From Navy Fit to...not as fit. And working back.

I've been debating this all night, as my story at the moment is in progress, not a 'success' but I suppose there is always room to update as I go. So, lets start at the start! A story with pictures cause hey, I like pictures.

I was a heavy teenager (Got up to 225 in 11th grade.) I was unhappy with myself and the world around me. I was failing out of school, being bulled, mom had remarried and had more kids. Oh and I was 15 and a brat. Can't mention that enough. Went shopping for a homecoming dress at JC Penny's and could literally find nothing that didn't make me look awful. Didn't go and cried over a pan of lasagna. Shortly there after I started eating way less and running. Graduated, spent some time in college, joined the navy. Navy got me into much better shape (They have this rule about being overweight.) It was awesome, but I did leave at the end of my first stint.

I was happy with myself; through the amazing art of cardio and notknowinghowtodriveitis I was smaller than ever. 130 pounds and a 4/6. I joined MFP to read up on fitness and such, but never actually followed through.

Me and my youngest sister, about a month post Navy. Not the best shot, but check out those skinny legs.


Halloween 2010, that dress is a size 4. I was bootleg last minute CInderella.


Time went by. I kept eating like I was in the Navy but not moving around like I was. I put on some weight. Got together with a great guy. More weight. Moved to Hawaii to be with said guy. More weight. Got married, picked up a cute 'Navy Wife' t-shirt in a medium. Couldn't get it down over my shoulders. Put on some more weight while thinking that over. And then these little gems.





Now don't get me wrong, I'm still super cute, but...well. That top? It's a fashion corset. Underneath is some spanx. I still look...well. You can see how I look. I'm a lovely 175ish here. Shock me very much. How did this happen? Was I really slowly creeping back to being that angry fifteen year old girl?

It's February 2013. I jump back on MFP, thankful that I suck at passwords, and jump back in. I drop to 1300 calories and for about 3 weeks things are going well, except for the part where I'm hungry and angry. Then my husband leaves for six months, I get the birth control implant, and I'm still hungry. I slip into temporary insanity and don't climb back out until April. My grandmother passes away and I fly out to Pittsburgh, PA for the funeral. I walk into my aunt's home and the first words out of my mother's mouth "How much weight have you put on?"

Oh. Well. Thanks mom.

Back to MFP. I see some new things: TDEE, Eat More, ice cream is okay, LIFT WEIGHTS!?! What is this madness? I dive in head first and soon I'm eating 1625, getting some spiffy new workout gear, and talking with trainers in the gym about proper deadlift form. I've got New Rules of Lifting for Women on my Kindle (and some Jillian on the side for non weight days) and I. Am. Ready! I've lost some weight in the meantime (stress I imagine) and reset my ticker for 161.8, my weight as of May 1st. I take out my weave, cause i don't like to sweat out my tracks, and reintroduce the world to my natural curly hair. It's not always a good look but I make due.

This is me at about that time. That is my target bikini, it's super cute and hides my saggy booty.




I lift weights, I sweat all over myself, I eat lots of food. I make more MFP friends and it fills part of the hole my husbands absence caused. They give me the support he can't right now and so I push forward with their encouragement. The scale moves some, I'm pretty pleased. I lifted more things and sweat more. I finished stage one, 7 pounds lighter, and looked at myself and went...I look the same. :laugh: My aunt assured me I just can't see it cause it's my body. IDK, maybe.

Now I started lifting underestimating myself and that hindered my process. I didn't believe I had the power to lift heavy things at first and if I'd had more confidence sooner I believe my end lifts would have been much better. I won't bore you with details, but I'm proud of myself. I'm putting lifting on hold for about a month (Moving about to help my mom with some things, no gym access) but I'll be back in Hawaii and making use of the base gym. And dragging my husband along with me (Fun note: HE was support me from afar and busting his butt doing insanity. Went from 170 to 158, at 5'11. Now we're gonna try to put some muscle on him.)

And now more pictures. Yay pictures. ...Be gentle.






Between now and August I'll be focusing on Body By You (Body Weight exercise) so if anyone has any experience I'd love to hear from you. Most of all thanks for sticking through all of this, I know I'm disgustingly long winded. :smooched: