3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community - 10.8 kg (23.8 lb) down

My first mini-goal post! I forgot that I had told myself I was going to post progress pics every 20 lb, so I'm a bit overdue with these ones. But here you go anyway.

I began my new life on the 28th of March 2008, when I bought a set of scales (my old ones broke who knows how long ago) and realised that I was 98kg. That's nearly 100! I knew I was putting on weight by the way my clothes were fitting and the fact that I was now wearing a size 20, and even some of them were tight.

So I joined Weight Watchers online. And started walking. And the weight started dropping off.

Yep, it was as simple as that. Simple, but not easy. Don't let any ever tell you that this journey is anything but hard. Not difficult, just hard. Choosing low fat, low calorie options, saying no to muffins and chocolates at work when everyone else is having one, getting up first thing in the morning and going for a jog instead of sleeping for a bit longer are all harder options. It would be so easy to just give up. And I have thought about it on occasion.

After 3 months of WW online I realised that if I could do this without "real life" support, I didn't need to pay big bucks to do so! So I joined a free calorie tracking website, and started the couch to 5K program to up my exercise intensity.

I'm now tracking at 1700-1800 calories per day, and trying to stay below 50 gm of fat per day. I joined the gym and have started a weight training regime to supplement my running.

So far? I've completed my first 5k run, spent waaaaaaaay too much money on cute new clothes (I'm wearing size 16 jeans, and today I bought a dress because it was a 14! I haven't worn a 14 since before I had kids, and my eldest graduated from high school last night) and having a blast. I have more energy than I've ever had, I love my life, and I'm totally committed to continuing on this journey for the rest of my life.

And the biggest factor of all? 3 Fat Chicks, and all the little chickies who hang out here. Seriously, you guys understand. You give the best advice, and you happily kick my butt when I need it. A special shout out to PhotoChick, who always seems to say the right thing at the right time. And scarily, whom I think the same as on nearly everything!

Anywho, enough banter. Time for some photos!

Before and after - the front shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/...9a441b878f.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/...a5e5e9e546.jpg

The side shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/...ee8c6d2567.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/...09a1eb88ea.jpg

And the back shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/...fd34f3652f.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/...86d376b006.jpg

I'm wearing the same clothes in both shots. Note the considerable lessening in back rolls, and the fact that I now have to do the racer-back of my sports bra up because the straps are too long, and I'm too much of a tight-wad to buy another one just yet when I'm this<>far away from a size down. And the bagging of the shorts in the front, where my tummy used to be!

So cheers chickies. Thanks for the support so far, and I look forward to a long and fulfilling relationship with the lot of you.

See you at 79.8 kg, which will be 40lb down!