Consistency paying off (2 month progress)

cspotbelle

Been a long-time 'lurker' and this is my first real post - I'm happy to be able to celebrate and share my (tiny) progress after years of being inspired and motivated by others.

I steadily gained 15 lbs over the course of the last 5 years...the bulk of which packed on during and in the 2 years following the end of a damaging relationship in which I had totally lost myself. After it ended, the following years brought bout after bout of adversity, the most recent of which was losing my job. I indulged in self-neglect and consumed my sadness - loads of take-out, wing nights every week, partying all weekend etc. and of course that didn't do great things for my physical appearance or health...which, in turn just made me more unhappy.

This March, I can't really say what sparked the currently successful journey into regaining fitness and self-esteem, but I've never been so determined and consistent. For the first time in a very long time I'm steadfastly focused on myself and am feeling happier and more at peace.

Anyway, I don't see an earth-shattering change in the pics but there's progress nonetheless and I am even more motivated now to keep on my path of consistency and balance. My scale weight hasn't changed much - overall down about 3 lbs and rockets up as much as 5 to 7 lbs some days, which is why I'm glad I took pics and kept one set of 'befores' from April (deleted the Feb and March ones).






If anyone wants to know:
Height: 5'5"
HW: 140 lbs
SW: 137.9 lbs
CW: 134 lbs
Waist: -1.5 inches
Hips: -0.5 inch
Bust: -1.0 inch
Natural narrow waist: -1.0 inch
Mid-thigh: 0.8 inch

What I'm doing:
- Women's cardio kickboxing class 2x/week, and HIIT class 1x/week (hour-long each).
- Taking 20-30 minute walks 2-3x/week with my senior citizen dog.
- Eating home cooked, portion controlled meals weekdays: 1340 Cals, not eating exercise cals back on. Macros: 40% C, 30% P, 30% F
- Delaying 'cheats' to as late in the week and day as possible.

jamesblood13

Keep it up. It just goes to show, it's not just the scales that tell the story! Remind yourself what you've done this month and you'll keep succeeding!

cspotbelle

Thanks so much @jamesblood13!!

GreenRemy

Keep it up!! I can definitely see the improvement.

Must be something in the air but I'm on a similar track as you. Started my track to getting fit about 45 days ago. Ready to work myself out of a funk. Like you, I've never been more determined in my whole life.

Good luck and look forward to more updates.

wateryphoenix

Looking great! It is kind of nice to hear somebody else seeing their weight fluctuate so much Especially someone who is smaller than I am.

Scale is just one of the many forms of measurement. Glad you are appreciating the changes in the pics =D

cspotbelle

@GreenRemy Thank you!
Glad to hear you're feeling determined and sticking to your plan too - congrats on your 45 days! Definitely becomes part of your lifestyle after a few weeks and its great to develop a 'good' habit!

cspotbelle

@wateryphoenix Thanks so much.
The weight fluctuations are what used to really get me down and killed my motivation to continue on in the past...it's easy to forget that there are other changing factors at play like muscle build, water retention, hormonal stuff etc which can influence the scale.

fit4itall

Nice progress! You have such a beautiful shape! Also 5'5 with a goal of about 130-135.

cspotbelle

Thank you @fit4itall! Hope it's going well for you on your journey, too.

BellaNor

You have a classic hourglass figure. You look good at either weight but I can see that you have lost weight, especially in your profile. I am also 5'5' and have a goal weight of 125-130 lbs. Well done!

cspotbelle

@bellanor thank you! Good luck to you too with your goals!!

Rawr619

I am 5'5 and bounce between 136-138 right now. I was down to 132 a couple months ago then got off track. My goal weight is 120ish. This was me a couple weeks ago, right before I started with a personal trainer. Hoping to have some success stories in the next couple of months.

cspotbelle

@Rawr619 good luck on your goals!! Looking good already!
I'm not sure I'll ever dip below 135 again! Haha seems to just be stuck there but I'm seeing things firm up and more muscle in my upper body so I'll take that.