Sometimes I feel like I am a human YO-YO. Up and down, back and forth. It is like one minute I know how to eat healthy and excercise, and the next I completely forget.
I started my weight lost journey back in 2003. I was 23 years old and weighed 215lbs (this was and has been my all time heaviest). One day it just hit me that I needed to change my life and not let my eating keep spiraling down, or up for that matter. I started the Jenny Craig program and within about 4 months i had gotten down to 172lbs. I felt happy, sexy, and was ready to rock my 20's.
Then life happens. Over the next year or so after the intial weight loss I had met a classic "bad boy" and entered into a serious relationship. Being in our early 20's, we did alot of partying and the mix between the alcohol and the "munchies" had me back up to about 189lbs. I was happy, chubby, and in love. Mr. Bad Boy proposed about 2years into our relationship and I knew I wanted to lose weight for the wedding.
At that time, the Biggest Loser was all the rage. So I decided to use the Biggest Loser online weight loss program. It was there that I started into a challenge with a group of women and got myself into gear. By the way, I am still in close contact and keep tabs on all of those girls. They were my support when I couldnt find any from my friends. Love those women! I started at 189lbs and made it to 162lbs for my wedding. It was extremely gratifying!!
Well, then Mr. Bad Boy decided to become Mr. Very Bad Boy....and just few months into marriage, we were seperated. I was heartbroken , but strong enough to make some very big life changes and stick up for myself. I wasn't strong enough however to stay away from stress eating. My weight just ballooned right back up, and for the longest time I was ok with that. I started dating again really didn't worry about my weight for awhile.
In 2008. a woman I worked with asked me if I would like to go into a weight loss program with her. She needed some motivation and a workout buddy. There was a local Dr's office that had a weekly weigh in and counsling. I decided to join in. At this time I was in a very bad rebound relationship, with a man who was addicted to online chatting and pornography. I though, maybe if I lose weight, he wouldnt have to look else where. (OMG hindsight, amirite?) So we jumped right in to the program and it worked wonders! I went from 194lbs down to 135lbs in 6months!! Not to toot my own horn, but I was hot. Heads were turning. I could wear a size 8 pant ( I have never been in single digits before then). Of course, I broke up with Rebound. I had met some new girlfriends and was having a blast.
Enter the love of my life. My prince charming. He changed my life. I have never met a man that will go to the local market with me, then come home and cook and drink wine together. My heart was pitter pattering and my jeans progressivly had gotten more snug. I managed to maintain my weight until after we had been married for about a year. Then we had bought a house and had to major renovations. We moved back in with my parents while all of that was going on, and the combination between stress and my moms homecooking....BOOM 178lbs again. I apologize to him every day for tricking him. Im really a "fat girl" but snagged him wihen I was a toothpick. He is an amazing man and tells me how beautiful I am and how much he doesnt care <3.
But I care. Over the past year I have stuck to a "mostly" paleo lifestyle. I have a gluten sensitivity that flares up my IBS. So eating paleo-ish really fits into my life easily. I have kept 10lbs off for almost a year, just my taking our dog for walks and eating more whole and natural. I am starting this challenge at 167.2 and hope to make it into the 150's by challenge end. Now that I am in my 30's I realize that the 135lbs that was my lowest will be hard to accomplish and maintain. So I am striving for an overall weight of anywhere in the 140's and to maintain there the rest of my life. Hopefully this challenge will be the right tool to push me again, and to stop this endless cycle of ups and downs with my body. I'd love to put the YO-YO down for good.