(((FaT))) Pictures

I'm going to give a run down of my weight loss, so far.

To be honest, this is extremely embarrassing. I'm sharing this awfulness to keep myself motivated, and to hopefully motivate others to change.

Even though I've lost 26 pounds since this past summer, that's not the entire story.
I started keeping track of my weight loss this past summer, when I started seriously exercising, but it's been longer than that since I've been working on my weight.
From being at my highest weight two and a half years ago, to date, I've lost  58 pounds!

{Now that I think about it, I'm going to change my ticker to show all my weight loss, not just from this past summer. This will remind me of where I was, how far I've come, and that I NEVER want to be that girl again.}

Let's take a look back to my highest weight...

Before I got pregnant with my 6th baby, I was at my all-time high weight.  I just didn't care.
I was embarrassed about how I looked, but didn't have much will power to change.
If I did find a smidgen of will power, I would soon give up.

237 pounds

{Yes, I'm ashamed I let myself go.}

Photo taken August 2009. 

I'm with 2 of my sisters, and my mom. I'm the one in the brown dress.

In this picture, I had just healed from a miscarriage about 2 months earlier.  

I was depressed, and really didn't care to work on my weight. 

It was supposed to be a happy time, with my sister leaving for a mission for our church, but  

I was miserable with myself.

A few weeks after this picture was taken, I got pregnant with baby #6. 

218 pounds

Photo taken August 2010.  

After I had baby #6 I lost some weight. Breast feeding helped with that, and I tried watching what I ate. I still ate sugars, and that caused me to continue my struggle with losing weight.

I was thrilled to have my beautiful baby, but still felt miserable with myself.

205 pounds

Photo taken June 2011- Father's Day.  

I love my husband, but I was not in love with me. I had lost some pounds, and happy for it, 

but I needed to get serious with my weight. I was getting really sick of being fat. 

Sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I was almost to my breaking point.  {Everyone has one, at some time, when change is desperately needed.}

About 6 weeks after this photo was taken, sure enough, I reached my breaking point.
I got my butt in gear, and decided to put exercise as a high priority in my life.
I went to the gym 6 days a week, and even took up running for a 5K race.

{I dislike running, but love the feeling of accomplishment.}

197 Pounds

Photo taken October 2011. 

This is me at my first 5K race. 

I trained long and hard for this public race, and I was SO proud of me!
I accomplished something all by myself, with nobody's hard work but my own.  

It was the most amazing, rewarding feeling.

I'd been exercising for over 2 months, and lost 8 pounds.

I was really excited for change, and felt really good about what I was doing. However, I wasn't eating as healthy as I should of been.

197 pounds

Photos taken January 3, 2012.

Even though I was excited for change, and working my tail off like no other, I soon realized I can't eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and think that exercise will take the fat away.  

It's a science to eat right, with exercise, to lose weight.

It's very frustrating to exercise SO much, with very little results.

I kept the same weight for two months. Bummer.

Excuses: I had two knee injuries in this time period, so I couldn't workout some of the time.

There was a bigger problem, though. Holiday food. 
{Halloween candy, Thanksgiving meal and left overs, Christmas goodies by the dozens were dropped off on our door step, a few Christmas parties, Christmas Eve dinner, more treats, Christmas dinner and its leftovers, and finally New Year's Eve and day was feast mania.  Yeah, I wasn't eating healthy, at all!}

At this point, I was ready for change, yet again.
Ready to give up my habits of eating sugars, soda, and junk. 

I was ready and willing to eat healthy.

I firmly believe you have to be in the right mind set to make permanent changes. I didn't want to eat healthier before, but had to come to my own place to make that leap.

It takes pure determination, self-control, prayer, self-esteem, and desire.

In other words, NOT THE EASY ROAD!

179 pounds

{I haven't been in the 170's since 2006!}

Photos taken February 3, 2012.

By gollie, it works!  Eating healthy with exercise works!

I feel amazing, happy, clean, and satisfied with my routine. 

I'm nowhere near my goal weight, but I'm finally on the right track.

I have really hard days and really easy days.  This is to be expected.  Sometimes I have to busy myself so I won't over eat, or make bad food choices. I haven't been perfect in my diet, but I sure try.

Also, when I'm having a hard day, I encourage myself with pep-talks, and keep reminding myself that  
I CAN do this!

 

Check back March 3rd...
I know I can't wait to see what I look like!