198 Days In!

ctinaditty

What a journey it has been so far! I am 198 days into my weight loss journey, which is the equivalent of a little over 6 months. So far I have lost 45.8 pounds and over 26 inches.

Here are my measurements as of February 6th, 2012:

Bust Starting: 39 inches
Current: 36.5
Inches Lost: 2.5

Waist Starting: 36
Current: 31
Inches Lost: 10

Right Arm as of 10/23/11: 15 inches
Current 13.5
Inches Lost 1.5

Left Arm as of 10/23/11: 15.5 inches
Current: 14 inches
Inches Lost: 1.5

Right Leg as of 10/23/11: 28 inches
Current: 25.5
Inches Lost: 2.5

Left leg as of 10/23/11: 28 inches
Current: 25.5
Inches Lost: 2.5

Total CALCULATED inches lost: 25.5

Again, those "current" calculations were done back at the beginning of this month. Lately, I have been working Ab RipperX into my workouts every other day, as Tony would have it when doing the P90X program. Boy, have I noticed a difference in what my abs can handle. They are so much stronger! In fact, you can even feel how much stronger they are if you push on them! I may just be imagining this, but I think I can see some definition starting to come about. Of course, it is the VERY beginning stage of that but I'm pretty sure it's happening!

When I first started this journey I was wearing XL-1X shirts and size 22 pants. I am now down to size Medium to Large shirts and size 16 pants (though, those are getting a little big, might be time to buy me some 14s!). I was embarrassed to wear my hair up because of the extra weight on my chin. Now, I can wear my hair back and feel confident. In fact, I'm doing an updo for my wedding. You wouldn't have caught me doing that if I were still where I was 198 days ago.

I am about to hit two major goals that I've made.
1) I had a goal to lose at least 50 pounds. Right now, I have lost 45.8 so I am only 4.2 pounds away from hitting that goal! Plus, when I get to that goal, my mom is paying for me to get a couples massage with my fiance. We had one originally scheduled for the weekend after Valentine's Day, but we had to cancel due to him being sick... But, this is a great incentive for us!
2) I want to weigh in the 100s again. My older sister called this "Onederland" and that's what I've started calling it. I don't look it, but I weigh 206.8 pounds. So, that means I have 6.8 pounds away from that goal. That would mean more to me than losing 50 pounds, honestly. 50 pounds is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But, weighing in the 100s would mean the world to me. That would really show how hard I've worked. I get extremely excited every time my tens number is different. For example, when I went from 211 to 209. Even though that's just two pounds, it feels like a great accomplishment because I'm no longer in the 21X's. So having the hundreds number change would just mean so much! I'm almost there! By the end of March I should be in Onederland!
3) I want to feel comfortable in a bikini again!!! That will happen when I cross these other goals and tone up a bit more! Hard work will allow this to happen. I'll get there!

So, as of right now, those are my two major goals. Of course, I have small sub-goals, such as fitting into smaller jeans and losing inches, as well as toning up some more. Here are some goals that I've reached:
1) I wanted to feel comfortable in cami tank tops. This meant, my stomach had to be flatter and my arms more toned. Well, they are and I could leave my house right now in a cami tank and feel 100% okay with it. This makes me excited because I know when we go to Disney World for our honeymoon in late July it is going to be HOT. Being able to wear a tank top will make a huge difference!
2) I wanted to feel comfortable wearing shorts again. I haven't worn shorts since probably 2008 or 2009 and that's all I ever used to wear. My legs are toning back up and I've been comfortable wearing shorts around the house. If it were warmer, I would probably feel comfortable wearing them to the store or around town. I even tried on some jean shorts at Kohls the other day and they fit an looked good! So, I know I'll be able to wear shorts on our honeymoon. And again, with how hot it will be that will be a welcome thing!

I'm still working out almost every day and eating right. Of course, there are days when I don't eat well or I don't work out and that is fine. That's actually good for rebooting your system. Sometimes there is literally no time for me to workout and those days I don't feel bad about not doing it. But, if I waste time in my day watching tv or whatever and I don't work out, that's when I will be upset with myself. Most of the time I won't make excuses and I'll go ahead and workout anyway, but there are those rare occasions. I do weigh myself every single day when I wake up in the morning. I find it motivational to do it every day. If I weigh more, it causes me to work harder that day to get back down. Some people may find that weighing yourself every day isn't smart, but it works for me and I'm sticking to it.

The support I've had through MyFitnessPal, my family, my friends and coworkers, as well as my Facebook community has been outstanding. I still have a ways to go, but I've definitely done more than I initially thought I would. When you start a weight loss journey, some half expect you to fail (again). Well, I didn't allow myself to think that way this time and I've succeeded way more than I initially thought I would! I'm also extremely happy with the way my fiance has stood by me. Sometimes it might be hard for him when the places he wants to eat at don't work well with how many calories I have left in the day. For example, last night he wanted Longhorn or Panda Express. Well, neither of those really worked well because a) they didn't sound great and b) most of their food is high-calorie. He worked with me, without complaining and we ended up cooking at home a healthier meal. He is so supportive with this journey and thinks I am doing a great job. He says one of the reasons he's marrying me is my determination and hard work when it comes to meeting goals. That makes me feel amazing. I've always been a hard worker and extremely motivated, but this was a difficult journey considering I never should have been in this position to begin with. Coming back from a heavier weight is difficult because it really does impact you in so many ways, physically and mentally. I can't wait to reach those goals listed above and get to a point where I am comfortable to maintain weight rather than worry about losing more. It's been a gratifying journey to see how far I can push myself. I'm proud to see how much more I can continue to push my body to achieve the best results. I hope people will read this and understand that this journey is a tough one, but a worthwhile one. I don't have a single regret in the last 198 days. I feel better, I look better, and I just have more energy and confidence. I can't wait to lose another chunk of pounds because if I feel this good now, I can't wait to feel how I will then! Work hard, it's worth it.

garp4

Congratulations on your accomplishments!! Onenderland will be here before you know it!!