365 days to a whole new me.... (w/ pictures)

Today is my 365th day on MFP.

I have spent the last year changing my life and taking inspiration from the stories of others. This is mine.

For most of my life, I was actually quite thin. Was not an athlete, but was blessed with a fairly fast metabolism, active(ly chasing my young children), and generally happy with who I was. Somewhere in my 30's - the lack of exercise and eating whatever I wanted started to catch up with me. It happened so slowly - I didn't really recognize that it was happening...and wasn't necessarily unhappy with it. I'm 5'10 - so when my weight crept up to 160 - I was happy with that. I finally had curves! 175...ok. I can live with that. I still fit in clothes from my favorite stores. No - things weren't as firm as they used to be...but I'm in my mid to late 30's...that's to be expected....right? 185. Hm. I have to buy pants at lane bryant. Which is ok. They come in talls... I continue to gain about a pound a month for YEARS. 200lbs. Really? I crossed the 200lb mark? 220. Wow. I have to buy plus sized shirts. Nothing looks the way I think it should....but I'm still in denial. I actually hover at 220 for a couple of years.

I'm frustrated, and feel uncomfortable in my own skin - but for some reason just accept it as the reality of life. I was denied a supplemental life insurance policy due to my weight. I hate the way I look in pictures…but that isn’t what I see in the mirror….so I tell myself I just don’t photograph well.



Then – December of 2011 I took a bad fall while Christmas shopping. My low activity level became a no-activity level. It hurt to walk. Stairs made me cry. I went from 220 to 238 in a matter of months.



This photo was taken just before my 41’st birthday. I cried over this one. It was at that point that I realized if I continued on my current path I would be solidly over 250 by my 42nd. At that point, something finally clicked…I was no longer OK with whatever I saw on the scale. I was finally ready to do something about it. A few days later, I overheard some people I work with talking about MFP. A calorie counter on a phone app? This data junkie signed up the very next day.

I began in April 2012 – initially just tracking calories. Simply making better food choices had an immediate impact. I spent a lot of years completely unaware of exactly how much I was eating. I learned that the calories MFP allotted me were more than manageable, at least at home. I travel a lot for work – so on the road choices were tougher, but workable. I do like my food though…and started walking so that I could continue to indulge in the things I wanted. I managed to net calories and continued to see success month after month. (I think I lost around 20 in the first two months). I kept reading about the couch to 5k program and around June decided I would give it a go. It was so hard to breathe – I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE. But I noticed something else. All the walking and then the (very slow) jogging was making me stronger. My knee pain was getting so much better! I had my ups and downs with it and moments of self doubt. (THANKS TO LIZ AND JANA FOR THE ENCOURAGMENT AND PEP TALKS!) I finally proved to myself that I could do it. I was a runner. I completed my first 5K in September and was ON TOP OF THE WORLD…. (just over 34 min. My goal was 38….whoo hooo!)



Just after that, I dipped under the 200lb mark. I HAD LOST A KAYAK



I continued to run….and when I was tired of it….I ran some more! Then I was light enough to do this! (Several months earlier, I would have been too heavy)



In the 180’s….I could also shop FOR PANTS in the non-plus sized stores. (I cried in the fitting room the day I bought this outfit for a meeting)



In January, I joined the local masters swim group in addition to the running. I was a competitive swimmer in high school – but hadn’t done serious pool workouts in 25 years. SUCCESS. I can hold my own…and it is great for stretching out sore running muscles.

Then I did an indoor triathlon. AND WON MY AGE GROUP.



This St. Patricks day….I did a 7k. Goal was under 45 min. I came in at 44:09. Another WIN!!

In this last year, I gained more than I ever thought I would. I am stronger, have more energy and dropped my cholesterol into the healthy range. My kids tell me daily how proud they are. I’m proud of myself. Things are within reach that I never believed would be before. I am proof that amazing things are possible if you want them bad enough to put in the work.

Today I am just 6lbs away from my goal of 165. I will probably go for 163, just because it would be cool to say “I lost 75lbs”. It would be silly to get SO CLOSE and not get there. If I don’t lose another single pound, that is ok too. I have other goals that have become more important than the scale. I’d like to get my 5k time under 30 min (fastest so far is 30:45). I want to run a 10k…just to prove I can. And do a sprint triathlon….again with the proving to myself thing. I plan to stay active, hang on to how good I feel for as long as I can…and set a good example for my kids.

Happy birthday to me!