-40 Pounds in 5 Mths... before and after pic....

So here is my 5 mth update... I have actually lost 3 more pounds since then... it was the 20th.

How? Well here is some thoughts I wrote this week in answer to that.....

I threw out all the pastas, anything that came in a box, cereals... ect. Low salt, almost no sugar, fresh veggies, eggs, lean meats on the grill. You know the drill.

All winter I used my elliptical for an hour a day. I did not start at an hour. At first I was good to do 15 minutes. But I put my music on and just did it. More every day. And the weight started to come off.

Now I am challenging myself. I am back to a size I was very comfortable in after I had the girls. But I want to go past that. I want to see what is possible.

I never saw myself as a skinny person. I was very athletic in high school, very muscular from showing horses. I am lucky to say I am tall and well proportioned. If I am big, I am big all over... and so far when I lose, I lose all over.

What I can say is the longer I have been at it the easier it is getting. My body wants to be active. I have more energy and feel a bit stir crazy not moving. I garden of course, but I also walk and swim. I make myself do something outside an hour a day. I think of it as medicine.

I weigh myself every day before I eat lunch. And I write down my measurements on my anniversary day each month. I have a journal like I teenager. But I can look back and see what size I was in March, April..ect. It helps keep me focused and accountable.

One thing I have not done is get a real physical. I am doing that in two weeks. I want to see what my blood sugar is and other levels. I was overweight for most of the last 10 years. I guess I am just curious, but wonder if something in my hormones might have been a little off. I am 40 and you know how your body changes with age.

Basically I feel like a completely different person. I look different, feel different.... everything in my closet is new. Not one thing from my old life still fits. I wear shorts and a tanktop now and don't think twice about it. I know by some standards I have a long way to go, but for me I am beyond my wildest dreams.

I have went from an 18/20 to a size 12/14. I have lost 6" in my chest, 8" in my waist and 10" in my hips. I am 75% of my old me. And I feel 1000 times better. As of today I have lost 42 pounds. I have a big goal of 65 pounds and I am giving myself two years to do it.

I start with a personal trainer on July 10th. I may chicken out 10 times before then. But if she can help me, it will be more than worth it. It is free as a benefit thru my husband's job. So I am silly not to use it.

I sometimes feel funny putting my weight loss out there for the world to see. But I know everyone in every walk of life, man or woman, deals with issues about their bodies. I am making a very serious decision to make huge changes. I know it is a constant battle. I may fail. But I am building a support team to pick me back up it I do and help me along. It is a journey. One I think I will remember for the rest of my life.

Love....Brooke