What I'm Doing Now

Just checking in!

I've been following a diet plan from a friend of a friend for a little over a month now. This woman plans all of my meals for the week (you eat the same things each day for a week), tells me what to do for exercise (which I haven't yet), and is there for support. This system she uses is called If It Fits Your Macros or IIFYM. Heard of it?

So the first few weeks went really well. I lost about 15 pounds rather quickly! And then PMS hit and threw me off track-- not insanely off track, but enough for me to lose my mojo. I've been struggling to get it back. I'm not giving up though. I just need to be more dedicated and remember WHY I am doing this.

I have a few goals ahead. First, I'll be attending conference again this year and the seats are TINY. Last year, I weighed a good 50 lbs. less and it was uncomfortable. I hate to know what it'd feel like at my current weight.

I also earned a couple of free trips with Thirty-One that I'll be taking this fall and I want to feel good in my skin. We'll be going to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas in September and then on a cruise to the Bahamas in November. I'm really, really looking forward to both. I need a vacation SO BADLY.

I miss the feeling of accomplishment that I used to have back when I had lost all of that weight and was running. I felt good about myself and about life. Lately, I've just been feeling glum-- feeling badly about myself physically, stressed out dealing with a high-energy toddler, and playing the comparison game with other mothers.

But I know enough to try to focus on positive thoughts and not the negative ones. I just miss who I used to  be.

First Week Weigh In

Today is officially one week on the induction to my new way of eating. I am amazed that I am not hungry at all and that cravings are not uncontrollable anymore. It has very little to do with willpower and much more to do with the fact that I'm consuming very few carbs and that influences the release of insulin, etc. It's really interesting!

I have lost a total of 13.2 lbs. in my first week! I couldn't be happier! I'm sure a significant portion of this is water weight-- I don't think my old blood pressure medicine was working so well and I had been very puffy.

Since beginning this way of eating, all pain has literally disappeared. I was having horrible pain in my hands and wrists, my joints were hurting, and I had frequent headaches. I have had some headaches-- but definitely fewer! I would be interested to know whether or not the pain was due to extra fluid in my body, due to gluten, or what!

There is one more week to this induction phase, but I will learn about the next phase of the diet on Monday! I am excited to learn more.

I have a very long way to go so I need to keep my eyes on the prize. The cruise that I earned is coming up in September and I hope to have lost at least 30 lbs. by then. That would be great!

Shared Medical Appointment #1

Today was the first shared medical appointment in my new weight loss program. This is a medically supervised weight loss program and we meet in groups every couple of weeks. I think there are about 15-20 people in my class, but I didn't count.

I love the concept of a shared medical appointment for those with chronic conditions-- in this case being obesity and obesity related conditions. Thinking about it as a shared doctor's appointment made me realize that I am learning so much more this way as opposed to just a one-on-one visit with the doctor.

Chances are, when someone has a questions there are others that have the same question-- even if they haven't thought of it yet, which is what I do at doctor's appointments! I always think of questions to ask once I've left the office.

We each still had a one-on-one visit with the doctor. I had just seen him a couple of days ago, so mine was pretty short! However, following the nutritionist's advice at my first appointment has led to a couple of pounds lost already and I've only completed one (now almost two) days. The official "diet" actually begins tomorrow-- so I guess I'll call that extra credit that I started a little early! I figured why not get started NOW rather than wait.

A large portion of the meeting was with the nutritionist. He cooked two different healthy entrees and we each had a sample. While cooking, he taught us proper ways to cut veggies, told us nutritional information and also answered questions.

I learned a lot and the food was delicious and colorful! I really need to go get a full load of groceries so that I can have success. I even ate peppers, which I'm not a huge fan of. I'm going to try to force myself to learn to like them. I don't hate them, but they're not my favorite veggie. Peas, on the other hand, I will not force myself to try to like. That's just not possible. I hate them.

I think a huge part of being able to maintain with something like this is taking the time to cook delicious food. I love grilled food so I want to start grilling more or even find my George Forman grill to make it more convenient for me.

I've been very hungry today but haven't had a lot of time to eat either. The doctor told me that after 2-3 days I won't be so hungry. I love how they understand that it's impossible to stick to a diet if you're hungry all the time-- and it certainly isn't maintainable to be hungry all of the time! This is why fat is so important in a diet, contrary to popular belief.

