50 pounds down, how many more to go?

As a 911 Dispatcher, I have a pretty sedentary life. I had tried other diet plans before and would lose a few pounds and then fall off the wagon.

On September 21, 2016 I woke up with crippling back pain. I could barely move. That same week, I had been forced to order new uniforms for work. Those two events back to back triggered my desire to lose weight.

I started by just walking and cutting back on what I ate. After the first few pounds came off relatively easy, I got into meal preppping (which I love and works really well since there are not a lot of options at work). After a little bit of encouragement (read threatening) from some of my friends who are Police Officers and Firefighters I joined a gym and made a commitment to go every day for a month, it was a struggle at first but I did it.

In February 2017, my family and I took a cruise to celebrate my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. I was able to maintain my weight while on the cruise, eating whatever I wanted.

As of yesterday, I'm officially down 51 pounds!!! Excited to see how much further I can go.

Some tips I have for anyone just starting out:
-Download an app to track what you eat and how much you work out
-Find someone who will hold you accountable and celebrate your milestones with you
-Try meal prepping. It's so much easier than you would think and you'll save a ton of money in the long run.
-Join a gym.. it actually turned into a sanctuary for me