Progress Pics - 21 lbs and 20 inches

I still want to lose more but I'm proud of how far I've come. Granted, it's taken me almost a year but slow and steady right? I think the biggest takeaway I have from this go at losing weight is I just don't give up. Yes I slip, yes I gain and take two step forwards followed by one step back, but I don't go into a full on spiral back to binge eating and packing on all the weight I lost and then some. Which is my usual M.O.

I have trialed and errored so much. I've tried numerous routines and diets and was successful for a while, then learned it wasn't for me. But rather than just quit all together, I moved on to something different until I found what works for me. I learned I am not a dieter, I just simply love food and that's that. I also have no willpower, so there is never junk food or snack food in my house, I just can't resist it. I can't go to a BBQ and not want to eat something from every dish and dessert, so I just try and be smart, a little less potato salad, a little more green beans and a small bite of dessert for me oh and WATER WATER all day everyday! Tons of water!

What took me almost this entire year to find out is I love lifting weights, and I love crossfit. This has been life changing for me, before I hated lifting and I didn't like pushing myself. But this class, the workouts are always different, my coaches are so encouraging, and the culture in general is just awesome. My classmates push me and motivate me to do better and be stronger. It's affected other aspects of my life, I feel like I can take on other challenges and want to challenge myself. Feeling stronger physically has made me feel stronger intellectually and emotionally. I love it!

So here I am, a work in progress, hoping so badly that one day I will be a full blown success story. Good luck to everyone on the same journey as me, it may not be easy, but we'll get there! Just don't get discouraged, life will happen, you will make mistakes but learn from them! Eating bad for one day won't make you gain all your weight back just like eating good for one day won't make you lose all your weight. Don't give up, don't ever give up!