Monday, March 14, 2011

My house made me fat

Let's get real.  Homeownership has made me fat.  Ok, I'm not *really* fat, but stay with me here.  Did anyone else suffer the 'renovation 15?'  Before we bought our house in 2008, I looked like this:
Feel free to whistle at the gams.  After we bought the house, I completely stopped all exercise that wasn't related to the house and promptly put on 15 pounds that have not gone away since.   You know, because extra pounds just tend to 'go away' on their own. 
Check out the the t-shirt pulling on my back fat!  Sweet.  I also got promoted to management the fall before we purchased the house, and stopped eating meat.  None of those things helped matters.  Think vegetarians are naturally thin?  All my daily carbs beg to differ.  I'm happy to say I feel like I've finally got a handle on the stress-eating, the too-frequent drinking....
(Oh dear lord, what a horrible picture from our Vegas trip last Sept!  GAH!)
...and the strong desire to spend all my free time working on the house instead of on myself.  I don't post daily, and I'm fine with that.  I don't have lots of free time and I choose to blog for fun, not for followers, or swag, or ad revenue.  So that means I have time for things like this:
(trying out my tripod right before a chilly outdoor run yesterday)
Which will hopefully bring me back to this:
Minus the fabulous red hair that was a monthly dye-job, of course.  Wait a minute....maybe that hair color was keeping me skinny?!  Dang it. 

ps - Since January, I've lost 7 of the dreaded 15 lbs - almost halfway there!  Then I'll probably get pregnant.  Dang it.

43 comments:

  1. I love you for this post. We are basically dealing with similar poundage...But I lost in Jan...gained back over Feb and March. Smack me and call me hormonal. You are doing fantastic! That first pic is so pretty...so summery....
    Becky :)

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  2. Ha! You crack me up. You look great, but I totally understand. I've recently decided to take a step back from home projects to devote more time to ME! :)

    PS. Shouting out to your beautiful Reflecting Pool in my post for tomorrow!

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  3. I'm with ya. I've gained 20, but I blamed it on the job I got around the same time - now I know better! lol

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  4. Stopping over after seeing bits and pieces of your house on Primitive and Proper - LOVE it...and then then post killed me (in a good way). I am a new follower!
    Holly
    504 Main

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  5. I feel ya. I gained 10, then lost 6, now I'm back to the original 10 - or, if I'm being honest, it's probably closer to 15 by now. Sigh.

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  6. It is sooo easy to do! Between projects and sitting on my behind reading everyone else's great projects...not a good thing! The weather has warmed up here and it is time to get this rear in gear! Good for you on the 7 lbs!!

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  7. Girl, you look fab! Seriously. Looking at all photos I would have never guessed you gained 15lbs. But if it makes you feel better ive been working on losing 35lbs since November LOL. Ive really been hitting it hard for the past month though.. Especially with my running [love it!].

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  8. Yes! But it's been more than 15. Whop whopppppp. I think I hit bottom this weekend though when I realized NOTHING in my closet actually fit except sweats. Weeknight beers are now banned, as is cheese and fried things.

    You look fabulous, btw!

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  9. You are too funny! Good luck with the last 7 pounds! :)

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  10. I blame it on my husband...although we closed on the house the weekend before the wedding, so it was all around the same time.

    I was crazy dieting and working out like a maniac for the wedding, so when I moved in with Lee and relaxed a little, the scale started creeping like a TLC song. And before you know it, you can't stand to see pictures of yourself (or at least I can't).


    I call it "happy weight." I'm also trying to lose weight. I've definitely slimmed down some since October but have a long way to go. Good luck, friend!! I'm sure we'll both be swapping success stories in no time.

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  11. you are adorable! and yes, your legs are/were smokin hot! but only 8 pounds to go- easy peasy when you add back in the exercise!!!
    and i had to laugh at your last comment, because i lost all my baby weight from my first in about 7 months... then when sawyer was 8 months old, um hello pregnancy number 2! and the weight went back on, but it came off again and i am done having kids. :) ah the joys of being a woman!

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  12. You look great! Yea, I lost 15 lbs, then I got pregnant and I am 20 lbs more than I was when I got pregnant. And of course now with a one year old, my time to exercise is very limited and my meals consist of the left over chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese that he wont eat. Of course I'd happlily take those 20 extra lbs for my little guy, still stinks though.

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  13. Oh Sara, you're my favorite. And possibly the only person I know who looks cute in her "bad" pictures. ;) 15 (or 8) lbs be damned!

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  14. You are too funny. I got so excited when I read that you're vegetarian cause I am too! =]

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  15. Of my gosh! 5 years ago we bought a fixer upper and I gained 60lbs. in about 1 year. NO KIDDING. Stress eating, nasty kitchen (that I didn't want to cook in) and constant work on that dang house did it to me (fast food, fast food, and more fast food.) We have moved to a non fixer upper now and I still have to lose that weight. It's depressing.
    You look great keep up the good work!!

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  16. I hear ya. Although we gained more like 20 pounds during our kitchen remodel due to all the eating-out we had to do. So far we've managed to lose most of it...

    GL losing those pesky last 7 pounds!

    ~Chelsea

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  17. Great post! I have to agree, that loosing all my Jimmy John's-induced house reno weight and then getting knocked up is my greatest fear :)

    Good work with the first half! That's awesome!

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  18. Good luck with you weightloss. You look stunning either way!

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  19. Girl, it was DEFINITELY the red hair keeping you skinny. ; )

    But seriously, good for you!! It's so hard to chisel out time to stay in shape but so worth it. I started doing Crossfit last year when I realized my home improvement projects weren't gonna keep me skinny. LOVE it.