I'm not going to lie-- I made a batch of brownies the night before I knew I was going to begin. I enjoyed brownies and ice cream (my favorite dessert) as my farewell to obesity and promptly packed up the brownies and gave them to a friend the next day! I'm glad I did because it's so easy to mindlessly eat when I'm stressed out or tired. I paid for those brownies though-- let me tell you! I had horrible heartburn that night and the next day.

The last couple of days I've had a huge improvement in my eating. I feel better, less bloated, and have a better outlook overall. I cannot hide my anxiety like I usually can though! They take my blood pressure each visit! It was sky high again today-- my body tends to think I'm in danger a lot, apparently. I'll be tracking it at home to get a better idea of what my blood pressure has really been like.

The next two weeks are very important. The doctor described them as like building the foundation. If you build a house with a foundation that is all messed up, then nothing else will work right either-- the windows will be out of whack, the walls not plumb, the floors crooked, etc. I'm going to give it my all at 100%.

One thing about this is that I am 100% convinced because not only are we given instruction, but we were given a book about the science behind it. It makes sense, it coincides with my own experience with obesity, food, and with my failed experiences with mainstream diets.

Anyone can have success if they starve themself with a calorie deficit, but is it maintainable in the long run? For myself, absolutely not. I've lost weight numerous times and I've never been able to keep that weight off for good. This is the same experience of most of the people I know.

So yeah, I'm excited about this! At the same time, I'm still jaded and afraid that nothing will ever work for me. I'm betting that the proof is in the carb-free pudding and I'll have more confidence the longer I'm experiencing the program.

You won't believe this

I saw a new doctor yesterday and you won't believe what I found out. It was enough to make my jaw drop when he told me. I wanted to cry.

My first visit, as part of a medically supervised weight loss program (totally healthy, BTW), lasted an hour and a half and consisted of going over every aspect of my health and history with obesity. This included family history, diets I have tried, what I'm currently eating, and medications that I'm taking.

For once, I felt like a doctor was truly listening to me. Not only that, but he understood me. He has been researching obesity for years and has developed a program that is in its early years, but one that has seen a lot of success at not only helping people with chronic obesity related diseases lose weight, but go off of medications and also maintain the weight loss.

That gives you a small picture of the background of this program and I plan on blogging about it as I continue my weight loss journey. The last year or so has left me feeling like there truly was no hope left-- I actually found this program through a series of searches, beginning with bariatric surgery. I have been trying diet after diet and failing absolutely miserably at it. Not only that, my weight has PACKED ON over the last few years-- but at an even more drastic amount in the past year.

So what was so shocking that the doctor told me?

It all begins in early 2013 when I was switched to a blood pressure medication that was deemed safe for pregnancy. I have continued on this medication until just yesterday-- so over four years.

Yesterday, the doctor told me that I immediately needed to stop taking that medication because it has been known to cause depression and even considerable numbers of suicide. Wow. Just. Wow.

So it's possible that the pregnancy filled with anxiety and stress, followed by postpartum depression, severe anxiety, and overall the worst experience of my life-- could have been caused simply by a medication. Not to mention the fact that I've had a history of turning to food to cope.

And for FOUR YEARS, not one physician even brought up the possibility that it could have been caused by a medication. Instead, I was put on an additional three medications for depression and anxiety and also sent to counseling. Overall, I saw a total of seven physicians who all had my medication list. In one day at a new health system, a doctor and a pharmacist were baffled as to why I was on this outdated medication.

Not only that, do you remember this post? The one where I intentionally went to my doctor to ask her WHY I was still having such severe bouts of depression and that it was so out of character for me to feel how I was feeling? The one where she was downright disrespectful of me and basically just told me that I needed to lose weight?

That's right-- not one concern was shown for my intuition that something wasn't right. And I am here two more years later still dealing with those same bouts of depression-- the kind where I will suddenly feel like I don't even want to live any more. Thankfully, I have grown to recognize these patterns but I have spent years doubting myself and showering myself in guilt and shame.

It truly makes me begin to distrust the medical community. That's a broad assumption to distrust the entire medical community and I do know that my new doctor is certainly an exception-- his goal is to get his patients off of medication. Isn't that the way that it should be? Shouldn't we be curing illnesses rather than stacking medicine upon medicine in an attempt to mask the symptoms?

