It's been a year! [Pictures]

Well I just got back from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and while I was there marked my one year fitiversary! Funny how it worked out that way, almost like a reward for sticking to this for a year.

It was wonderful being there, and being in a bathing suit and not hating every second of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not done and don't have the body that I want just yet. But how I look now compared to how I looked a year ago is such an incredible improvement, it was enough to make me actually enjoy being in a bathing suit.

Over the past year I've had ups and downs, I do my workout at 4:30 a.m., so there have been a lot of missed days over the year due to the alarm not me waking up, or the alarm waking me up and me telling it to f-off haha This is my first time ever trying to lose weight, so I had no clue what I was doing, no clue how it was going to go, and no clue how hard it was going to be both physically and emotionally. I also told myself on that day I started, that once I had lost some weight, I would quit smoking. Well good news, while I was in Dominican I quit! My last cigarette was 12 days ago, not very long, but much longer than 12 minutes ago!

Shortly after deciding that I wanted to lose weight, I found out that I had really high cholesterol. I was put on medication for it and between my low-dosage meds and losing weight, I have dropped it drastically! I have hoped to get off the medication completely, but I don't think that will happen. It runs in my family, and sometimes you just can't help your genes. I've grown to accept it, although it sucks being 21 years old and being on cholesterol medication.

I had never struggled with weight issues before, and never was one to work out, or watch what I ate what-so-ever. When I was 16 I found out I was pregnant. Had my son at 17, and I never quite bounced back to what my body did look like, but I still wasn't overweight. In 2013 was when I went off the deep end. I became someone that just loved to eat, loved the way everything tasted. Even when I wasn't hungry, the thought of how good things tasted won the battle and I would eat anyways. I saw this picture of me after our annual trip to Michigan for Father's Day in 2013, and I thought: eh, it was just a bad angle...CAN YOU SAY DENIAL!?



Then when I saw this picture from Christmas 2013, I got a little more concerned, but I just didn't do anything about it. I was nervous about starting to go to a gym, and my love for food was above all else.



At the most ridiculous time, I decided enough was enough. During the Superbowl early 2014, my fiance's sister and her fiance were over for the game. We started talking about her wedding in August of that year, and she said that we were going to do the bridesmaid dress shopping soon. Hearing that made me freak out. I told her I wanted to lose weight before the wedding, she said she did too, and right there we got our phones, signed up for a membership at the gym by our house, and decided we would start going the next morning. Of all times, during the Superbowl, where there's beer and all kinds of not-so-good for you food around us. We decided it was time to fix ourselves.

The next morning, got up at 4:00 a.m., weighed myself and took some pictures. I knew I looked bad, but I don't think I realized how bad until I began losing weight and inches, and seeing side-by-sides of my improving body.

I'm 5'3" and the morning of February 3, 2014's stats were:
169.2 pounds
Chest: 36"
Waist 35"
Hips 40"

The stats on January 30, 2015 for my most recent weigh in were:
147 pounds
Chest 34"
Waist 29"
Hips 38"

So a total weight loss of 22.2 pounds. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, and every once in a while I start obsessing over the scale again and beating myself up over that dumb number. But the progress pictures are what show the real success...and anyone who doesn't take them, I would suggest you start now. Because they help tremendously when you're feeling down.







While on my trip, my fiance and I went zip lining. The physical activity that goes into it really surprised me, and I kept thinking to myself man, if I was trying to do this a year ago, I would have just quit. I wouldn't have been able to complete the course. Between all the stairs, lifting yourself onto and off of the line, walking from line to line, the strength you have to use to make yourself stop at the end of the line, holding your body up so the wind doesn't slow you down, it was exhausting! But well worth it, and I'm glad I was in shape and able to complete it.



And I took a picture with a snake! Which I only look a little terrified in haha.



And an adorable monkey



There's no way I would have taken those pictures by the pool a year ago. And I don't think I would have enjoyed my trip as much as I did if I was heavier. We even made sure to have gym time on vacation, and hearing the people we were hanging out with out there say "Oh wow! They're 'workout people!'" about my fiance and I felt pretty damn good!

Confidence is key, and I enjoy life more now knowing that I'm bettering myself.



And today I started C25K to start training for a 5K mud run my fiance and I want to do. I've never been a runner, so this will be a huge accomplishment for me.

I think my goal weight will be around 125 pounds, but again I don't obsess too much over that number. I'm getting married in September 2016 and want to start wedding dress shopping by September of this year, so I'm hoping to love my body even more by then!

Thank you for reading! And if you just browsed the pictures, thank you for looking

Feel free to add me if you'd like, and I hope this inspired at least one person. (*)