180 days in & 39 lbs down **Pictures Included**

April 29th, 2012. That was the day I was hit with reality. The day I woke up only to cry, more sob really, that I had let myself get to this point. For months and years I had shoved down any feelings of self-loathing with more food than I would care to admit. Every time those sweet morsels hit my lips it was like, even if just for brief moment, all was right in world. After all, it wasn't my fault that I was eating the way I was. I mean I was (and sometimes still am) stressed, poor, depressed, and constantly working. So what if I couldn't run or had to constantly buy bigger clothes, the world was the problem, not me. I mean, I have to eat, right? As time it went on, it became clear that no matter how much I tried to smile or be my normal goofy self, I was lost in the emotional chaos that I'd created. Something had to give. That night, I found MyFitnessPal.

BEFORE ~ 220 lbs




October 22nd, 2012.

It's been 6 months. Holy crap, 6 months?! This can't be real. I look at those pictures, some as recent as early April this year and I honestly don't recognize that person. I mean, I know that face is mine. But I wonder how I held it together. I was so miserable all the time. Those pictures might not show it, but I was so swollen. My skin was tight, my joints hurt, my back was in so much pain. I never ate anything that wasn't completely loaded with salt and fat. But that was then, this is now. Now I.... eat veggies and fruit everyday, look forward to working out, tell everyone about MFP, go shopping constantly, stare at myself in the mirror, never shut up about the truth about food, look for new perspectives on the food I eat, am going to gluten free, cook dinner most nights, juice for micro nutrients, the list is completely endless. I've learned.... you can change anything in your life, one bad meal won't ruin your day, one bad week won't ruin journey, plateauing is just a sign that you need to reinvent yourself, focusing on NSVs (Non-Scale Victories) are great for weeks is an awesome idea, the community here is amazing, you don't need a pill for REAL results, and that list also goes on and on. This journey is a blessing, not a diet. I feel renewed everyday.


NOW ~ 180 lbs




To any newbies and all the old timers, add me. Don't have to tell me why you want to be friends, just have to want to want to change. I want friends, not just acquaintances. Thank you for sharing in my journey, even just reading this. I don't know where I would be if I wasn't here.