Let's not even mention the fact that one of the medications I'm on for anxiety is also known to cause weight gain. A combination of factors have led to the perfect storm and I'm left tattered.

My hope is now that I'm on a different blood pressure medication, my overall disposition will begin to return to who I was four years ago. At that time, I had been through some life challenges that were stressful and was trying so hard to get back on my feet again in the weight loss game.

I have been combing through my medical records and I figured this out-- from the time I began truly struggling with my weight, as in beginning to gain a little bit from my absolute lowest weight, only six months passed before I started the medication and the rest is history.

There's no use in getting hung up on the woulda, shoulda, couldas-- but it is still mind-blowing to think about it. I'm hopeful that things will slowly begin to change for me in the weight department and I can become the girl I worked so hard to become when I was on top of my game.

I guess the next year or so should tell!

My Journey: Where I'm at

I don't want to become obsessive about weight loss, dieting, and eating healthy because of where it has taken me in the past, but I do want to blog about it from time to time. I am learning that I have to be very careful of my thoughts and to keep my focus on the positive.

I'm at a higher weight than I've ever been and higher than I ever thought I'd be. I don't know exactly where I am because I don't weigh myself very much anymore. The scale tends to make me feel depressed or discouraged-- so I stay away.

Shopping for clothes that make me feel good is a way I can practice self-love. I've started to shop almost exclusively at Torrid because their clothes fit perfectly. There are a lot of brands out there that advertise themselves to be made for plus size women, but Torrid is the only place I've found where the clothes are actually made for plus size women. I'm working on loving myself even though I don't like where I'm at-- inside, I'm still me.

My focus is going to be on making healthier choices. Today hasn't been the best day, but I have made at least one good choice today. Yesterday, I chose to eat a delicious salad for lunch! I want to get back to eating salads for lunch again. I really enjoy them when they are flavorful.

Mostly, I just want to feel better again. I want to feel like I have my life together. There's something about exercise that does that to you. It's probably just the simple act of following through with something.

It would also help if I started getting up early in the morning and trying to get a workout in before Little Miss Sunshine wakes up and before my day begins-- just getting it out of the way as soon as possible!

However, I am struggling to sleep lately. I can't seem to turn my mind off to settle down and go to sleep. It has been a long time since I've felt that way. Thankfully, I've learned to read a book on my Kindle instead of tossing and turning and letting my thoughts get out of control.

This cruise coming up in about 5 months will be a great incentive to get started. Plus, the weather is starting to warm up so I can be outside more. The first thing on my list will be to create an ideal "schedule" for the day. I need to get more organized and intentional!

Did I achieve my goals in 2016?

It's time to check in on last year's goals to see what I actually accomplished!

Here are the goals that I set for myself last year followed by how it actually went.

Reach my Goal Weight:

Ummmm yeh. That didn't even come close to happening. I actually reached the highest weight of my entire life. Huge fail!

Foster Relationships:

This went really well for me! I feel like I made some really great friends this year and that makes me happy. :)

Earn My Previous Yearly Income:

I definitely did amazing in this category! I earned over $10,000 by myself and at home. Yay!

Venture Outside of my Comfort Zone:

I did this quite a bit during 2016. I took a cupcake decorating class and met new people. I went to some Direct Sales events. I put myself out there and made friends.

Continue Learning:

I continue to listen to podcasts and read books. I'd like to read more books though!

Take Regular Me Time:

I have done this pretty regularly, thanks to my in-law's for watching Little Miss Sunshine for me. It kind of goes in waves though-- I'll have plenty of time to myself for a while and then have a stretch of time with no me-time and I really see the effects of it. I definitely need that time alone and I've learned when it's time to take that time!

So basically I accomplished every goal except the weight loss one. No big surprise there, unfortunately! It's a battle I can never seem to win! 

But guess what? Accomplishing all of that other stuff shows that I'm pretty awesome anyways, right?! That's what I'll keep telling myself until I believe it!

Next up, setting my goals for 2017!

Getting Started Again

It's the beginning of a new year so that means it's time to set goals again. And, as always, losing weight is at the top of my list. It has to be because I weigh more than ever.

Why is it that every time you lose weight, if you gain it back you also gain back more? Sigh.

Anyways, it is what it is.

