Two Years, Two Sizes, New Me

I started here in the beginning of January of 2012. I just looked fat and cheesy in my Christmas 2011 photos. I was wearing a huge blue jacket, and my looong brown curls just made my fat face look even bigger. Honestly, I was tired of always looking at my pictures and thinking that. I was tired of feeling fat, and I was ready for a new me and to gain a new dose of confidence. I have not looked back since. In that year alone, I realized everyone was telling me I had lost weight. I had lost like 9 pounds in the first two/three months I believe. It was amazing. I was more focused on my micros then (higher protein than MFP recommends). I weighed 208 when I started, and I am 5'11.

That year in October I dyed my hair blonde and started straightening it and I went on vacation. I saw the benefits of my weight loss when I went on vacation and I realized how different it was than previous vacations. I was, sadly enough for society, being treated much better and had many MANY more friends. Even a lot of male attention! Haha. In that year (2012) I had lost two dress sizes. I went from a size 14 (ok ok a snug 14) to a size 10. I couldn't have been happier (though I still had my puffy cheeks lol).

Coming home from that vacation, so January 2013, I felt so good about myself I fell off the wagon. Most, almost all, of my last year is not documented here on MFP. I did not really gain weight, I believe, until the end of last year. My clothes still fit and the size 10s I already owned still fit, but when I went shopping in December I couldn't get into a store's size 10. On vacation in 2013, I felt fat. And I had a worse time than 2012. Maybe it was just my confidence? Or maybe I actually did look worse? Still nowhere near before I started MFP though! Just a couple pounds that were only noticeable by me...probably.

This January, I decided to change myself - to strive for new highs and to look EVEN BETTER than I did in 2012. I've accomplished that now :-). The days have gone by so quickly, and I'm so not neurotic about it. I eat pizza, pasta, and french fries almost daily. I do not limit myself. I don't focus on macros. I HARDLY, LIKE ALMOST NEVER, EXERCISE GUYS. I just log at the end of the day what I eat (but I don't go crazy during the day, I think about how it'll look when I log that night). If I go over one day, I forget it, and make the next better. If I go over the weekly goal, same thing. Eating bad one day won't make me gain all of the weight back, just as how eating good one day doesn't make me lose weight. It's an overall thing.

I've been taking pictures of myself in clothes almost daily now. I just updated my pictures here on the website. All of these pictures have been taken in the past few weeks and some are even from just the other day. I'm amazed by the progress. It's almost as if I fell asleep in January and woke up a thinner version of myself. Shamefully, I admit that I used to edit my pictures for like facebook or instagram to make myself look thinner - on average I'd slide the weight loss bar to 17 pounds . That was back in August of 2013 I did that. I felt sooooo thin in August also, ironically enough. However, now, I actually look like how I did in August - but for real. I never never EVER edit my pictures anymore; there's no need to when I actually look like that haha. It's a great feeling to put on the same dress I edited in August and realize I look like the edited picture, even better than the edited-to-be-thin pic. I even took a new picture of me, and added 12 pounds to it, and was shocked to realize that last year that would have been what the original looked like. It's just amazing to me because it has happened without feeling like I've worked for it or used any effort.

I almost forgot...I never weigh myself. I have not weighed myself in a year. I'm terrified about weighing myself and seeing it over 200. Or just higher than it was last time (194). I will probably never weigh myself again. I don't even own a scale. I like to be more focused on how I look in the mirror and in pictures. It has really helped me a lot.

So in closing, I DO NOT exercise. I DO NOT follow macros. I exceed my carbs constantly. I eat absolute junk food, and I haven't had a vegetable in a year probably (no lie). Yet I've lost weight and feel better than ever. You can do it! I believe in you! Good luck! Please comment with your own stories girls.

ah the calories! gotcha. thats pretty much what works for me too. i try to keep it healthy but my main goal is staying in or under my calorie goal. its working so far.

I've heard that the rule of thumb is calories determines weight, whereas macros and exercise determine composition. But if you're losing pounds, your body's composition is getting better anyways I assume! Glad it is working for you too!! It's probably the easiest and most worry-free way to use MFP.