And here I go...

Hi. I'm Lisa and I'm looking to start making some new friends on MFP and really start utilizing every aspect of the site in order to reach my goal. I read posts all the time about the amount of support people get from one another on this site and well, I guess I'm ready to get involved in all that fun stuff

I signed up for MFP about 5 months ago but wasn't really using it. I basically registered just to check out the site...you know, just see what it was about. It didn't really 'click' with me...why? I'm not sure...laziness? Possibly. Regardless, about 2 months ago I had a 'holy cow' moment with girl scout cookies (ended up giving 4 boxes away lol) and decided I was going to start utilizing MFP on a regular basis. But, before I get into all that, let me give a little background...

I was in a 10 year relationship and unfortunately, didn't realize how unhappy I truly was until it all ended in December 2010 and I was away from the chaos I once called my life. I, of course, felt like I lost my mind when it ended but, with the help of some amazing friends, I was able to pull it all together. It was definitely a rough time in my life...I was dealing with a major breakup and about 2 weeks after the breakup, I had an ACL replacement (January 2011) due to a softball injury. My official pre-op weigh-in 2 days before surgery was 264.3 lbs...OMG! I told myself that day that I HAD to do something to change that. I had reached my all time high and just knowing I'm putting the actual number on a 'public' forum is unnerving for me but, hey, it's all about owning it and changing it. Needless to say, due to the surgery, I was out of commission for a few months in regards to exercise but I started to pay attention to what I was eating. In June 2011, I was cleared to do some light walking/jogging so I jumped on that for about a month until I started having some issues with the knee. I was told I had to stop jogging but could walk/bike. I continued to watch my portions and did a little walking here and there. From June 2011-January 2012, I lost about 25 lbs...slow going but I really wasn't doing much outside of portion control. AAAAAAND, January 24th 2012, I quit smoking and have been cigarette free since...I am using an electronic cigarette but I'm finding I'm not using it as much as I was in the beginning.

Since February 2012, I've started jogging again and will continue as long as the knee continues to hold up and I've actually started using MFP a little more regularly I'm down another 15 lbs...weighing in this morning at 224.3...that's 40 lbs total...YAY! I started out in a size 24 (January 2011) and just purchased my first size 16 2 days ago (a skirt...still can't squeeze my thighs into size 16 jeans yet lol)! Yea, I still have a long way to go to reach my goal weight but I'm well on my way.

I just completed my first 5K March 30th (official time 42:39...my goal was under 45 mins YAY!) and signed up for one on April 28th. My plan is to do a 5K each month and I'm also looking into joining a local runners club! I can actually jog 2 miles without stopping now which completely and totally amazes me...I haven't been able to do that since 1999! Go me!

There's a wealth of great information on this site and I've come to love signing in and checking out the boards to learn new things. Right now I am a sponge for information regarding maintaining a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise. I am not on a "diet"...I am making lifestyle changes. I've also found that there's a lot of conflicting information on this site as well but I do the best I can to sort through and research the info.

Oh, and for those still wondering about the 'holy cow' moment I had with girl scout cookies...I was sitting at work and opened a box of girl scout cookies...I took 2 tagalongs out of the box and ate them. For some reason, I sat down at my desk and logged onto MFP...I added the girl scout cookies and saw how many calories just 2 cookies had and for some reason, I freaked. I looked at the label on the box thinking "there's no way!"...uhhhh yea...it was right! At that moment I thought "holy cow...I can only image how many calories I've been eating on a daily basis" because, let's be honest here...I normally would've eaten a whole box of tagalongs within a matter of an hour or 2. I pretty much decided, at that point, to start logging my food moreso as a guide to help me start making healthier food choices. Since then, I've been logging my food Mon-Fri but I still need to get myself in check when it comes to the weekends. I still watch what I eat on Saturday & Sunday but I usually don't log...and yes, I know I need to start

Anyway, I am happier now than I have been in a very long time. I look forward to continuing my 'journey' here on MFP and hope to meet some really great people.