My 5 month progress - over 30 lbs lost! [PICS]

I thought I'd make a success post to commemorate hitting 30 lbs down, though I still have a long way to go!

My daughter was born in June of 2012, and when the dust settled, I weighed 164 lbs. My pre-pregnancy weight had been 135 lbs, and even at that weight I had felt very self-conscious of my body shape. After having my little girl, I was uncomfortable and unhappy in my skin, and I knew that I needed to get in shape now and stay in shape through and after any future pregnancies.

So, 4 weeks post-partum I started hitting the gym and eating "better" and "less" (or so I thought). Going to the gym 3-5 times per week and changing my diet, I had lost a whole 2 lbs over the next 4 months.

This brings us to November 2012. I was still essentially the same size that I was immediately postpartum. I had tried to fix it myself and had gotten nowhere. I felt broken. I reached out to a friend who had been successful in losing weight, and she told me about MFP. I tried to sign up, and found out I already had an account from a few months before - had signed up and forgot all about it!

I started to track my intake (have every day since I started!), and stepped up the exercise to 5 days a week; generally I do 3 days of Zumba and 2 days of Iron Reps, a weight lifting class.

And it is working!!

And the best part is that I finally believe in my physical abilities when I haven't believed in myself in this way my whole life. I CAN run! I CAN lift! I CAN get better at anything I put my mind to!

Now for the pics :happy: I'm 5'0" if that makes any difference to anyone!





And I didn't take pics of my back until 2 months in, so this would be a 2 month vs. 5 month comparison:


A little ways yet to goal, but now I know I can do it!