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  20. Hell to the yeah!!!

    Since we got our house, I stopped doing yoga 5 times a week and gained a bunch of weight.

    I just joined the gym and am hoping for some success. Seriously hard when the gym is next to a Sonic!

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  21. That post was hilarious! I feel you on finding time to exercise though. I have a hard time justifying it when there are so many other things that I rather be doing (and to be honest, I rather be doing anything other than exercising). I just dusted off the treadmill in the basement though (after a good 3 year vacation from it). I run a measly, measly amount when I do exercise (I won't even tell you how much b/c it's so embarassing) but I figure that anything is better than nothing.

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  22. You're too funny! I think you loomk great eithdr way but I wish you luck in your weightloss journey!

    P.S. I LOVE your outlook on blogging!

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  23. lol ... I think you look great in your 'before' AND 'after' photos. good for you for staying active! I have started biking more and doing some weight lifting (ugh) ... I don't care how hard it is or how much I'd rather be on the couch eating gummi bears - it's all for the greater good. ;))

    nataliemac.blogspot.com

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  24. You are so funny. I mentioned you (again) in my blog today. I'm right there with you!

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  25. I think you look cute in both the before and after. :-) I am attempting to wean my preshus princess and have put on 9 lbs despite constant exercising. So far for the past five years I put on 50 lbs when I get pregnant, lose fifty lbs afterwards, give up nursing and put on ten...then get pregnant again. I am considering snipping the husband so as to break this vicious cycle.

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  26. Ha, my hair used to be that color too!

    You look great! Congrats on your success so far. That's awesome.

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  27. I actually think you look super cute in the Vegas photo! And I don't see any tee shirt back fat pull either....I totes spent at least fifteen seconds looking.

    It's funny how we see ourselves differently (more judgmentally) than other people do.

    Good attitude to not drive yourself crazy with your blog / house so you can focus on yourself a bit too!

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  28. You are too cute! And I like the red hair! My house totally made me fat, too. I gained the Homeowners 15, or whatever, since we haven't really reno'd anything....

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  29. Your post made me smile. Too funny! I wish you luck on that (though you already look great) as those last few pounds are the toughest it seems.

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  30. Thank you for this, Sara. I'm feeling stressed today and wasn't going to do my evening work-out-to-feel-better-about-trying-on-yet-another-wedding-dress work out but now, I'm totally going to. :)

    Much love,
    Emily

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  31. I'd looooove to be able to blame my 15 pounds on my house - it sounds better than "I'm a middle aged lazy ass" :)

    You look fabulous and I don't think you need to lose any weight ;)

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  32. Luckily I had goals that kept me from gaining weight when I first bought my house, but the minute I finished my triathlon training I gained about 5-7 pounds (and didn't even really accomplish that much in my house). You've really made so much progress on your house that I think those pounds were worth it!

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  33. oh honey, you look fabulous so stop sweating that 15 lbs :)

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  34. This cracked me up! You'll be back to yourself in no time I'm sure....and either way, you're beautiful :) Yeah...I worked so hard and lost 25 pounds before our wedding...and now watching that scale go up during pregnancy breaks my heart a little. but I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it. :)

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  35. Sara, you crack me up! I found your blog via Cassie @ Primitive and Proper. I can totally relate to this post. I'm ready to get back to ME and get my body back in shape. 'Fly by July' is my new motto. Congrats on the weight loss, you look great!

    ~Jazz

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  36. I have to blame my desk job as much as renos on my chub. But, starting in December, I've been regularly working out. Next step, running.

    I don't expect to look like I did in college, but I'd prefer to fit into my clothes.

    Good luck and great job!!

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  37. I am going to totally skip the poundage problem, and just say, I love your blog for the reason you do it! I like to read a blog done for fun, not swag, followers and ad revenue...keep it simple I love what you have done to your home, it does inspire me, thanks again

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  38. There is zero noticeable back fat in that shot!!! You are adorable in all the photos - in 10 years, you'll look back on the pictures you took today and wish you still looked that good!! Pounds, shmounds - you're fabulous!

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  39. Hahaha! Love it! I hear you. I actually took a blogging break last fall and took up running and lost 10 lbs. Then winter came, I started blogging in the morning again and doing tons of DIYing and they are all back with a vengence. Love your blog, I'm following now!
    x Danika
    www.gorgeousshintthings.blogspot.com

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  40. Hahaha! Love it! I hear you. I actually took a blogging break last fall and took up running and lost 10 lbs. Then winter came, I started blogging in the morning again and doing tons of DIYing and they are all back with a vengence. Love your blog, I'm following now!
    x Danika
    www.gorgeousshintthings.blogspot.com

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  41. Haha :) I feel you. I finally lost the last few pesky pounds last fall and was down to the lowest weight I've ever been and now I'm pregnant and I have to remind myself that the weight gain is a GOOD thing... Sigh. But good on you for the seven! That's awesome.

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  42. Congrats on your progress so far - I totally feel your pain 100% only mine was not due to home reno it was due to learning to cook. ALL BAD FOOD!

    We can push each other! I started a blog for my weight loss: http://cocktailsandcardio.blogspot.com/ feel free to stop by/join/yell at me for motivation whatever you like.

    You can do it girl - you are making me want red hair in the worst way as well. And P.S. I once had that skirt you're wearing in the first image - it's in my pile of "I'll wear these again one day" clothes.

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  43. Ha ha! I know how you feel, except my 15 pounds is what I call "trying to get pregnant weight". I think you still look great though!

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Thanks so much for reading....your comments mean a lot to me!
Sara