Over the last while of eating whatever I want, I have finally gotten over judging myself for every single bite of food I put into my mouth. I will call that progress, even if my weight has gone up.

Now is the tricky part, to begin nourishing my body without thinking of it as deprivation or as a diet. It's a mental thing.

I have been working on accepting myself as who I am. That I can be both overweight and accepted at the same time. That's hard! I'm trying to respect myself more, to just be me and be proud of it. I am learning to love myself for who I am instead of beating myself for who I wish I was. Does that make sense?

So yesterday was my first day. Actually, hubby and I are doing this together again. My plan is to drink my two shakes per day, 2-3 snacks per day, and one healthy meal. Yesterday I was really hungry at lunch, so I had a salad with my shake.

It's about nourishing my body, right? I mean seriously-- just because having a salad with my shake isn't on plan, should I really beat myself up for eating a SALAD? I think I should give myself a pat on the back for choosing something nourishing.

Yesterday wasn't perfect. It was hubby's last day of his vacation and that makes things a little different than when we're in our regular routines! Today should show a little more progress! Overall, I'm happy.

However, I made the mistake of stepping on the scale this morning thinking that I surely shed a lot of weight. Only lost .1 lb. Yep, basically stayed the same. So I had to remind myself that I FEEL better. I feel smaller and lighter and that's what is important!

Are you starting again?

Weight Loss Tracker Free Printable

I have been playing around and learning how to make printables. It's a lot easier than I thought! 

Since most of us are currently trying to lose weight, I thought I would create a weight loss tracker. I have this available as a free download for you all! 

Make sure to click on the download button below the picture of the printable-- this will ensure that you get the best quality!

Tell me what you think! Is this a printable that you will use? Would you like any other printables?

What a difference!

I was just looking at a couple of pictures from when I was suffering with depression, anxiety, and just feeling overwhelmed in general. I had absolutely no energy to get even the simplest of things done. Even when I felt like I was recovered, I still felt like I was surviving... but not truly living.

Fast forward about 6 months and all of that has changed. I owe a huge part of that to the nutritional system I've found. I have mental clarity, am able to handle stress better, have more energy, and even my skin is brighter.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

I have lost and kept off weight since then, and I work every day to keep my mind in the game. There is no magic pill, but this is definitely a vehicle to get me to my "after".

If you are suffering with stress, lack of energy, or your weight-- please reach out to me and I would love to help you learn about what I'm doing. I know there are people (like myself) out there searching for the answer-- and those are the people this message is for. It's not for everyone, and that's perfectly ok. But for some of us it's such a gift.

I'm forever thankful!

My email is AJourney2Thin@gmail.com or you can reach out via social media.

How to Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight

Are you lacking motivation to lose weight and get healthy?

Do you want to be thin, yet you can’t seem to get your head in the right place to make the right food choices?

Are you dreaming of being an active person, yet have a hard time finding the motivation to get up and exercise?

Well, I have the answer that will immediately motivate you.

It’s easy, free, and 100% natural.

Put on a swimsuit and look in the mirror.

Seriously, guys. Ugh.

Is there anything like putting on a swimsuit to give yourself a kick in the “I-Need-To-Lose-Weight” pants?

Despite the fact that I’ve lost over 20 lbs., I put on my swimsuit last night and, my head, (which had been residing in outer space) was immediately transported back into reality here on earth. And it wasn’t pretty.

How incredibly depressing! What a shocking reminder of how much weight I need to lose!

The good news is that I have something that works for me when I’m not letting my emotions control my eating. Whew.

Weigh in Day

I took a break from the scale this week and it was wonderful. I loved not having to obsess about the number. I was starting to get discouraged when I kept seeing the number go up and then that leads into everything spiraling out of control and I end up making bad choices.

My week wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t horrible. I ended up losing 1 lb. I’m happy with any loss right now! I’m still quite a few pounds above my lowest though. I will get there.

I have my counseling appointment this week and that should inspire me to keep working on myself. I also get outside a lot more when the weather is nicer—which means I get more activity in. It’s looking like next week should be pretty nice!

Have a Happy Weekend!

How was your weigh in this week?

Weigh in Day (Almost there!)

I’m happy to report that I lost .6 lb. this morning! It might not seem like much, but I’m only .5 from my lowest weight and I entered into a new 10s digit! Whoohoo!

