2014 was my year to make changes. I have never been happy with how much I weigh. I FINALLY had a breakthrough moment of admiring and wishing to be as lucky as those other people that lost weight. I thought, "Why NOT me?" So, I set off on January 13, 2014 to make a change in myself and what was holding myself back? I was at my heaviest weight - a whopping 262 pounds. I was pretty upset that I let myself get to that. I remember thinking when I was under 200 that I would never get over 200...well 62 pounds later, I finally had enough!
What did I do? I bought a scale. I never have owned one and I knew I would hold myself accountable if I could consistently weigh myself. So, I got up off my lazy butt and started working out. Working out helped me control my appetite. Why would I waste the energy if I was just going to eat like crap? This does not mean eat salads for every meal or even for lunch every day. I don't care for salad. Salad is by far the least favorite thing to eat for me. But portion control was huge! I started counting calories and using MyFitnessPal to help me realize just how many calories are in what. The most surprising thing to me was to see the calorie count in cheese! I used to add cheese to everything!
I went through spurts of working out and eating healthy - then I'd get off track again. Luckily for me, my work pays for a 5K about once a month. (Which I learned I love 5Ks! I did 9 this year!) So, I joined in on every 5K my work paid for and that usually kick started me back on track to my weightloss. I asked family if they wanted to come - just getting someone else excited or motivating someone else to lose weight, kept me motivated. I don't want to be a hypocrit, do I?
Weight definitely came off one pound at a time. My weight fluctuated but luckily never went up too many pounds before I got it back down again. I'm happy to say that I am now down to about 208 pounds. I'm not at my finish line yet, but I have successfully made a huge lifestyle change. I am so much more confident and proud of myself. It truly is amazing how I feel now and how much happier I am!
54 pounds down! I am down 5 pant sizes and 3 shirt sizes! I encourage people to keep trying and stick with whatever program you are doing. Things don't happen overnight, but consistency is key. If you get off track - just push yourself to make it better. Get up off your lazy butt and do something about it. Become the person you want to be! The only person stopping you is yourself!
-Tera