Carrying Extra Weight? I Can Relate!

I'm not a naturally thin person. I've had to work super hard to get to where I am, and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you'll need to too! I don't share my year of transformation for me (because I'm honestly disgusted just looking at any of my initial photos). I share this so you can see what's possible. I want you to hear how easy it was for me to put on the weight, and how long it really took for me to take it off. This is taking you off my highlight reel and letting you into a side of me that I'm honestly not the proudest of, the disgusting weight I held onto for too many years. However, this is where I started in 2020, at 164.2 pounds. 😥

Let's take a quick look at how I got here, and a quick glimpse into what I'll be sharing moving forward.

GAINING WEIGHT THROUGH PREGNANCY

I had my first child a couple of days after my 33rd birthday, and the second at age 35. Now, I was heavier going into my second pregnancy, but ended around the same weight with both. Neither time I was weighed coming into the hospital (and before pumping pitocin into my body on a drip system), but I was right around 200 pounds. That's a lot for my tiny petite frame! I was a size 0 at 32, and at my heaviest weight ever of 145 pounds when I found out I was initially pregnant... and I didn't hit that weight again until 2020. If you're counting, that's almost six years. 😬

MY YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION

In 2020, I started the year at 164.2 pounds. I know, because I was motivated (by money) to do a DietBet Challenge. I can do a full post on this experience if you're interested, but basically I lost 11.5 pounds and won. Y'all, these pictures make me sick just looking back at. I was so heavy, I wasn't consistent with my eating, I wasn't motivated at all. I may be where you're at right now (and I'm so happy you're here!).

Sometimes it's easy to view everyone's highlight reel of success and feel like you can't relate. That these types of results just aren't possible for you. I've said this many times, and honestly it was my way of being okay with where I was at. It was my way of avoiding the work, admitting that I wasn't trying, etc.... you get the point. My family and career was front and center, and I wasn't prioritizing me at all. Like, none.

As I'm typing this, I'm currently sitting at 133 pounds. I can't even believe it! Did it happen overnight? Absolutely not. It took me a WHOLE YEAR (saying this extra loud for the people in the back!) to make a 30.5 pound difference. I tried different techniques, different foods, different motivation. In the end, I found what worked best for me, and I have a great game plan for the upcoming year. I was realistic, and didn't shoot for all the stars at once, I was patient and consistent. I found what truly works for me, and that excites me.

You may be asking if I've hit my overall goal this year, and the answer is actually no. I feel my best between 125-130 pounds, and right now I'm at 133. However, I know that good things take time, and I'm so close, so I know it's possible in the first quarter of the year to get there. I'm not trying to rush my end goal, because that will put me on a hamster wheel of focusing everything to get there and not making it part of my lifestyle. That would be a quick fix, and I know those are temporary. I'm looking for long term.

Here's where you come in. I want you to feel like me! I want you to feel happy about your success, even if you aren't "fully" to where you want to be. I want you to have the mindset to be optimistic about the future, and know that you'll get there eventually if you put in the work. I want you to see what I do, things I'm eating (everyone loves chips, popcorn and chocolate!), what programs I've done and where my mindset is. I'm busy, a lot of times a single parent with two toddlers. I have a stressful corporate position. I know what it's like to prioritize everything in the world but yourself first. Trust me, I do NOT have it easy and have worked really hard to get here. Want to know how? Follow me, as I will be sharing a lot of fun and simple ideas to help create those small habits towards success! 

Looking forward to being part of your journey, and thanks for being part of mine!