Trying to Escape the Newlywed 15

About a month ago, I was at the doctor's for my annual exam. After a hand prick to test for iron deficiencies and the blood pressure reading, it was time to step on the scales. Ah...the scales. I wasn't quite sure how this scale reading was going to go - they really never went that well my whole life (as anyone who is 5'1" and weighs more than 115 pounds would tell you). After taking a look at my weight on the scale, the nurse smiles and exclaims, "you haven't gained any weight since last year! You weigh exactly the same!"

My response was less enthusiastic, to say the least, because a lot of literal blood, sweat and tears had occurred over the past 12 months and now I was at the realization that I had nothing to show for it. Absolutely nothing - except maybe fabulous wedding pictures.

Walk (or maybe run) with me as I take you back to October of '09. The countdown to the wedding was on. Deadline: June 19. Goal: lose weight, lose inches and look my best on the biggest day of my life!

Thanks to a friend of mine from my supper club, I learned about Ultimate Crossfit. I describe it as group personal fitness, but uses a combination of weight lifting, endurance and challenging (understatement) workouts of the day (WADS) to build strength through muscle confusion (or muscle exhaustion). After suffering through the intro class feeling winded and like I just completed the toughest workout of my life, I decided it was for me. For three to four times a week I completed various Olympic weight-lifts, threw around a kettle bell, and managed handstand push-ups on my own (well, up against the wall). I felt like Rocky as I ran around the warehouse district of the South End - doing one-armed push-ups. I was hard core! A Crossfitter baby!

So, the months ticked on until it was June. My progress was incredible - the weight was falling off, but better yet, I was getting strong and lean - no more wimp. My dress fitting came, and the seamstress took it in two inches! I looked great, felt great and had lost a fair amount of weight and inches. I built back muscle and was well on my way to a size 4! Rockin' an awesome bod for the honeymoon!

With a week to go before the wedding, I think I got a little bride-psycho with the workouts. I have a tendency to over it do it a little (exhibit A: ran the Cooper River Bridge 10K once and then didn't run for a year). I went to the gym and wouldn't you know it, pushed myself not just a little, but waaay over the edge on a God awful amount of pull-ups and burpees. End result - I shredded the palms of my hands. They hurt tremendously and now I had man hands. The blisters turned into calluses that were scratchy and felt horrible (oh yeah, I would be shaking lots of hands in a few days). Probably should have thought about that earlier. Duh. I stuck to yoga during the wedding week.

When I returned from the honeymoon, I made several really intelligent decisions as a newly married woman. First, I decided the thought of going back to Crossfit was just too much for me to bear. I needed a break. So, I took a month break off working out completely. Who needed that?!? Plus, I had lost all this weight, right? I could keep it off by eating sensibly. Um-hum.

I also decided that I didn't need to be afraid of carbs for some reason - after years of not eating pasta, suddenly, this was a good idea. And oh, desserts - perfect for after lunch and after dinner. Is there candy in the break room? Give me some of that! I totally ate the hubris pie on this one - and them some.

So, now I'm back where I started...literally! But, I have a feeling that the scales would tell an even sorrier story a few months later. And, we all know that I really didn't net a "0" in the weight loss category.

I have coined this the Newlywed 15 and I'm stuck right in the middle of it! I must take action before I fulfill the "15" part of this destiny, before it gets totally out of hand and I have to buy a new wardrobe (which given the amount of Trina Turk dresses I own, that is not an option).

I played witness to this phenomenon several years back. I remember my mom leaning over to me in church one day as someone walked by, remarking..."wow, he's really puffed up like a balloon ever since he got married." I gave a smirked laugh - as if inviting karma to eventually track me down. It was the Newlywed 15, an omen of what was to come to me years later. Oh my...I have got to get it together. I cannot be a puffed balloon!

So, what I am doing? As they say in yoga, I am setting my intention. I'm back at the YMCA (no, it does not even remotely compare to crossfit and you'll only see me in classes; machines don't work!) and I've got a fresh pack good for 10 classes of hot yoga at Yoga One. There's also a site my workout buddy discovered, Daily Burn. You can log your workouts and nutrition. I even downloaded the app to my iphone.

We'll see if I can keep myself motivated. So far, I've only found one place that was truly successful for me - Ultimate Crossfit. I wish I could go back, but right now, it's not the in the cards (and truly not sustainable if I get pregnant). So, I'm off to figure out what I can do to keep the weight off and be strong once again! I will beat you Newlywed 15!!!