This post gets quite real. I have been waiting 21 months (since my journey began in June 2011) to write this post and I cannot even tell you how incredible this feels. I am so happy to share this honest post with you tonight. Thank you for those of you who have carried me along this journey.
It’s been an incredible journey (and it’s not over). Today is perhaps one of the best days of my life. It’s hard to even find the words to write, but I need to. In order to be an inspiration, and to let you all know I still need love and support on the rest of this journey. It’s time to “catch my breath” and share.
In June 2011, I started a “10 in 10” class. During those 10 weeks, I lost 5% of my weight. I started out at (gulp) 287 pounds. You guys. I said it. I may regret it–I know there are haters out there, and I know there are people who are going to say “no way”–but there it is. 287 pounds of amazingness was in my body.
I haven’t lost an ounce of that amazingness, people.
After Sally and Ryan’s wedding, I got back on the path. It was time to get serious. Monthly meetings began with my dietitian By the next June, I was super excited to have participated in a mud run, ran a 5k, and have lost 50 pounds (which, sorry the pictures were gone to those of you who searched for that post earlier today–they are back). I shed some more weight, did another 5k, and then hit a plateau. Since Thanksgiving, I struggled between 209 and Monday’s weight of 203.
This morning before heading to work and knowing I had a meeting with my dietitian, I thought it might be a good idea to get on the scale. Last night wasn’t an easy night for me after the day it was and a weak moment at Ikea. I needed to be ready to be honest, to tell him about quitting my training and how I needed a huge reset button. Greg went with me (he hides the scale so that I cannot weigh in daily–it’s been a HUGE help) and I told him, “you just look, tell me if I should be happy or have some explaining to do, don’t want to know a number”. I stepped on. He sucked in his breath. How could I NOT look?
When I looked down, this is what I saw:
Excuse my feet, they need a pedicure, they’ve worked hard, hard, hard. Because my feet pulled me up and down hills, round and round tracks, through mud and snow, and to ONEderland (a phrase coined by The Biggest Loser on NBC for when the contestants get in the 100s). People, I cannot remember when I weighed in the 100s. Elementary school, maybe? This is absolutely incredible for me.
This self-proclaimed foodie has learned to eat healthier, and do this naturally. Good foods, nutritional awareness, fitness. There were times I “cheated” and tried a supplement or two, but I’ve learned THEY DO NOT WORK FOR ME. I have to do it the right way, be in the right mental state. Be ready to give up things that I loved (like cake, truffles, pasta), and exchange them for more tasty things (granola, Greek yogurt, coucous).
Here today, March 7, 2013, I am down 88 pounds, 31% of my body weight and have made it. I am in ONEderland.
It doesn’t stop here–I have 12 pounds and 4 weeks to go until my birthday, and to -100. Will you be with me on the rest of my journey?