 20's my friend's taught me to like beer, and chicken wings. I already loved chili cheese nachos, but yet, through my early 20's I could eat wings on wing night, and again on the weekend, and drink my fair share of beer without a thought.
So, what a shock, when I got married and gained weight. What is this, what do I do about it.....yuck. Shocking -- really it was! I was ill equipped for this sudden weight gain. And, tried a few things to slim down. Weight Watchers, Jazzercise, work out videos and "healthy eating". And it worked a little. But I have never been strong, or had anything that resembled muscle tone.
Then of course, the pregnancies, and the weight, and the postpartum depression, and more weight gain. So, it all left me more hefty than I liked. But, I still felt unequipped for such a dilemma. And then came boot camp.
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