11 months, 60 pounds, and newfound confidence

I started this journey (again!) on January 1, 2014, and as of today (11/28/14), have lost over 60 lbs. and gained confidence. I have gone up and down with my weight many times throughout my life. In 2010, I lost 65 lbs (210 - 145), but I gained it back and more! What made me gain weight? It's all due to my poor choices. I ate too much, and when I started that cycle of eating a lot, it just continued day after day. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2013, but that's not ultimately why I gained so much weight. I wasn't being honest with myself about how many calories I was eating. I stopped exercising. I've attached two before pictures.
My Fitness Pal helped me SO much along the way. Reading the success stories and motivating tips was instrumental to me keep on moving at times when I wanted to stop.

Stats: 5'7, SW: 230, CW: 165.


Some tips that I learned along the way:

- Don't beat yourself up if you deviate from your plan and indulge. I used to think that if I went off-plan and over ate one day or meal, that everything was ruined. It's not true! Some even argue that a few days of extra calories can help break through a plateau. Just be sure to not beat yourself up about it and get right back to it.
- Make a plan and include both short and long-term goals. When I was 60 pounds heavier, today seemed so far away. It helps me to think about losing 5 pounds in a month, instead of just the end goal.
- Find an exercise activity that you enjoy. I never thought I would enjoy running as much as I do now. Also, I adore my boot camp classes. It's inspiring being around motivating instructors and like-minded people with similar fitness goals. Yes, weight loss is mostly a result of food intake. Personally, I find that the combination of calorie counting and exercise gives me the best results for my goals.
- Surround yourself by a positive support network. It's so helpful to be around people who understand and are supportive of my weight loss journey.
- Think about your journey as a lifetime change, not just a diet. Yes, you can modify your calories for maintenance once you get there. Overall, I am working to maintain my fitness level and health forever, not just while I'm in weight loss mode.
- Take pictures so you can see your progress. I actually don't have many full-body pics and now I want to see them - it's motivating to see progress.

I am not done yet, as I still have about 20 pounds to go to reach my goal. I've learned to not focus on the scale as much, even though I do plan to weigh myself consistently. I plan to start training for a half marathon in 2015, and I can't wait to start.

A few recent pictures are included.

Thanks for reading!