Awesome with Alison Ep. 8: Ok, ok! I'll finally talk about weight loss!

Over the past 7 or so months I’ve lost over 35 pounds.

Of course it has taken me the better part of a year, but true to weight loss form, it hasn’t been until the last month or so that people have really started to notice. And of course, when people all of the sudden notice they exclaim, “This happened overnight! WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?!”

And the reason I haven’t really wanted to talk about is because

1. It’s not really what I’m focusing on right now! HAHA. I mean I want to talk about my new podcast! OR my new monthly calendar for the Year of Awesome! But I go to share about those things, and it’s seemingly overlooked for how I look. Ha! WHICH I know it not REALLY the case, and I’m flattered! It’s obviously nice to hear I look good! And it’s easy to comment on appearances, but I guess the reason it doesn’t hold QUITE as much value for me is because of number 2:

2. My weight loss is a reflection of the inner changes that I’ve made, and compared to those, and the lightness and freedom I’m experiencing mentally, the weight honestly seems almost inconsequential. But I know it’s not! And I did work hard, not to just lose weight, but TO BE HEALTHY.

And I guess that’s what the podcast and Alison’s Year of Awesome are all about! Being healthy every which way. So that’s why when people want to talk about my weight loss, it almost feels like to me I ALREADY AM! HAHA. But just not in the way people expect or want me to.

But I know what it’s like to be in a place where you want to make changes, but don’t have the energy. So that’s why I’m happy to talk about it, and I hope people can find something helpful. But please do remember, I’m not a wight loss coach, or a doctor. I have a degree in Advertising Design. Ok?! Haha.

So in this episode here’s ALLLLLL the things that I cover:

– My back story with my weight, I was a fat kid and have been on diets since I was 9.

– How my weight (and weight loss or gain) has always been a big part of my definition of myself UNTIL NOW, and how I got to that point.

– The mental steps I took to get to a place where I had the energy to lose weight.

– The books I read that helped me get there.

– The technical details of how I lost weight, as in counting calories- And that stuff!

– I share the Gratitude Practice that I do on my walks and runs, and how it has changed my life and made exercise more fun.

– I give you my top tip for finding the motivation to change the way you see your body and your relationship with food.

But there are a few things that I didn’t cover (I know! How is that possible??) And so I wanted to outline them here:

1. Lots of people have commented that “Those runs are really doing their job! What’s your workout routine?”

To that I will say, weight loss has always for me been WAY more about what I eat, than how I exercise. I say 80% diet 20% exercise. So yes, I’ve been running, but I started with walking (I wasn’t in good enough shape to run), and it’s the counting calories that helped me lose the weight. I talk a lot about that in the podcast episode, but to answer the, “How much do I exercise?” question: I try to walk every day. But I don’t always. I probably run hard about twice a week, but walk whenever I can. I know weight training and resistance is better for weight loss and my bones, but I don’t care. I don’t have the energy. I like walking and running and for now that’s what keeps me going. In the future I’d love to get back to weights. But again, I’m in this for the long haul. So I want to be sure to make a habit of something I can sustain first.

2. In the podcast I say that losing weight is easy. And honestly I mean that, but mostly I mean it’s SIMPLE, and easy to understand. That does NOT make it easy to execute.

However, I think that people love to complicate weight loss (both in advertising and in real life) and make it a mystery so that we have an excuse when we can’t do it. We can say, “It’s just too complicated!”

I think there are OBVIOUSLY special cases of thyroids, and hormonal problems–other SINCERELY COMPLICATED issues I’m not smart enough to know about. But those are the exception to the rule. We all want to be the exception, but we usually aren’t. If you ARE the exception, much love to you and obviously doctors and nutrition coaches are who you need. Not some idiot girl on the Internet. I’m just sharing my one-woman story.

I do not mean to minimize the struggle, I HAVE IT, AND HAVE HAD IT! I’ve been teased for my weight and hid in corners shoving food in my self-loathing pie hole while sobbing.

But instead of acting like it’s some huge mystery I need a degree to understand, I like to look at it from a place of strength now and say, “I’ve done harder things than this! Like giving birth and overcoming huge mental issues!” NOT PUTTING the food in my mouth really isn’t rocket science. Again, it’s simple to understand, but not as simple to do.

3. I’m not looking to be the thinnest girl in the room.

I also think a lot of people who want to lose weight want to lose vanity pounds, or are obsessed with weighing the same as they did when they were in high school, got married, or the weight they were before they had kids.

I was overweight, technically obese at my heaviest according to my BMI. I’m not placing all my value in that, but I’m saying I know that I was at an unhealthy weight for my height and eating unhealthy food. I was tired, and didn’t have as much energy as I was used to having. I was eating my feelings, or eating to not feel feelings. OR simply eating because I was in the habit, and not to sustain my body. I got to a point where I didn’t even enjoy eating, but that sure as hell wasn’t stopping me!

My goal weight was to get to the heaviest I can be for my height and not technically be overweight. Past that, I’m going to let my body tell me when it’s at a weight it likes. I feel like if I’m at a healthy BMI, but I’m still FIGHTING to lose pounds, that means my body is saying, “Chill out Alison, this isn’t America’s Next Top Model and you’re just being vain now.” HAHA. I know my body is sassy.

I want to be healthy enough to run my empire, host a television show, go on a book tour, do a city-to-city dance party, star in a one-woman-show, now and in my 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. And I knew that in order to be able to do that I needed to get a jump start in my 30’s.

The number on the scale going down and being able to fit into pants I wore 5 years ago is FUN! But it’s also not the point.

So what is the point?

To value this body I was given that enables me to do everything I want it to do. And do be grateful for it, and keep it as healthy as I can until my body, or a disease, or God decides that I don’t need this body anymore, or I have to find a new way to work with it.

I still drink a ton of diet soda, eat processed foods, and I’m sure have a long way to go. But I’m happy with my start, and I hope sharing my story is helpful.

If you take away ANYTHING please let it be this: I loved my body at it’s heaviest, and that’s what empowered me to get it to a healthier place. I loved it every step along the way this time. I took pictures of it PROUDLY, danced online in front of thousands, and didn’t hide because I weighed more than “I should.” It took me over 20 years to get to this place, I hope it doesn’t take you that long.

I love you, thank you for being here. And so much love to you!

XO,

ALISON

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