A year ago...i was 40 pounds heavier and had trouble walking down the hall at school to my office. I was afraid that everyone thought I was the fatest person in the world. I was depressed, and tired and hated every bit of food i put into my mouth, knowing it was only making me heavier.
Today.....I am 40 pounds lighter and about 17 inches smaller. I've gone down 3 clothing sizes. I can walk down the hall at school and not be out of breath. I don't use my asthma medications nearly as much as I had to before. I can tuck shirts in and not feel weird about doing it. I know I still have quite a bit of pounds to go...but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am happier, and I am learning that just because I'm not perfect every day doesn't mean I'm a failure. I've had an up and down summer but I know that it's okay and that I CAN DO THIS, and more importantly....I AM WORTH THIS! I can play with my kids, and keep up with a 20 month old, and carry around the 5 month old and not feel like I'm going to collapse...It's an amazing change and I'm ready to keep on working towards goal!
A year ago I was 85 pounds heavier, wore a tight size 26, couldn't find any clothes to fit me for long, and hated to go out. In the hot weather, I sweated so much I felt like I couldn't do anything, so I tried to only go places with air conditioning. Anytime any event was coming up, I'd go on a crash diet that wouldn't work, and I'd have to wear something that didn't fit anyway. I was about to ask my boss to move my office down a floor because my knees and hips hurt so much when I climbed the stairs.
Now, I wear between a 12 and a 14, and I feel great. My knees and hips don't hurt at all, and I can wear "cute" shoes without having my feet hurt. I have clothes that fit (I have turned into a bit of a clothes horse, too!), and if I have to go somewhere dressy, it's no big deal. I think I'm probably much more pleasant to be around - it seems like things are not as big a deal as they used to be!
Even though I've been stalled out over the summer, I haven't gained anything, so that's probably the only 3 months in my life that I haven't gained weight. Now that summer is coming to an end, I'm going to buckle down and get to goal.
This is a really cool thread - I really hadn't thought about what had changed over the last year. Thanks for starting it, Katie!
I'm not on LAWL, but I couldn't resist posting in this thread.
A year ago, I was eating fast food every day for lunch. I ate 'whatever' for dinner, often fast food. Some days I had three fast-food meals in one day! I was sad because of some unwanted transitions taking place in my life, and I felt I had no life or no comfort beyond the refrigerator. My back hurt. I was continually exhausted and depressed. Nothing looked good on me, my bras didn't fit, and I was a size 24.
And then something changed. I took charge of my own happiness, obtaining employment that is more gratifying than what I had before. I made some new friends, lost 68 pounds, and simplified my life. Along with shedding weight, I am shedding some martyr attitudes and behaviors ... weight and martyrdom seem to go hand-in-hand for me.
Now, every day without fail, I bring a lunch involving lots of fresh vegetables and other healthy items. I'm filling my life with things *I* want for myself, not what others think I should have, what others think a good mom/sister/friend/daughter should be doing. I'm modifying and sometimes eliminating unhealthy friendships, saying "no" to restaurant invitations and "yes" to invitations for bike rides and walks. Back problems are gone. I'm wearing a loose 18, all bras fit, and I'm not afraid to wear form-fitting clothing. I don't shy away from exercise or physical activity. I've begun dating.
And I'm only half-way to goal! I'm excited to see what this will look like next year!
