The difference a year can make

On April 20, 2014, I joined a gym and went shopping for some healthier foods. It was a small step. But it was the first step I made once I chose to lose weight. I count that day as the beginning of my weight loss. I also took a photo… just a selfie in the mirror of my bedroom… as a "before" shot.

So, now it's a year later. The gym is now a place I belong. It's a place I'm comfortable at. I'm one of the "regulars." The healthier foods are now the staple of my grocery list. Those packaged/boxed foods that I once lived on have long ago expired on the shelves of my cupboards. Some I throw away…. some I try to pawn off on my roommate.
A year ago when I would wake up and get ready to go to the gym I would get strange looks from my roommate…"where are you going?" and "Why are you awake so early? Are you sick?" Today when I get up and and get ready to go workout I get asked "So, is it a gym day or a running day?"
A year ago when I would travel, I would throw some chips and a bunch of candy and snack cakes into a plastic bag for snacks. And stop and get a Dr. Pepper for the road. Today my snacks are loaded up in a cooler and consists of apples, strawberries, green peppers, and celery. All cut up for convenience. And instead of stopping for a Dr. Pepper, I just fill up my water bottle before I leave the house.
A year ago, I had to buy all of my clothes online, because no stores carried sizes large enough to fit me… even the plus-sized stores wouldn't fit me. Today I buy clothes wherever I see cute ones I like. And the plus sized stores still don't fit me. But now it's because they are all too big.
A year ago, the majority of my money was spent on food. Today it's on clothes.
A year ago I had never even heard of MFP. Today I've got 2 of my sisters and at least one niece on it… all of whom joined because they have seen how well it's worked for me.
A year ago I would dream of vacations to places with great food or great scrapbooking stores. Today I dream of vacations to places with great races to run.
A year ago, I went walking with my sisters at a slow to moderate pace… we were just enjoying the fresh air. My sister had forgotten her stroller, so we drug out my dad's old wheelchair and strapped her baby into it so we could push him in it. I was so worn out that by the time we reached the point where we turned around (about a mile), my sister was pushing me in the wheelchair while I held my nephew on my lap. Today, running 4 miles doesn't even phase me.
A year ago when I would offer my opinion on how to lose weight, I would get the eye roll. I could tell exactly what they were thinking. "Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna take advice from HER!" Today, I get asked how to do it.
A year ago I weighed 381 pounds. Today I weigh 218.



These two pictures were taken exactly a year apart.