My Story

I started my lifestyle change on June 5th 2013. I have struggled with weight all of my adult life. I weight the same today as I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my son. In December of 2011, I weighed for the first time in years, I was shocked and disgusted to see the 263lb on the scale. How could I have let myself go like that. So, I joined a gym that January and started taking Zumba classes. It was great for the first 60 days or so, but my mind-frame still wasn't there. I didn't care what I ate, I didn't care what I was drinking and I certainly wasn't making sure to watch my macros at all. I went to the Doctor because my left ankle was swelling something terrible, I now know after seeing several specialist and countless regular doctors that they are as stumped as I am. So they gave me an endless supply of water pills & potassium to help with the swelling, since there is no pain involved that was the only thing they thought would help. So I took them as directed and lost tons of weight. I went from 260 to 215 within 3 months. I began to burn out. Working out was more of a chore than anything and I was already eating what I wanted and drinking Dr Pepper left and right. So in April I gave up, why? I still don't know an answer to that. Within 8 months my eight was right back up to 250.

In January 2012 I started beach body's Les Mills Combat (great program) I lost down to 235 but suffered a back injury from bad form and was benched for 90 days. My birthday was May 6th, I weighed again for the first time in a while and saw the scale again at 247. So I was like I'm going to do something about this, this time. So I logged into My Fitness Pal and started logging my calories. I was so shocked to see that I was normally eating close to 3500 calories a day 1/2 of those I was drinking. I cut out my sodas cold turkey. 

June 5th, I was folding clothes and flipping through channels, to take my mind off the task at hand. When I came across Extreme Weight Loss the episode with Meredith Prince. For the 2 hours, I think I folded 3 towels, I was entranced. Her story struck a cord with me that change my life. The one thing I took away from that was that I first needed to change my thoughts about myself, learn about nutrition and find an exercise program I loved and that challenged me. I also needed to find the cause of my habits, and set the course of change in motion. Chris Powell said "the change begins within, then you work out the outside". I vowed that day that I was going to change. I had to change. Meredith's tattoo said "Believe it, Be it 155" that was my goal weight too. So the next day I made my changes, I started eating healthier, I created a new My Fitness Pal account (clean start no old reminders) and I started to walk from our apartment down to the track, through the woods, across the bridge and back. By the time I had finished my 2.6 mile track that day I was exhausted. I could barely carry my body back up our three flights of stares to get home. But you know what I felt good. So I kept at it. I added sprints to my walk, then jogging, and as of 07/30 I ran my first full mile! 

I had picked a hard month to start my journey, unknowingly. The day after I made my commitment to myself my husband found out that the job he had been with for 6 months was closing it's office here in Georgia. No biggie right, take it to the track. About 2 weeks later we get a call that his grandmother had passed away in Minnesota. So we jump on a plane and head to Hutchinson, MN. 10 days after we get back from his grandmothers funeral, my fraternal grandmother passes away. I'm thinking how much more can be thrown at me this month. I was so upset. Before I would have turned to food and just shut down, probably gained another 30lbs due to depression. What did I do you ask? I took all my pain, all my frustration and all my grief out to the track. I could cry, scream, let off steam and pray  out on that track. If anything it has made me stronger!

Since June 5th I've lost 21lbs. No pills, no gimmicks just better eating and hard work. I've recently started to add weight training in to my routine. I can't wait to see what the next 60 days will be like!
If you can get into the right mind-frame nothing can stand in your way. Believe in yourself and you can do amazing things.