155 pounds lost: from 300 to 145

Some stats, for the tl;dr crowd before you skip to the pictures... I started January 2013 at 300 pounds (possibly a little more as I had not weighed myself for a long time) and now at 145. I've lost 9 inches on my bust, 13 on my waist, and 17 on my hips. I went from size 24 (a TIGHT 24) to a 6-8. I have a 21 day streak due to phone issues, but prior to 3 weeks ago I was at 800. Womp womp.

So, the story! I have always been overweight, and my BMI has grown throughout the years to the super morbidly obese category. I wasn't that sad and tragic fat girl. I was fairly happy and had awesome friends and a great family. I was never bullied about my weight, and I got very few insults growing up. I had great friends who never mentioned my weight, or their weight, or how much I would eat, or how much I would eat. It's like something people danced around. I always ate too much, and the wrong thing, and genuinely had no concept of nutrition. The idea of calories in, calories out was so foreign to me. I never really tried to lose weight, but the few times I did, I thought it meant I should just not eat. Then I would (obviously) end up eating everything.

After college is when my weight really started to build. I wasn't super happy with myself, was eating way too much, and drinking too much as well. I didn't have a job that helped me to feel fulfilled, and didn't have the build in large group of friends I had had the rest of my life. I gained quite a bit of weight in a year in a half.

I would not be where I am today if it weren't for 2 things: getting a new job in a small town, and a guy named Steve. In the fall of 2012, I moved 4 hours from my hometown to take a new job that I was really excited about. I decided I was going to make a huge change since I had a chance to start over. I did a minimal amount of research, bought all healthy food, and had the best of intentions. I lasted about a week before I went back to buying pizzas and ice cream. My job was hard, the social life in the small town was practically non-existent, and I missed my friends and family. I ended up gaining more weight. I told myself I would eat and live the way I was living until January 1st, 2013. Yeah. I was a resolutioner.

On January 2nd, 2013, I joined myfitnesspal. I read the forums. I was inspired by success stories, and I actually UNDERSTOOD the calories in and calories out. I went shopping again. I bought foods that I liked, along with healthy foods. I weighed out portions. I taught myself how to cook. I indulged when appropriate. I put myself out there and made friends in my new town. My job got easier. Feeling better, eating better, having more self-confidence... it all lead to a better life, which lead to wanting to continue to do better.

Although the first year all I did was eat better, I added in exercise last summer. I was lucky enough to get a job back in my hometown, and moved back to be close to family and old friends. As a kid who was never able to run a quarter mile during the mile fitness test in PE, I never thought I could run. I decided I wanted to run a 5k, which seemed like such a lofty goal last July when I started training. I met a man named Steve who played in a community band I had just joined. I told him how much I was hating running, how boring it is, and how I didn't think I would keep up with it. As someone who had run many big races, he gave me some tips to make it more fun and how to train. I took the tips and started applying them. As a retired engineer, Steve left for the Winter and came back for the summer in May. By the time he came back in May, I had finally done my 5k (in December!) and was running pretty steadily, usually 3 or 4 miles. I told him I wanted to try a 10k, so I started training for that. Once I passed the 6 mile mark, it ended up going really quickly. Steve found a 10k for us, but by then I decided I wanted to try a half marathon. We started running together, and with his help I will absolutely be ready for our September 20th half marathon. This morning I ran 12 miles. 12 miles, you guys. I just want someone to tell my 9th grade gym teacher that I can run 12 miles at less than 10 miles per hour.

I'm not sure what the future will hold. Obviously, there's skin. The lose skin, especially the large amount on my belly, is frustrating and I'm coming to terms with the fact that it's probably not going to tighten up. Most of the skin of my arms has, so I'm still holding out hope. I haven't done as much weight training as I'd like. Once I finish the half, that will be more of my focus. I'm at about 145 now, although I flucuate between 142-147 pretty consistently. I'd like to lose another 10 pounds, but I'm not quite as focused on the number now so much as the measurements and how my clothes fit. I'm really proud of the things my body can do, and the things my mind have done as well!

And now, everyone's favorite... pictures!

Before:


Sometime in 2011

Sometime in 2012

April 2012

December 2011

Now (I think all pics are from July):





Congrats if you made it through this huge essay! If you're new, if you're not, if you've lost, if you plan to lose, whatever.. feel free to add me. I think I have 20 friends. One day maybe I'll hit 25!