Hola! I'm Ruthy, a 27-year-old Salvadoran gourmet-loving foodie who enjoys healthy eating and cooking and am striving to maintain my new body. I live in the beautiful Napa Valley with my wonderful husband, MigL. Life as I know it is simple and I love it. Thanks for visiting my web site and welcome to my life!Scoop it out!
I write about my musings, cooking mishaps and adventures.
My Weight Loss Story
The Gain
I've never been a skinny kid and always felt out of place and uncomfortable. I mostly felt like I was the fat kid, picked last for sports. I remember at 10 years old, I weighed 140 pounds and fit into a size 10. When I began high school, I weighed 150 and maintained my weight by being on the tennis team. Then when I began college the weight slowly began creeping. By the time I graduated college, I weighed 175. I began my newfound real life freedom in my very first apartment and "here I am world" job in Central California. After a year and a half of being on my own, I got married on July 22, 2007, and those "newlywed 5" joined in as well. In a turn of events, I felt unsatisfied with my job and myself. We moved to Napa Valley and then my journey began. I topped the scale at 186 pounds.
Enough was enough
We'd moved to a new place and were settling in our new life in the Valley. What's there to do? I'd come home from work, at times, moody and felt incredibly exhausted. No, wiped out. As a kid, I'd seen my mom struggle with her weight and I was unknowingly headed in the same direction as she. One morning I was sitting on my bed and trying to tie up my shoelaces. I could barely reach my toes. I know I can do this. I've done this many times before. It's just shoelaces. Just suck it in. Pretend you have super flat abs and suck it in even more. I couldn't. I was out of breath attempting to complete a simple task of tying ones shoelaces. I had indeed become my mother. Now mind you, I LOVE my mom to death and she's my confidant. We're like two peas in a pod. But there are some family traits I'd rather do without, and weight issues are one of them.
The decision that changed my life
In September 2008 I decided to get healthier, fit and take control of my body with Weight Watchers because my sister had lost considerable weight and I felt inspired to get healthy. I didn't want to get into a program that wasn't realistic and had unreachable expectations. She asked me, "What have you got to lose?" If she had done it, why couldn't I? At 184 pounds, I'd give it a shot. I decided to take the leap and had 100% support from my husband and family.
Change and progress
I loved the changes that came in shedding the extra pounds. I felt better. I had more energy and I had a goal. My clothes were loser than they'd ever been and I felt in control. Then came the plateaus. Not once, not twice, but three times, each lasting 6-10 weeks. Talk about frustration! I plowed through them, just as a snow plow would, alongside the little engine that could. Slowly but surely, I rolled over those bumps and kept moving forward, full speed ahead.
A new and improved me
Goal: 125
I never dreamed I would be as successful as I would have imagined with weight loss. I reached and surpassed my goal weight of 130 pounds in February 2010, with a total weight loss of 60 pounds. This is the first time in my life I've actually started and completed something. It was incredibly surreal when I actually saw my goal weight, and it was real! This was really me, at 130, the skinniest I'd ever been in my adult life; and I look incredible! Now, my second goal is to reduce my overall body fat and get to 125.
Where I am now
I'm learning all about maintenance and am thoroughly enjoying my new body and newfound healthy lifestyle. I can't say that at times I don't revert to my old tendencies, but I have learned the tools to cope with what life throws at me. I have the highest self esteem I've ever had and am proud of all of the hard work I've put in. I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my husband, family and friends. I love you guys!
The decision that changed my life
In September 2008 I decided to get healthier, fit and take control of my body with Weight Watchers because my sister had lost considerable weight and I felt inspired to get healthy. I didn't want to get into a program that wasn't realistic and had unreachable expectations. She asked me, "What have you got to lose?" If she had done it, why couldn't I? At 184 pounds, I'd give it a shot. I decided to take the leap and had 100% support from my husband and family.
Change and progress
I loved the changes that came in shedding the extra pounds. I felt better. I had more energy and I had a goal. My clothes were loser than they'd ever been and I felt in control. Then came the plateaus. Not once, not twice, but three times, each lasting 6-10 weeks. Talk about frustration! I plowed through them, just as a snow plow would, alongside the little engine that could. Slowly but surely, I rolled over those bumps and kept moving forward, full speed ahead.
A new and improved me
 |
| Upper left: Summer 2008; bottom right, February 2010 |
I never dreamed I would be as successful as I would have imagined with weight loss. I reached and surpassed my goal weight of 130 pounds in February 2010, with a total weight loss of 60 pounds. This is the first time in my life I've actually started and completed something. It was incredibly surreal when I actually saw my goal weight, and it was real! This was really me, at 130, the skinniest I'd ever been in my adult life; and I look incredible! Now, my second goal is to reduce my overall body fat and get to 125.
Where I am now
I'm learning all about maintenance and am thoroughly enjoying my new body and newfound healthy lifestyle. I can't say that at times I don't revert to my old tendencies, but I have learned the tools to cope with what life throws at me. I have the highest self esteem I've ever had and am proud of all of the hard work I've put in. I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my husband, family and friends. I love you guys!
What's the scoop?
There no secret. Portion control, regular exercise, stopping eating when you're full, and being honest and accountable with oneself are the keys to success. Pair up with a friend who's got similar goals as you, who will encourage. There's nothing worse than having a "Negative Nancypants," as my friend L would say, to be in your life. Surround yourself with positive people and celebrate the small and big successes. You deserve it!
Fun Facts
- If I were a fictional character, I'd be the Cooking Fairy. I'd spread cooking happiness and joy all around!
- If I had my very own personalized license plate frame, it'd say, "Traffic sucks. I'd rather be cooking."
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