I’ve lost a total of 27.4 lbs. now. 30 lb. goal, here I come!!

As far as my 10 lb. rewards, I still haven’t gotten that facial for losing 20 lbs.! I might have to change it up and get a new pair of workout shoes instead because I could use them. Also, I’m nervous about getting a facial, which is probably why I haven’t done it yet!

Last weekend, I didn’t stay on track very well…quite a few indulgences! But this week, I chatted on the phone about my struggles with my mentor. It was a good pep talk and I feel like it helped me get my head back in the game in a more realistic way. I love the support that I get from my team—better than any diet I have ever done, hands down!

I’m with my mom this week so that helps tremendously since she’s following the program too. She looks incredible and has already seen improvements in her health. That’s pretty awesome.

I took this selfie the other day and it made me realize that I am doing well despite my struggles to get my head in the game! I can see the health & happiness in my face.

What a good feeling!

How was your week?

Weigh in Day: A Loss!

As the title suggests, I logged a loss this week! Yippee!

I lost 1.5 lbs. this week. For the past few days, I’ve been doing really well. Total loss = 26.8 lbs.

There have been quite a few times when I just wanted to eat something that I know isn’t going to help me lose weight, but I have persevered!

This is one of the most difficult times to stick to a diet. Easter candy is by far the best candy ever. And just last night I noticed an entire row of Cadbury chocolates that I have never seen before. You know how much I love Cadbury!

Speaking of chocolate, I have found that I would much prefer the little chocolates that are on my plan than any of the ones I can buy at the store. They are delicious and really help a sweets craving!

I make one exception to the rule. When I want a treat, I buy myself a Chobani almond coco loco Flip—because they are just so yummy. I feel like it’s a healthier alternative and it doesn’t cause me to fall off the wagon and consume more and more and more and more…

I also allow myself my coffee with creamer or a latte—usually twice per day. My coffee is one thing that I will not give up! It hasn’t hindered my weight loss, if anything—the slow activity of sipping on the warm beverage keeps me from eating.

I have also found that my Dutch Chocolate protein shakes are the most satisfying to me. I’ve been out of the chocolate shakes and I really miss them! I will get a shipment today—hopefully!

I’ve started adding 2 Tbs. of unsweetened cocoa powder to my strawberry or vanilla shakes and I find that it has the same effect. I looked it up and it turns out that cocoa is a potent appetite suppressant! Who knew? But that explains it.

How did you do this week?

Being Honest With Myself About Why I’m Not Losing Weight

My weight has stayed within a range of 4 lbs. since the beginning of February. My weight goes up and it goes down, but it has stayed within 4 lbs.

I’m glad that my weight has not fluctuated upwards to the tune of 10 lbs. or anything, but I do want to continue losing weight. So while being able to maintain my weight is fabulous, it’s not my goal right now.

The graph below shows my weigh-ins since December, with the vertical line indicating the beginning of February. You can see how my weight has stabilized instead of continuing the downward tend.

It’s time to take a hard look at my habits over the past few weeks because I know that my lack of weight loss is a direct result of my lack of effort.

So here is my list of habits and behaviors that have to stop in order for me to continue to lose weight and achieve my health & fitness goals.

• Night time snacking: I’ve gotten back into that horrible habit of snacking in the evening—sometimes whether I’m hungry or not. When I was doing my best, I did not snack in the evening.
• Lack of exercise: I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for my lack of exercise (being sick multiple times), so I’m not really getting down on myself about this one— I’m Simply noting that I was getting to the gym when I was doing my best. 
• Slacking on H2O intake: Yep, that’s right. I have been drinking water, but certainly not in the amounts that I was before.
• Indulging too much: We have purchased pints of ice cream a couple of times and bringing ice cream into the house is just not a good idea. In the last few weeks I have had a cupcake, a Starbucks chocolate chunk cookie, and a caramel Cadbury egg. That’s definitely not going to help me lose weight.
• Eating out: When hubby and I were making the most progress, we rarely ate out. We were all about cooking that healthy meal at home—and really enjoying it!
• Not cooking enough: This goes hand-in-hand with the last one, but I have been slacking on the cooking. I’ve been doing whatever is easy and convenient instead of really planning meals with a variety of healthy foods. The meals aren’t necessarily bad for us, but they’re getting dull and it’s never a good thing to get bored with your food when you’re trying to lose weight.
• Lack of blogging & reading blogs: I’ve been busy! But I also know that I am able to stay more focused on my goals when I am following the weight loss journeys of other bloggers. I also do a lot better when I’m honest with myself (like I am being right now) and blog about what’s going on in my head.

