-41 lbs! What a happy day!

Hi everybody. :flowerforyou:

Today the scale has finally fallen below 200!!! You all know how exciting that can be.:drinker:
I started running in October. I ran two half marathons in April and had yet to lose a single pound, even with all the cardio. I hadn't changed my eating habits and I was very reluctant to.

In April I was invited to start a weight loss competition with my family starting on May 1st. I was very hesitant to. I have a pretty difficult relationship with my family and thought this might be a bad idea. It actually turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was determined to do this round of dieting in a way that I could maintain after our 6 weeks were over. I didn't want to trigger anything that could hurt me, so I got MFP on my phone and started logging. I cut out a few foods that I later added back in, but even during our challenge I mostly ate what I usually did, just learned to adjust to healthy portions. I did not win the challenge, but I had something way more valuable than that anyway. So I continued on here, and at the gym.

In July, I started having several problems. I ended up unable to exercise 3 weeks out of the month. I was sick, and then injured and then sick again. I was getting frustrated. I was so close to this goal and yet every effort I made to get back on track was met with another challenge. In august I finally started seeing a dr. There are a few things going on still, no definite diagnosis yet, but we also found gallstones. so almost two weeks ago i had surgery to remove my gallbladder. That was one of the worst experiences of my life. These last few months have been incredibly difficult. I've felt tempted to give up. It seems no matter what I do, I can't get back to my exercise. However, I refuse to give up. I refuse to settle for fat and sedentary. Even if I stay sedentary, I will not be fat any more.

Weight loss has not made me feel amazing. It has not made me feel like a super hero. It reminds me that I am valuable though, and it has brought me confidence in myself. That despite the challenges I may face, I can still have a say. I've learned that being skinny, strong, healthy, sexy are good things, but not the only things. When we can't have something we want no matter how hard we are willing to work for it we learn that there are far more important things to focus on. I've learned to look to God for my strength. I've learned to look at who I am and work on the inside. I've learned to lean on others and allow them to support me. I've learned to look for opportunities to help others.

so, here it is. my transformation so far!!!