quasi internet celebrity

Yesterday on the elliptical, I was reading one of those celebrity magazines while I was sweating like a mofo. And I was thinking about how funny it would be if someone interviewed *me* about my fitness, weight loss and overall attitude about being healthy.

The following would be my *imaginary* interview, with myself. If you think it's fun, feel free to answer the questions yourself in a comment below. If you stalk me, chances are I stalk you back. And it's nice to know about you too :-) Also- feel free to point out things I am doing wrong or things that help you!

What does your usual workout routine look like?

• I am trying to get back into the swing of things. I do at least 20 minutes of anything, and then put a sticker/star on my calendar. At the gym, I will do a few machines and call it a day or I will get on the treadmill or elliptical and do at least 20-30 minutes. When I'm walking around my 'hood, I will put on 1 lb wrist weights and get 2 miles in of jog-walkings. At home, I have a few DVD's I play with, mostly pilates and dancing. I am trying to walk at lunch time, weather permitting. This month I have 9 stars, which is a dramatic improvement from the last few months.

What is your favorite "get pumped" song to listen to when you're working out?

• I thought about this one long and hard and I would have to say my all time favorite get in the zone song is....."Hung Up" by Madonna. I am not really a super Madonna fan but for some reason this song gets me way excited. I have other favs, but this song just does it for me.

Were you an athlete as a child/teen/young adult? If so, how does this impact your fitness today?

• I played organized sports as a kid. I tried playing sports in middle school and high school (soccer & volleyball). I basically sucked because 1) I'm not competitive in any way, shape or form and b) I lacked serious athletic ability. So I quit both my junior & senior year to work, because I didn't get any playing time and I wanted money. In college, I played rugby. I sucked at that too. But it helped me to learn a little more of what my body can be capable of.

When did you realize you had to make changes in your life to be healthier?

• Well, growing up, I did not have any idea about healthy eating. My mom raised me by herself and we ate out at restaurants A LOT. Most dinners consisted of protein and a starch, not a ton of veggies. My mom has weight concerns and did Weight Watchers when I was growing up, but I didn't see myself as being overweight. It wasn't until I got to college and gained a whole mess of more weight did I realize anything. My best friend in college did Weight Watchers and lost but I was way skeptical at first. It wasn't until I went to my first WW in August of 2005 and stepped on a scale that read 191 lbs. After that, I steadily lost 25 lbs my senior year of college. Didn't know I had been heavy until I lost all the weight. I got cocky the summer after and gained it back, plus. I didn't notice how I gradually put the weight back on. Then in November of 2006, I hit 193 and tried losing weight on my own. In January of 2007, I rejoined WW after realizing that it works for me. IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY THING THAT DOES. This time around, I have lost almost 40 pounds but gained 15 back over the last year. I have already lost 1.8 lbs of that 15 and I am trying to re-invest myself in sticking to WW plan and being healthy.
  

What do you think is the most important part of maintaining your lifestyle?

• Good abs are made in the kitchen. Moving a little each day in ways that are fun helps. But people need a support system in order to be successful. I have an incredible boyfriend who puts up with my craziness, fantastic friends who cheer me on and a mom who understands my weight issues because I inherited them from her! I have one particular WW leader who has been helpful and understnading. I also found a support system with this blog thing; other people who have good ideas and kind words of encouragement. I need people as part of my recovery.
  

Recovery? Is there something else you'd like to share?

• On another blogger's Q & A, I came clean about something I've been going through. With all of the stress, the guilt and disgust in myself from gaining weight back this time around and feeling overwhelmed, I developed some ED tendencies. I won't go into anymore detail because it's not important. What's important is that I have recognized and worked on what was happening internally. And I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that I succumbed to some very unhealthy patterns.

OK, I am tired of playing. I am going to eat a VitaBrownie and a scoop of ice cream, because I earned it!