Getting this all out “on paper” helps me put it all into perspective. These are all things that can easily be fixed with a conscious effort. If I get it together right now, there’s a chance that I could still log a loss for the month of February. That’s my goal!

Weigh in Day: Onward and Downward!

Whew! What a week.

After being incredibly low energy on Tuesday, I came down with the stomach flu on Wednesday. I felt normal by Saturday. In the mean time, Little Miss Sunshine came down with it and still isn't 100% yet. Hubby came down with it early this morning!

It is absolutely horrible. The worst part about it is the terrible body aches and pain. I've never experienced a bug quite like that before. Usually there are a few aches, but not like this. I literally felt like I couldn't move, and so does hubby!

Little Miss Sunshine is a little trooper though--still spinning in circles and being her normal self most of the time. She's just very clingy and holds her tummy so I know she doesn't feel well. Poor baby! She's being quite spoiled...oh dear.

I'm glad I was the first one to get it so that I can hold things together now. Hubby was able to take the day off when I was really bad so I could sleep basically all day. Thank goodness.

Anyways, I had to cancel my personal training session for this morning. I was nervous about it so I'm not too disappointed. But seriously, I will reschedule it. I'm learning that anything I feel nervous about, or try to come up with excuses for why I should put it off, is something that I should probably face!

Alright, down to business! Weigh in Day.

I lost 3.7 lbs. which brought me to my lowest weight yet! I've lost a total of 24.2 lbs.! I'm on the losing side again and that's so inspiring.

I also measured again and I've lost over 25 inches! So exciting. I'm getting smaller and feeling great.

My energy levels have improved drastically--well, except when I'm up in the night taking care of sick people!

After hubby got home from church yesterday and Little Miss Sunshine was down for a nap, I had to get out of the house. I went to another location of Planet Fitness--once again I tried to talk myself out of it because for some reason I'm afraid I will stand out, be made fun of, etc. etc. But I went anyways!

I did a 30 minute workout on the treadmill. That's all I've been brave enough to do so far. But the exciting thing is that in the last 15 minutes, I ran a few intervals! That's right. I ran! I didn't feel so lethargic and "heavy". It used to feel like I just did not have the energy to even walk on the treadmill. It's totally different now. I was even using an incline.

After that, I sat in a massage chair and it felt incredible. It even massaged my legs and by the time I was done I didn't feel any tightness in my muscles. I love my gym!!

In other news, hubby has lost 22 lbs. and 23". He looks great! He'd like to lose a few more pounds before he transitions to maintenance. I'm proud of him!

I'm so excited to see my transformation within the next few months, especially since I'm adding in some workouts and will be added strength training.


How was your week? Did you lose or gain this week?

First Weigh in of 2016

The month of December was pretty out of whack as far as eating is concerned. With hubby’s birthday, a getaway, and the holidays, I didn’t eat as well as I would have under normal circumstances. As I’ve said before, I had good moments and bad moments. I am so happy to be moving forward again with no more distractions! It’s all downward on the scale from here!

Despite having a rough week where I indulged a little more than I should have, I still managed to lose 2.9 lbs. for the week. Remember, last week I had a gain so I am still recovering from that! The good news is that I’m only 1.5 lbs. from my lowest! I might even be there by tomorrow.

This is also the first weigh in of the month so it’s time to check in with the progress I made for the month of December. Even with the bumps in the road, I still managed to lose a very healthy 6 lbs.! That’s a total of 20.5 pounds lost total. Yippee!

You want to know the best part about all of this?

I have hope again. Hope that I won’t always have to be overweight. Hope that I can feel good both mentally and physically. Hope that I am finally figuring out why I have struggled with weight problems for so long and struggled terribly to lose any weight—from a scientific perspective. It’s all starting to make sense now. HOPE—now that I know the “whys”, I’ve also found my “how” in how to reach my goals.

Right now I just want to shout it from the roof tops! I truly believe that I’ve found my answer.

I can’t wait to see what my weigh in is next week! I have plans to take everything up a notch this week, starting with a nutritional cleanse day today.

