My year with myfitnesspal from 240 to 167 lbs

So I started in January last year. At first it was just using myfitnesspal as a tracking tool with my goal set to 2 lbs per week. Tracking my food, I mean really tracking my food opened my eyes up to how I was eating and how I got to 240 lbs. In fact I was probably heavier than 240 when I first started but it took me a bit to drag out the scale. I did the following as well, but the one thing that remained consistent was tracking and logging my foods - which I believe made the biggest difference (no food restrictions, just trying to eat within my calories to get that deficit):

-I started at the gym with a beginner weight training guide and cardio
-I switched over the to the (free) nike training app and did two plans of 4 and 6 weeks in duration
-I started to run more on the treadmill as I got lighter and it didn't hurt so much
-I started getting serious about weight training and did 5x5 stronglifts for 12 weeks (check out the resources online and the free app)
-I spoke kindly to myself
-I set milestone rewards for every 5 lbs lost in the beginning such as - buy a charm for my bracelet, get my nails done, buy a new piece of clothing, treat yourself to an at home spa day ... (after about 50 lbs lost I didn't do this as much but might start it up again!)

It hasn't always been easy and every day is not perfect. What I find is that consistency is key. If you have a bad day then leave that behind and don't let it sabotage your continued progress. I went from a size 16-18/xl to now a size 6 and a sm/m. I have so much more energy now! I have a routine, and I have renewed goals for 2019.

I just want to encourage anyone starting out that you never know how far you can come in a year, so give yourself a chance, don't give up on yourself and just do what you can each day until it adds up!

I'm excited to see where I will be next year! how about you?