5'8" and Down 32 lbs With Pictures!

I reached my goal weight (and have lost a couple more lbs since then!) a couple weeks ago, so I thought it was finally time to share my story on the message boards! Basically I played sports and was pretty active up until my senior year of high school and then put on weight my last couple years of college due to a busy schedule, not wanting to cook for myself, and living off campus so I rarely made it to the rec. I lost some weight my last semester in preparation for my graduation and wedding (the month after) and felt good about myself at my wedding and on my honeymoon. I put on 30+ lbs in my first 18 months of marriage - We were busy, I was stressed, but I was also happy/comfortable. After going on a cruise in November and coming home to a ridiculous amount of eating for Thanksgiving, I was at my heaviest weight ever -- 190 lbs. I hated pictures of me and was totally unhappy in my body.

I knew it was time for a real change - A lifestyle change. So I joined My Fitness Pal, cut pop out of my diet, tracked everything I ate, and started with walking for exercise. From there, I started running, we bought an elliptical, and I started going to Zumba regularly. I add in 30 Day Shred, P90X, and a few other workout videos to keep things interesting. I'm currently at 158 lbs and am toning for our vacation for our 2nd anniversary in June! I've since become a Beachbody Coach and I completed my first 5K last weekend! I love my active lifestyle now, and am so glad it's something I can stick with even after losing the weight.

I'm by no means an expert, but I love giving encouragement and advice when I can! It really does become a habit/way of life - Just stick with it! My biggest piece of advice is to not restrict yourself so much that you're totally unhappy. I still ate at my favorite restaurants and went out for drinks with friends, I just learned to find healthier alternatives and made sure I got a good workout in that day. I also learned not to reward myself with food - This sounds obvious, but I used to do it all the time. Instead, when I hit the halfway point, I rewarded myself with new running tights. When I hit my goal weight, I ordered 2 new swim suits from Victoria's Secret. They're little things that kept me motivated and made me feel even better about myself!

Here are some before pictures taken in November 2011:





And here are some after pictures from March 2012:






{One of my new swim suits!}

Aaand some side by side comparisons:


{Wearing the same shirt in both photos}


{And wearing the same swim suit!}