365 days and counting...

Hi there!

Today is my 365th day of logging here at MFP! I'm so excited because I thought by now that I would fall for old habits and would've gained my weight back by now...but I have not! You know why? Because I have fought too hard to get it off… there have been NUMEROUS times where I have dragged my butt out of the bed at 4:30am to hit the gym and/or complete my at home workouts AND there have been SEVERAL opportunities to binge on my favorite "fatty" meals that I have turned down to get one step closer to meeting my goals! I am MUCH stronger than that!


Before I met my husband, I was working out at least 3 times per week, trying to "maintain" at 160lbs.



I had always been a little heavier and had to really work at keeping weight off, so 160lbs was my lowest weight since high school (when I was 145-150lbs). When we got married in May, 2011, I weighed about 175…



…one year later---I weighed in at 205lbs! (I blame the weight gain on my new marriage and me wanting to impress my husband with my cooking skills. Gotta blame someone, right?!) On days that I wasn't cooking, we were eating out at restaurants sometimes 2 or 3 times per day! I had to have been eating at least 4,500-5,000 calories daily back then- SCARY!



In March 2012, after months of “hiding in,” not wanting to attend social events because I didn’t like the way I looked or felt in my clothes, I decided it was time for a change. I began walking and started the Jillian Michaels’ 30 day Shred in May. By level 3 of 30DS, I weighed in at 181.4 but became bored and decided to complete the Insanity program. I completed the program weighing in at 169.4.



After Insanity, I felt like ANYTHING was possible, so I joined the gym (with a newfound confidence). I began to read NROLFW and later started to do 5X5 Stronglifts. I loved both programs but because my gym schedule changed, I had to drop them. By August, 2012, I weighed in at 167. I was very upset because I felt like the last 2 months had been such a waste of time (no big loss on the scale)- I had my BF% measured and found that I had dropped from a 35% BF (May) to a 26.8% (Aug)!!! From that point, I stopped measuring my progress on the scale and started to religiously track my measurements/ inches lost from week to week.



I have done everything from eating very low calories, to eating at TDEE minus 10%. I have learned that when you listen to your body, everything will fall into place. Losing weight and getting fit takes patience, dedication, commitment, and strength. It’s hard work, but it CAN be done!





Today, I weigh 148.3lbs- My lowest weight since 8th grade- 14 years ago). I have completed Insanity, Turbo Fire, and Chalean Extreme programs. (I love Beachbody!) I am currently doing Body Beast and plan to start a cutting diet next week while completing the Insanity Asylum 30 day program. I am so blessed to have met such wonderful people here throughout my journey as well as having a lot of support at home from my husband and my girls.



I would have to say that the most rewarding “perk” from this new healthy lifestyle is to be able to enjoy time with my family without always being tired. They are always telling me how proud they are of me and it really makes my heart melt. As a matter of fact, my youngest daughter cuddled up next to me just last night and said, “Mommy, you have no more pillow” When I asked her what she meant, she said; “your belly is hard now, not soft and fluffy like it used to be. You worked really hard to get in shape and I am proud of you.” I was so touched as she is only 8years old and I didn’t really think she paid attention to what mommy was doing, lol…My husband has also been on this journey for 1 year and has committed to meeting his goals of gaining weight and putting on more muscle. He is my inspiration and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive man in my life!!! I love my support system!



Sorry for the long post--- it was REALLY heavy on my heart today and I wanted to share…I will continue to work hard and enjoy this new lifestyle! It’s not only physically rewarding but mentally rewarding! Thanks for reading!