365 days on MFP- My Journey- with pics!

I joined MFP at the suggestion of a friend who had recently joined. I had been trying for years to be healthier and make better lifestyle choices. I was a single mother raising a little boy, working 55-60 hours a week, going to school and maintaining a household all by myself. My own personal health definitely took a back seat because it was easier to make the wrong choices rather than to exercise and count calories. I would go to the gym once, walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes and not go again for 2 months.
When I joined MFP I figured “ok, we’ll see how long before I give up on this too” but I realized counting calories was easier than I expected. I also started going to the gym and realized that I actually LIKED working out. (shocker!) I was hooked pretty fast.
When I first started working out, I couldn’t last on the elliptical machine for 5 minutes, slowly but surely I worked at it and now I feel like the elliptical is too easy! It may be a small victory to most, but I NEVER thought I would be able to master that machine.
Now I work out 5 days a week and my work outs usually consist of 30-90 minutes of cardio, where my heart rate is between 156-170 per my heart rate monitor. I eat 1200 net calories and yes, I eat dessert almost every night. (160 cals of ice cream)
I have learned what works for my body, and while I am striving to improve my physical fitness everyday, I am finally happy with what I have accomplished. My views on fitness have completed changed over these past 365 days and I would recommend MFP to anyone and everyone.


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