Meet Cassie

"Hi, Cassie!"

Cassie is one of my dear friends and is, without a doubt, one of the sweetest people on the planet. I have known her since my sophomore year in high school. She was such a doll to me when I was the new girl at school- she made the transition from school to school SO much easier. She is so talented- from theater to cake making this girl does it all. Take a sec and check out the grooms cake she did for us! 

Anyway, Cassie is such an inspiration to me in so many ways; health being one of them. Her story is so motivating and relatable to anyone who has battled weight loss with a health problem...or battled weight loss at all! Check her out:

"Hi! My name is Cassie, and I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). PCOS is awful for many reasons, but for Sugarahaolics Anonymous, I’ll try to stick with those that pertain to weight loss. My body is resistant to insulin, which causes a whole domino effect of other hormonal problems, but as far as weight loss goes, this means that it’s easier for me to gain weight and more difficult for me to lose weight than most women. Seriously, check these photos out:
 

Yes, these are both me!! The picture on the left is from June 2010 and the picture on the right is from October 2011, when I was at my peak weight. I had never weighed that much before and I will never weigh that much again! I have lost 13 lbs so far since then, and though it is definitely a struggle, I KNOW I can get to a healthy weight."

Name: Cassie Walker
Age: 22


Describe your addiction: Chocolate


3 foods you can’t live without: Costa Vida sweet pork enchiladas, baked goods, and chocolatey snacks/candies


3 foods you can live without: Surprisingly, I’ve discovered I can live without Oreos, chips, and (didn’t think it was possible) ice cream!


Your healthy go-to food: Whole fruit that I can take on the go: oranges, apples, etc. 


Your favorite way to work out: Black light Zumba with my girls, swimming laps with my husband
Your least favorite way to work out: Running (bleck! They say you learn to love it… we’ll see.)


What is your current health/fitness goal: 40 lb weight loss - I’m down 13 so far!


What is your biggest challenge when it comes to being healthy? As a poor college student, I have a hard time finding the time to exercise and the money to eat healthy.
What motivates you? With PCOS, if I don’t get to a healthy weight, I could develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems. But even more importantly, losing weight increases the chance that I’ll be able to have children. That’s a huge motivator for me.
What are some of your big goals regarding health/fitness? Get to a healthy weight this year, and stay there for life.

4.21

4.21 miles in 55 minutes. Not bad if you ask a couch potato.

Happy Day! I have been to the gym the last 3 days in a row (well, excluding Sunday...but I don't count that as a "work out" day)! I have found that being registered to run in a race definitely motivates me to get my bum to the gym. I do not want to be dead last in a 5K....especially when my brothers (who are 13 and 9) run them.

My workouts have consisted of elliptical for 30-60 minutes and then a quick ab workout or water rowing session. Its been working good for me and I am feeling great!

I hope this sudden surge of motivation lasts!

How do you get your bum to the gym?

Slacking

Wow. I've been a slacker. But know this,

1). I know I've been on the ChangeOne phase of lunch for a long time now. Know that this is on purpose, I don't feel like I have mastered lunch yet....and there's no point moving on until I do.

2). My dad is sponsoring me to run in the Strawberry Days 5K. This is scary because...
          a. I don't really enjoy running
          b. I'm not very fast at running
However, I think this will be great motivation and get me into the gym a lot more often. Anyone wanna run it with me? :)

Takes the Edge Off...

Diet Soda. I know that it isn't necessarily good for you...but it really takes the edge off when you're counting calories and want something sweet. I am a sucker for an ice cold diet coke.

Problem

With my new job in the mall, a problem has presented itself.

There's a Pretzel Maker...I love soft pretzels. I can eat them, and eat them, and eat them and never grow tired of them. Usually, I go to work thinking "I'll just eat when I get home..." Yeah, right. After 3-5 hours of being on my feet, running around like crazy, I am definitely ready for a break and some food. 

I am caught unprepared with no packed snack or meal, and I only have 15 minutes. Hello Pretzel Maker. Hello salt and butter. Hello giant diet coke.

Clearly, I need to pack something to eat while at work. I've been struggling with this with my other job too. I'm on a mission to find the perfect sack lunch; no soggy sandwiches, no cold meat, and no smashed crackers/chips. Also, it needs to be something that doesn't take too much time to prepare. Anyone out there have any good ideas? I'm thinking something pasta-y or salad-y....