Pix!! 196 to 132 & mom of 4 (8, 5, 2, & 7 months)

Thank you everyone for the sweet compliments! It felt so great to get all dressed up. We went to our first Mardi Gras ball last night and that was the first time IN MY ENTIRE LIFE that I have ever worn anything strapless... never a shirt, never a dress, anything! I felt amazing!

I will edit my original post in a few minutes to include what I did to get here! Again, thanks so much!

Just realized I am too late to edit my original post so if you see this message... here is how I've done it and continue to live my life.

1. Allow yourself time to learn and make mistakes. It is unfair to expect a 180 degree change overnight. If you go out to eat 5 meals a week, strive for only 4 this week, and 3 the next week, and so on. Little changes snowball. It is unfair to expect to learn how to eat clean and healthy foods overnight when you have been eating crap for years. Give yourself time to learn and evolve. That is how you will make a lifestyle change- by slowly evolving. Realize that going over your calories does not make you a failure. Food does not define you and does not dictate your emotions. It is there to nourish our bodies- that is IT. You are more than the sum of the food you eat- remember that. If you mess up and binge... oh well- start from this moment forward and do the best you can. Most of all- DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVE UP BEFORE YOU REACH YOUR GOAL. You can, and will, do this. It can be frustrating, time consuming, piss you off, and make you cry... but it is worth it. YOU are worth it. Keep going.

2. Stop eating processed food as much as you possibly can. No one can be healthy and eat fast food or in restaurants the majority of the time. It just isn't a reality. I had to realize that and drop that junk like a bad habit. The more I educated myself about the purpose of nutrients and how processed food is manufactured... I realized that I am better than that. Yes, I said it. I'm a food snob and you should be too. You are a valuable human being. Your life is worth more than a 99 cent taco full of ingredients you can't pronounce. Be a food snob. You deserve it. This means that I cook a lot more at home. I actually enjoy it now! I try to eat the most food without a label as possible. Do I still eat at restaurants and have cookies and candy bars? You bet I do. Do I know what's in them is worthless to me nutritionally? Yes, and I still make the choice to have those things sometimes. That's life. The majority of the time, however, I eat clean and enjoy eating clean. You will be SHOCKED at how good food actually tastes when you detox off of preservatives and processed food. It truly is amazing.

3. Drink water. I drink only water and have coffee (b/c I love it). I buy flavored ground coffee to avoid flavored high calorie creamers. I prefer to eat my calories and not drink them and I love water now. All water is not created equal. If you hate the taste of water- try out different types. I prefer purified water at room temperature. I guess I'm a water snob now too. Haha. Whatever it takes to get you drinking it- do it. It makes a world of difference.

4. Don't just focus on losing weight... focus on being healthier. This means EXERCISE. You need to combat that visceral, hidden fat that surrounds your internal organs... not just the muffin top that hangs over the pants. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer... you don't want any of that! Your goal should be to live as long and as healthy as possible to enjoy the people you love. Don't let "food" rob you of that! Remember- food is only there to fuel your body so you can have a healthy and happy life... make IT work for you! You're in control now!!! Find time to exercise daily... I do lunges and squats while I blow dry my hair... I take the stairs and park far away in the parking lot when I go to the store... I chase my kids around and dance with them, I will do some jumping jacks during commercial breaks. EVERYONE has time to exercise. I have 5 kids and just finished Grad school 2 months ago. I have a husband and a full life. There is no excuse. You are worth it. Your life is worth it. Get moving!

5. Be honest with your food diary. I opened mine up to my friends. I am not hiding anything anymore. If I eat junk, it is there for the world to see. I don't make excuses about it... but my friends are there to offer suggestions and constructive criticism. I DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. Remember- food does not define you. It does not dictate your emotions. It is arbitrary. Because I have a bad diary day does not mean I am a horrible person or a failure. The diary is there as a means of data collection. USE THE DATA TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR. If you are not losing weight, analyze your diary or find someone who can help you. Find the culprit and MAKE A CHANGE. Why keep doing something that isn't working? I plateaued for a couple of weeks and a friend suggested that I INCREASE my calories... what? Eat more? I did and BAM- on the losing bandwagon again. Ask for advice and help and get information from reliable sources. Do your own research and be critical of experts. This is your life you are dealing with and it is precious!

6. Come to this site every day for motivation and encouragement. EVERY DAY. I wanted to quit more times than I could count and I kept coming to success stories every single day. It gave me the motivation to keep logging and exercising 'just one more day' and those 'one more days' have snow balled into 7 months later and I am now at goal. I still come here every day.

I am a real person just like you. There was no magic pill or get skinny fast treatment that I used. I am a busy mom & wife. I put 110% into every other aspect of my life except myself and I was digging my own early grave. One more day. Keep going. You CAN do it. Friend me if you want support and motivation and I hope to get the same from you guys.

Thanks for reading!