Hey ladies,
Thank you all for your compliments and support. I felt like I had conquered the world when I got into those jeans!
To
stacynak and
littlegg: to get where I am, I cut my calories. I times my weight by 12 then subtract 500 to get the amount of calories I should be eating. Right now its about 1400 but I usually only go a little above 1200. At this pace I lose about a pound a week. I am the type of person that snacks at night so I learned to go with it and save a good portion of calories for that time. On top of that, I have completely revamped what I eat. I cut out the junk food (except a little treat every now and then that fits into my calorie limit), began eating more fruits and vegetables, and substituted white flour products with whole grains. I watch my portions and serving size and go for the low-fat, low-sodium, and sugar free alternatives (so long as they are not packed with other crap). I also exercise 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes, mainly walking or the stationary bike. Starting in October, I began to incorporate flexibility (yoga) 2 times a week and strength training 3 times a week.
I managed to lose 15 lbs. in the first month and then about 5 every following month. It hasn’t been easy but when I’m feeling down I just flex those tight legs and arms I have now and tell myself there is no way I’m going to lose this.
To
crackers: Thank you and definitely stick with it. At first it doesn’t seem worth it but your future self will thank you.
To
TwoPeasInAPod: The feeling is more than awesome. It’s spectacular. I feel like a new person and I am not so self conscious anymore. I love seeing other people’s progress photos. They have inspired me so much in the last 4 months. I’m glad mine could help you.
Again, thank you and good luck to you all. Keep it up!