For the sake of transparency and being held accountable, I decided to periodically upload some blog entries throughout my DB/weight loss journey.
I'm not unfamiliar with weight loss and know that while it's a difficult task it is completely worth the sacrifices made throughout the process. So a little background...
I am currently 26 years old, 183 lbs, and 5'0 tall. I've been overweight my entire life and when I was 12, I was diagnosed with PCOS, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, and hidradenitis suppurativa (yay health problems!).
I first began my weight loss journey in July of 2016 at 230lbs. My moment of "what the fuck am I doing to myself" was a result of going kayaking for the first time on July 4th. I remember standing on the ledge of the pier looking down at the kayak while the guide tried to decide whether to sit me or my friend (a smaller/athletic built male) in the back or in the front. I could tell that he didn't want to embarrass me by sitting me where the bigger individual was supposed to sit, so against his better judgment he sat me in the front.
THEN, on the SAME day, we went to Mount Bonnel (ATX, whoot whoot!) which is beautiful, you should go. I walked my 230lb self up 8.25 flights of stairs and literally thought I was going to die. I stopped multiple times, lungs on fire trying to catch my breath. Got to the top, sat down and continued to try and catch my breath for another 15-20 minutes. So, needless to say, by the end of the night, I realized I no longer wanted my quality of life diminished because of my weight.
Fast forward to April 2017... I had lost 74lbs through eating healthy/being more active and was weighing in at 156lbs and I was the healthiest I have ever been. I had gotten my menstrual cycle back after living most of my adult life (5 whole years) without one. I found out in April (after 5 cycles) that I was pregnant with my first child despite being told pregnancy was unlikely due to having PCOS. I 100 percent believe that this was due to my weight loss, healthy lifestyle, and my newly found control over my PCOS. At 18 weeks, we lost our baby. I was in labor for 3 days with our son Dexter who was born on Father’s Day.
While I had gained weight during the pregnancy, the majority of the weight I put back on was due to emotional eating after losing Dexter. I've been trying to get back in the game emotionally and physically since but I have been struggling.
...and now I am here. First diet bet ever, just trying to find that motivation to continue my journey and become a healthier version of myself.