Julirama's 10 laps with J

[Richt]

10 LAPS WITH JIMMIE
Featuring julirama723, member since September 19, 2006, Supporting Member

pace lap What are your hobbies and/or passions in life?
I like arts and culture. I love watching movies, going to concerts, going to galleries and art shows. I love to travel, go hiking and camping, I love reading great books (the stranger the better!), and of course, I love music. Music was my first passion and continues to be my strongest--I've been a musician since the age of 6 and now I'm teaching OTHERS to love music--I'm a music educator.

lap 2 Which describes you best: I don't weigh, ever! ~ I weigh between 2 or 3 times a week ~ I am a full blown scaleaholic.
Ahh I hate the scale! I have a phobia. I weigh once a week, maybe twice if I feel like I'm retaining water or if I feel the scale judged me harshly, in error.

lap 3 What is your favorite legal food?
Ooh that's a toughie. It's a 4-way tie between strawberries, grilled chicken, omelet with cheese, and red bell peppers.

lap 4 What is your favorite ADBB forum?
Journal Chats, baby! It's always a party. And really, it doesn't matter whose journal you're in, just make yourself at home and put your feet up.

lap 5 Have you met any of your ADBB buddies in person?
No, not yet! I'd love to, though.

lap 6, your journey, did you set reasonable goals when you started your weight loss journey?
I think I did. I set goals like "being able to run a mile", "being able to fit into my old pants" and things like that. I also have a series of mini-goals that are important to me. I wish I'd made the first one more attainable though...I started at 265 in August, and didn't meet my first mini-goal (220 pounds) until December. That was kind of a long haul!

lap 7 What does 'paying if forward' mean to you?
Help others like others have helped you. I remember when I first joined, Outback Jess was so welcoming and encouraging! ValidRouge gave me great advice when I was debating whether or not to move to OWL. Lyssie helped me with strength training information. Each person on ADBB has something important to contribute! I have gained so much from this board, and really, I owe my successes to it! I try to help others when I can, even if it's tough love.

lap 8 Where do you see yourself in 1 year, as it concerns your woe, exercise and health?
Still here, still going strong! I plan on staying involved with the board long after I reach my goal. I'm hoping to be at or near goal by this fall. But obviously, if it takes a little longer I won't beat myself up about it. My weight is just ONE of the goals I have for myself. I want to continue to improve my running abilities, and I want to keep improving on strength training. I'd also like to decrease my body fat. I want to be able to maintain this indefinitely. I imagine I will be healthier than I've ever been in my life, one year from now!

lap 9 How do you challenge yourself when it comes to exercise?
I like to keep things interesting. Boredom is something I never want to face at the gym! I do lots of different activities, and I do lots of varied intensities. I like running, and on most days I've been doing just a couple miles, but I'll pick one day a week and push myself to a longer distance. I'm hoping to really increase my endurance this summer when school is out. I also do strength training and go to Boot Camp and Kickboxing classes. Classes are the best because they're CONSTANTLY changing--it's never the same thing twice.

final lap If you could give somebody one piece of advise about this woe/wol,
what would you say?
DO IT BY THE BOOK. This is actually my 2nd time on Atkins (but it's my 1st SUCCESSFUL time!) and I was doomed to fail the first time through because I didn't read the book. I made up my own rules, I stayed on induction forever, and I basically had no clue what I was doing. It wasn't long before I had fallen totally off the wagon and went back to my old habits. This time I've done it BY THE BOOK. I've followed the rules, I've been careful with adding back foods, I've really been listening to my body. Newbies need to realize how important that acceptable foods list is, how important it is to drink water, how important it is to exercise regularly, and how important it is to be knowledgeable about ALL aspects of the plan. I feel like I've FINALLY learned how to eat properly. The plan works ONLY if you're working the plan.