89lbs down & going! With PICS

I'm so excited for what this journey has brought me. I've lost a lot of weight, and I have a lot more to go. Those of you who are like me, in the 100+lb to lose club, be excited, this journey is worth it. Although I've lost a lot of weight, I've gained a lot of confidence, strength, love of myself (not selfish love, but love for me) as well as a lot more belief in the fact that I can do this!!

I started my journey at about 385lbs! I wouldn't tell anyone that, in fact, I avoided the scale like it was the plague, and didn't know how big I had gotten for a long long time! I would not take full body pics, at that time, because I was so self conscious of my body and body image! But here is one of my heavier pics I'd like to share w/ you at about 385lbs in a size 30/32. Don't be deceived, I'm 5' 11" and I hide my weight very well, notice I am behind my daughter, which is the only way I'd have remotely taken this picture LOL



I was trying desperately to find things that made me happy. Even my deep love of God could not cover the fact that I was very unhappy with my body and health.

I can't lie and say this is when I decided to get up and do something about my health, because this is NOT. When. I moved from the city I lived in & obtained a different position is where it REALLY started happening. Due to this position, hours, and location it caused me to lose weight. Seemingly within the year I wasn't trying to, I lost over 45 lbs. It was this incident that caused me to realize, "HEY, I'm losing weight, and I like it!" For the first time in a very long time I was losing weight and not failing at it! And what is more strange, I wasn't even trying. So I hopped on a scale, got my official weigh-in @ 340 and began to set sail on this weight loss journey.

At the time I was around 340lbs, and I was serious about helping this weight loss along. I found myfitnesspal, a great group of people who were also losing or had lost weight, and a new found encouragement to see this thing through.




Although I have not met my ultimate goals yet, I am almost 90lbs lighter, healthier, happier, and loving the skin I'm in. Sometimes it gets tough when you have more than 100lbs to lose b/c great milestones like a 10lb loss don't seem to affect you the way they affect those who don't have as much as you have to lose. You can lose 50 lbs and you wake up realize, "hey, I'm still big", lol. These are the things that can sting sometimes when you've got a lot to lose. Let me encourage you, that all of those baby steps; every single one of those .2 lbs, 2lbs, etc., all add up. Whenever you feel like giving up, look how far you've come, and think of how much you've accomplished, even if it doesn't seem like a lot, isn't it enough that you don't want to do it twice?

To those who have more than 100lbs to lose and are skeptical of even starting this journey because you feel that it will take too long, let me encourage you, time goes so fast! Even if it takes you 2 years do this, you can chose either in two years to be done, or to still have only a desire to want to do this with no progress. So with that said, here are some of my before/after pics. The final one being the most recent. Too all my MFP pals who stuck around when even I had given up, thanks!

I guess I should add, I do VLOG, you are welcome to watch, I decided to VLOG b/c I wanted to watch the miraculous changes of my losses in a video the way I had seen so many others do it. I probably VLOG about 1x a week, and I'm just candid, honest, and if I gained, I say so, If I've not, I say that too. https://www.youtube.com/user/mrsjoshica?feature=mhee

My first picture I could see my face getting smaller


Me at about my first "size-down"


Latest picture