Wanted to Share my Story...

I've only been at this for two and a half months, but I've actually gone so far. So I'm putting this here for anyone starting their journey to health who is wondering how fast they will see results.

I didn't like what I saw in the mirror and at the end of November I broke down. I was so fat and unhappy and I thought back to a few years ago when I lost 45 lbs and I was at a size 12 - I've since gained all that back, plus about 50 more. I was fatter than I'd ever been; I had no clothes that fit me. I couldn't stand too long without my back hurting; I couldn't walk far. I was constantly short of or out of breath. My boobs spilled over the tops of my bras and that certainly was not attractive.

Mid-November, I'd gone to a play in Seattle and I walked from the ferry to the theater (about a mile and a half) - I was exhausted and had to stop several times and my back hurt terribly. When I got to the theater, I could hardly fit in the seats. It was a truly eye-opening experience to how fat and out of shape I'd become.

So, I realized I had to change. December 1st, 2012 was the day I finally weighed myself and I was 273 pounds. I started working out and it was difficult - I could only do 30 minutes on the elliptical at the lowest setting and felt like I was going to die. I was constantly hungry trying to eat healthy and I wanted unhealthy food so bad.

My one vice was soda (Dr. Pepper to be exact) - I was drinking about 2-3 liters A DAY - I couldn't just quit so I had to gradually decrease my amount - the first week I drank only 20 oz a day. Then I bought 8 12-oz bottles and made that last 8 days. Then I bought these teeny tiny like 8 oz cans. All in all it took about all of December to actually quit soda on a daily basis (and since then I've had it only twice when I went to the movies). Now I pretty much only drink water or milk.

So...where am I now? Well, I still don't love my body, in fact, I don't really like it, but especially toward the end of February, I noticed my size 20 jeans getting too big. My bras fit a lot better too and the scrubs I wear to work. I can do 45 minutes on the elliptical fairly easily (doing intervals for a better workout) and I've started strength training to tone the muscles under the fat. Just recently, one of my coworkers even told me it looked like I'd lost weight. And I have - I recently weighed in at 252.

But the best reward came this past Saturday when I once again went to Seattle and pretty much walked all over - without needing to stop, without my back hurting and when I got to my destination, I felt like I could have kept walking. It was an amazing feeling to see how far I'd come in just a little over 2 months.

So, why do I share this even though I'm not close to my goal - because I know a lot of people start on this journey and give up only a little way in. They don't see enough change or don't think they're losing weight fast enough. It's important to rejoice in the small steps along the way. Progress is sometimes slow, so set small goals. For instance, every 25 pounds I lose, I'm going to treat myself to a new dress, or top or maybe a mani-pedi. And keep your eyes on the ultimate goal - know I will be!