My Weight Loss Journey So Far...

Posted on June 28, 2016

When I look at my weight loss journey so far, I am just baffled as to how it's gone. I know that no journey is perfect. You need to have bumps in the road because nothing ever comes easy, and this most definitely hasn't.

If anyone is interested, this is my journey (so far)...

It all started a few years ago. I want to say in 2011, but I'm not 100% sure. I remember thinking that I wanted to lose weight and I had to get there. Pretty sure I started in the 190s. I was around 22 at the time. I successfully lost 15 pounds, but I didn't keep it off.

January 2013 - One horrible break up. I was 202 pounds and knew that I had to make another change in my life. I stopped eating because I just couldn't cope with what was going on. I noticed the pounds started to drop. I liked the change that I was seeing. I suddenly wouldn't let myself eat anymore than 800 calories in a day. I felt fine and I wasn't hungry. But then something changed. I joined a gym. I started to workout and I could no longer live on that few calories. I made myself aware of what I was eating. I tracked food and I did everything I could to keep losing weight. In 6 months, I lost over 30 pounds. I felt amazing. I was on cloud 9. It was during this time I also got a boyfriend (now husband). Life was amazing.

I had found a love for running then. I would run a few times a week and it was my number one stress release. Who knew the fat girl in high school would love to run? Definitely not me. Enter shin splints. I had gotten them so bad it hurt to walk sometimes. Another way I would cope with stress? I would eat. And that's exactly what I did. I put back on 40 pounds. More than what I lost. By September 2013, I was up to 212 pounds, and very unhappy. I had just moved to a new town and didn't know anyone. I didn't want to walk to the gym because it was across town (an 18-minute walk). I was lazy. I got comfortable. My boyfriend loved me and my body, so why change it? Who cares if it made me unhappy.

August 2014 - We got engaged. This was it. My time to drop the weight! I was going to look smokin' hot in my wedding dress, and wanted to be in the single digits. The universe had another plan. September 2014, I found out I was pregnant (no doubt too much engagement celebrating ;)). That put weight loss on hold. I got a job at the local YMCA and had a free gym membership that I couldn't wait to use when I had the baby.

May 2015 - I had a beautiful baby girl. I had to have a c-section with her. I started my pregnancy at 208 pounds and the day before I was induced, I was 240. Not bad all things considering. I used to eat horrible. Chips all the time. Donuts. I ate probably 80 pounds of potatoes during my entire pregnancy. I was certain I was going to have gestational diabeties. Nope. Not me.

October 2015 - I married my best friend. I wore a size 20 on my wedding day, and I wanted to be a size 8. I didn't feel any less beautiful. My husband loves me for me and not for the size of my body. He didn't care what size I was. And I look back on it, and I don't care either. I looked gorgeous in that dress, and now it will be my favourite pictures to compare my weight loss too. Plus, I know a lot of brides lose the weight for the wedding, but they don't maintain it when it's done. I'd rather lose after and keep it off.

November 2015 - I was finally healed from my c-section. It took forever to heal. Because of my size, it kept getting infected and I couldn't keep it clean properly. It was horrible. I HAD to make a change. I was stuck around 220 and not going anywhere fast. It still took me a month to get back to the gym. But I did.

I joined a DietBet Transformer for January 1, 2016. That was almost 6 months ago. I've lost almost 40 pounds with no signs of letting up. This time just feels so much different than all the other ones. I've had obstacles and road blocks. My love for junk food comes back time and time again. I'm teaching myself a balanced lifestyle and it takes a lot of work. I'll go about a week with eating horrible most of the time, and after that week is done, I feel so horrible that it reminds me why I'm doing this.

My goal is to lose about 20 more pounds, and then try for another baby with my husband. I want to be healthy. I want to be fit. I want to be able to keep up with my children. They are my biggest motivation. I want them to have a mom they are proud of. I want to be a mom that I'm proud of being. I want to be the best for them, for my husband, and for myself.

And you know what...
I will be.

Comment Now!

Bella

12/17/2018 8:59AM

I love this! changing because you love your body and want it to be alright for your children, and not because you hate your body seems like such a good motivator, and I wish you all the best

Good luck to you.

It sounds like you're on track this time around. You are beautiful in your wedding dress. Imagine how much mire beautiful you'll be and how much healthier as you keep dropping weight. I've yo-yo dieted most of my life but this time I really want to finally get it together before this weight kills me. The last time I was 110 lbs was when I was 30. I steadily gained until I hit 278. I've carried this extra weight around for the last 30 years now (I'm 61). I've lost 54 lbs in the last year and still losing. You've got this! I have faith in you! ????

Julie Lama

06/28/2016 8:24PM

It's often a yoyo for all of us. What matters is you always get back on track. Never give up on you :)

Julie Lama

06/28/2016 8:18PM

Absolutely. We will cheer you all the way. You do look beautiful in your dress. But you will feel better and better as you progress. It is worth it and so are you :) You got this.

LilyN

06/28/2016 4:38PM

Wow, you're doing such a good job this time around!! Keep up the good work! I'm struggling with starting over and over again, but I'm trying to remind myself that if I can keep going, I'll get there eventually. Maybe it's slower than I'd like, but it's still progress.

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