A teeny tiny person who now likes to lift heavy things - a story in progress pics.

Progress Pics.

Looking back, I probably should have taken more photos, but I preferred to be the one behind the camera.

Keep in mind, I am 4'9 (145cm) tall - or short I guess, so weight distributes differently, particularly with my very short legs.

The first pic, from June 2012 isn't me at my heaviest. But it's the only photo I've got. And that day I felt horrid. It was my youngest SIL's wedding day. I was surrounded by tall & skinny late-teens/early-20s girls who had never had kids. I know logically that I would be different particularly as I was at least 10-15 years older, but it still didn't feel good.

I decided to start 5:2 in March/April 2013. After trying multiple things. And them not working. Stopping and starting, feeling like a failure. Getting sicker each week - non-stop migraines, UTI's, sicknesses, aches, pains, everything. I figured why not try something a little different, it couldn't hurt. And I guess it all sort of started clicking together.

I started walking with friends for exercise, and learning about the food I ate and how much I actually needed. I found MFP and learned more. I read and read more and listening even more and tried new things. That led to learning to run again and Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred followed by Ripped in 30.

And that's where I re-discovered my love of strength training.
I'd be very into gymnastics at school. I couldn't do it properly because we couldn't afford it, but I had a very kind PE teacher who would show me some things, I vividly remember being able to do chin-ups when no-one else could. I wanted that back.

The second picture is November 2013. I'd been maintaining for about a month. I had just started playing around with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I didn't have all the equipment, but I was giving it a red-hot go with what I had.

Jan-March 2014. I'd bought a proper bar and weights with some Christmas vouchers and I knuckled down and got stuck in to some serious weight lifting. I kept learning about food and nutrition. Less isn't always best. Food is fuel.

Oh, and yeah, in the March photo I'm standing on a chair in my bathroom. I really am that freaking short

I had up days and down days and weeks where I didn't know whether anything would ever change. But it did. Slowly, but surely. Even when there were some weeks were I didn't exercise at all, and my eating habits left an awful lot to be desired.

I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to be healthy. And it was happening.

I got up the courage to start participating in one group in particular here on MFP - the girls in the NROL4W group are some of the best women I have ever had the pleasure to get to 'know'. They are encouraging, they'll pull you up if need be and they are always there for each other. And they are all freaking awesome.

September 2014. You better believe I can do handstands. I can even do handstand pushups (and have the video to prove it).

October 2014. I got my husband to take that photo yesterday. I finished the New Rules of Lifting for Women program last week, and today I started NROL Supercharged. I'm stronger, I'm fit, I'm fast and most importantly I'm HEALTHY.

Oh and chin-ups? They are totally mine. Pull-ups too.

These days, I still fast once or twice a week, depending on how I feel. I dabbled in other forms of IF for a while, but I've come back to what I know and what makes me feel good. Calories don't bother me so much as what I am eating these days - and I eat for fuel and for health. My tastes have changed. Yes, I can still devour an entire brownie batch in one sitting, but that's okay - I try not to put myself in that situation too often (I make freaking awesome brownies though ).

Do you want to know the best bit?

At my lowest ever adult weight (at a much, much younger age lol), I was NEVER THIS SMALL.

I weigh at least 3kg heavier than that weight, and yet I am about 2-3 sizes smaller.

Right now I'm headed out the door to help a friend to start running. I kind of like being the encourager now - I'm giving back some of the help I got.

I'm still a work in progress. I will never, ever be 'done'. This is me for life. And I kinda like that.