Are you fired up to meet your goals in 2016? Tell me about your progress so far!

Little Victories: I’ve Reached a Milestone

Do you remember your weight from certain times of your life? For example, how much you weighed in high school, when you met your spouse, when you got married, etc. If you’ve struggled with your weight, chances are you know exactly what I’m talking about. These events make great milestones along the weight loss journey.

This morning I met the first milestone that I set as a goal. I reached the weight that I was immediately after Little Miss Sunshine was born! I’ve lost 21.4 lbs.

That’s the amount of weight that I gained with postpartum depression. That’s a lot of weight, huh? It just kept coming on and I felt so helpless to make it stop. Plus, I was already feeling horrible from having gained so much during pregnancy. So this is a victory for me!

Meeting this milestone makes me feel like I’m finally putting PPD behind me. Instead of being in the midst of the horrible storm that is depression, it’s only something that’s in my rear view mirror. There’s sunshine and a clear sky ahead!

In the last while I have felt like my life is transforming. I have a lot of hope and positivity about life again. I haven’t felt this good in years. I’m so grateful that I made it through that battle, only with the help of God, my family, and medical/psyciatric professionals. I wouldn’t wish the experience on an enemy!

My next milestone will be the weight I was when I got pregnant—but that will be a while because it’s a pretty big chunk of weight! But I’ll get there…and beyond!

Weigh in Day is Fun

That's right! Weigh in day is fun now. I love seeing my progress and it motivates me to keep going.

It seems like my body really responded this week and I lost a lot of weight. I cannot believe it!

This week, I lost 6.2 lbs. for a total loss of 20.7 lbs. The progress is just so exciting and I'm looking forward to a month from now, two months from now, a year from now! My goals are on the horizon.

I had an NSV (non-scale victory) this week that I'm very proud of. Hubby and I went on a date night for the first time in a LONG time. We were celebrating his birthday, which is today.

We knew we were planning an indulgent celebration supper, but we stayed on track all day. We didn't just throw in the towel thinking that we were just going to screw it up when we went out.

We ate at a Japanese steak house and went to our favorite cupcake shop for dessert. I was careful not to eat so much that I felt sick and stopped when I felt full. The cupcake was so rich (and delicious) but I felt lethargic after eating it!

Would you know that after I ate that cupcake my body physically craved sugar for the rest of the night? Literally, I haven't had those cravings in a long time. It's like a drug! But I stayed strong.

The very next morning, it was back to normal. There were no feelings of failure or guilt, but there was a whole lot of bloat going on! I was so happy to be back to normal eating and giving my body the nutrients and food it needs.

Of course the day after the indulgent supper I gained weight. But by this morning it was all back off and then some. This is sustainable guys. I can do this!

If you follow me on social media, you would have seen this photo that I posted of myself back in 2012 when I had reached my lowest weight ever.

This is my inspiration to keep going. I was this size before and I can be it again! Not only that, I can go farther. For the first time ever, I believe that's possible without a single doubt. Can you tell I'm excited?

There are so many possibilities and I'm just bubbling with excitement.

Have a great week everyone!

Exciting News

Weigh in Day: Still Going Strong

 

Another week down and more pounds down! I couldn’t be happier.

This week I lost 1.9 lbs. for a total of 14.5 lbs. When I weighed on Saturday that was actually 15.9 lbs. lost, but my weight bounced up a bit since then. I’m sure it will be off soon, but it also could be hormones…argh!

Hubby and I measured on Saturday and I have lost 22”! Isn’t that amazing? My clothes are fitting better now and I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t have gotten rid of so many of my smaller clothes!

Hubby is doing awesome too. He has lost 14 lbs. and 10 1/4”. He is so happy that his clothes are fitting better. I can see such a difference in him already! He wants to lose another 10 lbs. and then will go on to maintenance.

I have been feeling so energized and positive lately. I’m dressing nicer again and I’m feeling better about myself while practicing more self-care. It makes such a big difference. I am so happy with how far I have come physically and emotionally since the PPD.

I even had enough energy this past weekend to get my office/playroom painted and everything put into place. I have more things to purchase to bring it all together, but it looks so much better. The lighter paint has really brightened up the room and that paired with the organization makes me feel so much better.

I’m excited to see what I can accomplish this coming week!

 

How was your week?