Need post-turkey motivation? Look here!

Hi everyone! I wasn't going to post my before and after pics until after New Years, but it seems like many are struggling after Thanksgiving to find motivation to lose weight and get healthy. So I thought I'd try to help :flowerforyou:

Some background on me: I am 23 and 5'3 on a tall day. I was born with a dislocated hip which has been fixable after several surgeries; however, it has left me unable to participate in contact sports or running (or even wearing heels!). It has also left me with arthritis at the ripe old age of 23, particularly in both knees. I also have IBS and I'm lactose intolerant, and I have struggled with disordered eating tendencies. I tell you all of this so that if someone out there is reading this - like I once did several months ago - and is thinking, "oh, I could never give up (insert food here)" or "I can't exercise, I've got a bad (insert body part here)", that they know it IS possible with will power, determination, and planning!

I joined MFP in July 2011, a few months after being involved in a fairly serious car accident. After numerous doctor appointments and seeing that unfavorable number on the scale over and over, I finally decided it was time to take control of my lifestyle. I was always rather small in high school and college, but after graduating, the desk job weight packed on and I was at an all-time high weight of 140. I was uncomfortable, I felt unsexy, and most of all, I was scared of the impact that extra weight would have on my already fragile body. So I joined a local gym with a friend, found this website, and made one little change at a time.

Here's me around April 2011 at 140 pounds:



Slowly but surely, those little changes paid off and I became healthier and healthier. My IBS symptoms have all but disappeared now that I've cut back on processed foods - and those of you with IBS know how valuable that is. To get around all of my limitations with exercising, I tried out a spin class and found that I have a passion for it. I also swim at a local pool and I love that too! Once I hit my goal weight of 122 at the beginning of November, I tried out weight training at the gym. It was intimidating, but every time I go, I'm more comfortable.

Here's me at 120 pounds, my lowest weight since high school!



I'm still working on some things - I want to keep getting stronger and lose 1-2 more pounds. But hey, it's a lifestyle change, right? My boyfriend and I have made plans to bike the C&O Canal near Washington, DC next summer, so I'm excited to start training for that. Every once and a while I have to take a step away from MFP and logging to regain my sanity and keep my obsessiveness in check, but MFP has been an invaluable tool in my weight loss journey. I could not have done it without all of the support and knowledge I've found here!

Thanks for reading, and I hope this inspires someone else just like I've been inspired by these posts!