hi,
wanted to share my before and after photos and most of all ENCOURAGE those of you thinking about starting their journeys. One year ago last Tuesday (right after MLK's holiday) I started on my journey at 201.6 pounds (now hovering from 125 to 128 or so, I am 5'2"). (hopefully you can see the pics, first time ever attaching stuff here)
i started with nutrisystem for about 4 months, then continued their plan but with grocery store boght items and counting calories, averaging 1200 to 1300 a day. did I always like the food? NO, but i assumed this was my "medicine" that was going to help me "get better" so I sucked it up and ate it. it felt like i ws eating constantly since I split up my meals so there woudl be like 6-7 mini meals throught the day and drank tons of water.
i exercised every morning, first thing, on the treadmill. at first it didnt matter if I only walked for 10 minutes, i would still get on the thing every morning. i knew i needed to create the habit and exercise my "mind muscle" in terms of creating the habit to move no matter what.
i read read read all i could about weight loss. blogs, forums, boards, books, etc. that just kep t me in the right frame of mind at all times.
i threw away ALL my large clothes (except a couple that serve as reminders of how far i have come). i want nothing that I could fit back into ever.
i weighed myself (and still do) every day (morning and evening). it doesnt affect my mood, i understand my fluctuations, and helps inform how I shoudl eat the rest of the day/week, month.
i reached my goal weight of no longer overweight (around 136) around september of 2011 and then the paradigm completely shifted as I continued to eat healthy and exercise and managed to get to where I am now, hovering between 125 (on an awesome day!) and 128 (usually on Mondays after a weekend of more relaxed eating and likely sodium retention). i have NOT been this light since 7th grade! (i am now 36). i couldnt believe i woudl fit in sizes 2s and 4s and smalls and extra smalls! yikes!
i now eat closer to 1700 and 1800 during weekdays (and exercise every weekday). on weekends i do not really count calories and dont necesariyl exercise (unless I feel like it or know I am really going to eat more than usual) . i do try to not eat until i am overstuffed.
over time in started incorporating jogging and videos (30 day shred and now ripped in 30, all of this at home. earlier on i did some zumba at the gym but that got to be too time consuming as my usual workout routing takes no more than 30 minutes early in the morning (yes, I wake up at 5:30 before the rest of the family to do this, no choice).
i have had eating disorders in the past (binging / purging) which have unfortunately resurfaced a bit as i entered maintenance. I am dealing with those, nipping them in the bud so to speak since. i think i am just afraid I will go back to being obese since I have been down this rroad in the past (lost and gained back a couple of times in my lifetime). but i think the difference now is I did it the right way (no crash dieting or starving myself but rather by eating healthy and exercising) so I am convinced that the longer I remain in this lifestyle, which barring illness, tragedy, or an aliean abduction, i just cannot see myself giving up, i will be more confident in myself that i am capable of keeping this up and that this will be for keeps
my wonderful hubby has been my stronghold as well as my kids and really all my family, coworkers, etc. hubby actually liked my chest bigger (went from 38dd to 34c), typical man
but he is very proud of me as I am of myself.
IF I COULD DO IT, ANYONE CAN!!!!!!!
please ask away any questions you may have. thanks to all for yoru supert. even though i have barely posted, i lurk a lot
so "strangers" on these boards have really helped me through the toughest of times without knowing....
oh, most important of all: God helped me through all of this, couldnt have done it without HIM. once I stopped stuffing myself with food and started filling myself with HIM it became doable (not necesarily easier, but doable since we can do all things through HIM who strenghtens us)
hugs, kisses, cheers to all! you can do it. and now my journey oficially begins as a maintainer.
201 to 126, 75 pounds lost
