One year on MFP with before/after pictures

Oh my goodness, I can't believe that its been a year already! Also, NSV for me, I have been on here for 365 (ish) days, and I have logged in for 230 in a row! I haven't logged food in all of those days, but the majority I have.

Before Pics:





After Pics:

I'm the one in the dotted shirt second from the right.





Here is my story:

I started a fitness program on my birthday last year, August 19. I started at 5'3 and 199.5 pounds, and I vowed on my last birthday that I wouldn't look the same next year. I looked at the pictures of myself, and I was well and thoroughly disgusted. I couldn't believe I'd once been an athlete and I'd sunk to this level. Looking back I could easily see how it had happened, and I never want get there again.

I started a weight loss challenge on my birthday last year with my ex's mom, who sells Herbalife products. We had moved in together about 4 months previous, and the weight gain skyrocketed for both of us, as neither of us was willing to learn how to cook, and McDonald's became our go to for dinner. So I started this challenge, and I just about cried when I saw the scale almost tip 200. I vowed then and there that I would not be over 200 EVER.

I liked the Herbalife stuff, and after 6 weeks on the program, I lost 15 pounds, which was a great motivational tool for me, as that's about when I used to give up if I didn't start seeing results. I was also down a dress size and a half at that point. The plan was shakes twice a day, and a healthy dinner and one healthy snack. Calories were limited to 1200 per day, which is what MFP did for me too. I love to eat, and I remember being starving the first three weeks of the program. I realized very quickly that diet wasn't going to be enough, and I started exercising, in part because I knew that the more I exercised, the more I could eat, and I looove food

After the six weeks was done, I started to seriously learn how to cook, and I can now half decently cook chicken, steak, pork and I'm learning with salmon. I also learned how to make lower calorie mashed potatoes (one of my favorites) and I started to eat fruits at meals as well as for snacks. I cut down to just one shake a day in the morning, and eating a healthy lunch during the day, because I found that eating my calories filled me up more than drinking them, even with the protein powder in the shakes. I did really well with bringing my lunch every day, and having lots and lots of salad. I also cut down on costs as well, as I wasn't buying my lunch and dinner every day. My greatest weakness is Starbucks lattes, and I finally did some digging on their website and started getting skinny lattes, and smaller sizes, so I could factor my one-two coffees a day into my calorie count. I also did a lot of research, and I follow my own diet program, which incorporates parts of The Zone, Herbalife and the P90X meal plan now.

I also started to run, and I conquered my plantar fasciitis, which was one of the things holding me back before. I would use that as an excuse not to run, but then I joined the gym at my work, and used the elliptical instead. As I lost the weight, the plantar went away, and it hasn't troubled me since about October of last year. I also went to a running store and bought an orthopedic sock that kept my foot flat while I slept, and it made a world of difference. I'd highly recommend it to anyone that is suffering from this, it didn't cost a lot, and once you get used to wearing it, it's amazing!

About October, I broke up with my ex. It was a long time coming, but I vowed that it wouldn't affect my weight loss. I won't go into details, but it was the best decision that I have made, and it was the right one for me. He wasn't a jerk, he didn't cheat on me, but we just grew apart, and I knew it was the right thing to do. After moving out and crying for three days, I threw myself right back into my weight loss regime, and used that as motivation. I still talk to him and his family, and I like to think that we can be friends in the future.

Moving back home was a great move for me, as my mom has always been into healthy living, and my weight loss greatly sped up with her healthy home cooked meals, and having the home gym for the days I didn't feel like working out right after work. With the treadmill in the basement, I really didn't have an excuse. I also decided that I wanted to get into rugby again, but I couldn't do it even at the weight I was at then, so I started to throw some interval training into my running around November, when I plateaued at about 170 pounds. It was enough to kickstart my weight loss again, and I dropped to 160 pounds in January, then 150 in March. I started my treadmill program with 4 sets of running 5 min at 5 MPH, and walking 1 minute at 3 MPH.

I also quit my job at the end of June, which was hands down the best decision I have made work wise. I loved the girls I worked with, but absolutely hated the company and how my management was treating me. I also started to gain back a little bit of weight, which I attributed to the severely high stress level I was dealing with. Once I quit, it felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders. Within a week, I had a temp job lined up that would take me until I left for Europe (something I decided to do when I quit my job-crazy hey?). I'd always wanted to travel and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to do it, before I was locked down in a mortgage. My parents weren't too happy initially, as I used the money I was saving for a down payment for my trip lol. I ended up with a nice two week vacation, then six weeks of work, and then leaving for my trip the next week. The job is busy, but is way less stressful than the other was, and even though I took a day but, it was totally worth it.

Now:

My weight is 145.5 pounds, and I run 3 miles 3-4 times a week, and my average running pace is between 6-6.5 MPH, and my sprinting pace is 8 MPH, and I am so much faster than I was before. I love the feeling that my legs are ready to give out before my breath is, it means that I am recovering faster from my intervals. I'm also doing strength training three times a week. I went from a size 16 to a size 9, and my BMI is just over 25, so I'm almost in the healthy range!

This rugby season was a recovery season for me, since I hadn't played in over three years, and I was really nervous at the beginning of the season. I was not scared to get hit, but rather that I was screwing up all the time. I didn't want to be the person on the team that no one wanted to play with. I should have known better though, the girls I play with are the all the nicest, sweetest girls that I know, and are so encouraging to me. I started this year at a new position, after having only played one position in my entire career, and they were all super supportive of me. Our season has now ended, and I know I didn't play up to my potential, but I will be ready for next year, and I'm planning to do some intensive off season training in the meantime. If there's one thing I've learned, its that I must train in the off season and on my days off of rugby to play best.

Summer has been fun so far, although bikini shopping didn't go nearly as well as planned. I ended up wearing my old one from three years ago, which is an NSV on its own, as it fits better now then it did then. I have some stretch marks across my stomach which really bother me, but I've been assured many times that they aren't noticable unless I point them out, and that I'm worrying too much I started at a size 16, and now am a size 9-10, depending on the store. I kept one old Halloween costume at a size 16 to remind myself of how I'll never be there again, and I've never been so excited to donate clothes before! I also fit into a lot of my sister's old clothes, which makes me feel great.

I have kind of been losing motivation over the past couple of months, but I also think that it's because I'm getting down to a size and weight that I'm comfortable with. I am starting to be less strict with my eating, but I figure that this is going to be normal, and as long as I'm still getting stronger, I can do this guilt free. Once I hit maintenance mode that's what I'll be doing. Moderation is key here, no eating a full pack of Twizzlers in one sitting. I am still having some problems with willpower and eating in moderation, but I am getting much much better at it. I also find that I don't crave fast food anymore, even though I do eat it on occasion. Most of the time if I do eat it, I find myself getting a chicken salad, or the chicken burger with no sauce, and I don't get a side because the burger itself fills me up. I drink tons of water now, but I am starting to drink more pop too, which is another thing I have to work on.

In essence, I have a lot to work on, but I am definitely night and day from last year and I'm super proud of myself, and I love the support and motivation I get from the people around me and from this site. It's made such a difference to me being accountable and tracking my calories. I definitely couldn't have made it this far without it!