Operation: Inspiration - 100 lbs lost, great health gained!

My hope is that people who are struggling or feeling overwhelmed by how far they have to go will look at these pictures, read this post, and realize that this is a journey that is going to take a lot of hard work but, with every healthy choice you make about how you will move your body and what you will feed your body, you are getting one step closer to good health, which is infinitely more important than the number on the scale or the size of your clothes. Those will, of course, improve over time as well, but I hope you look at this journey as an opportunity to give yourself the gift of good health.

On September 16, 2010, I woke up and decided that I was done being a gluttonous, lazy person. Enough was enough. I am not sure what the trigger was but, even though I was only 26, I felt OLD. My body ached, I had no energy, and I was miserable.








I dumped all of the junk in our house, replaced it with nutritious foods, and committed to living a healthier, more active life (which includes drinking a LOT of water, by the way).

317 days later (about 10 ½ months), I met my goal of 100 pounds gone! I am fit, healthy, and feel amazing. Best of all, I am confident that I am setting a good example for my friends and family.

Because I didn’t go on a diet but decided to completely change the way I lived, I didn’t really have any major setbacks. I didn’t deprive myself, I just made sensible choices and consumed reasonable portions.

Other than limitations due to food allergies (I’m allergic to milk), there aren’t any “off limits” foods for me; however, I do try to get the most nutritional “bang” for my caloric “buck.” I eat a variety of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and veggies.

I try to indulge cravings with either healthier alternatives or smaller portions (a personal favorite of mine is having almond milk mocha – almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee, stevia – to give me my chocolate and caffeine fix for approximately 65 calories a cup, although I otherwise stick to water as my beverage of choice). Also, if I am going to have something less-than-healthy, I make otherwise very healthy choices throughout the day and/or do some extra exercise.

Speaking of exercise, which I used to HATE (I now love it), I found that doing exercises I enjoy, whether or not they provide the biggest calorie burns, is a good way to get started.
If you find something you like doing, such as walking, then just do that until exercise becomes a habit. Once you have developed the habit of being active, you can start adding in new things and you may be surprised to find that you enjoy more exercises than you imagined.
Walking, which is how I started because I was too out of shape and heavy to do much of anything else, is still one of my primary means of getting exercise, but I absolutely LOVE Zumba – even though I have no rhythm and look like a chicken running around with my head cut off – and am willing to try most other things as well (although I despise the treadmill and elliptical).

For me, this journey has ALWAYS been, first and foremost, about getting healthy. It wasn’t about the number on the scale or my clothing size, although I can’t exactly complain about having gone from a 24W to being able to rock skinny jeans, knee high boots, and an Extra Small shirt (I’m mostly in regular Small, but this shirt worked well)!



Just to put things really into perspective, these are the pants I was wearing before I started this journey. I can now fit my entire body into ONE LEG of these pants!


Now, the ugly – but honest – side of weight loss. Because I was obese for several years, I do have a lot of stretch marks and a bit of loose skin (not lots of it, but some). However, I’m not ashamed of them as they will serve as a reminder of where I was and why I never want to go back. I’d rather be fit and scarred with loose skin than be obese and have that skin all filled up with fat again!


Anyway, I am done trying to lose weight but will continue working hard to become stronger, more toned, and generally more fit.