It's not about the number

Well, I have been harassed by a friend to write another blog post.  I always feel like I have to be motivated by some big event before I can post a new blog but I guess that doesn't have to be the case.  Although, I do have something I want to post about.

So, as many of you know I have been on a little bit of a weight loss journey and I wanted to share a bit about it with you.  I know I wrote a little about it in my first blog but this is more of a celebration post because I hit my goal and I am really excited about that.

So, About a year and a half ago I stepped, reluctantly, onto the scales and was a little shocked to see the number.

I am going to share with you about how much I weighed then, and what I weigh now.  Some people tell me I am brave and that they could never tell people how much they weight but I want to share because I want people to know that it is not about how much you weigh, it is about how you feel.  If I can be an inspiration to people and help others realize that it's not the number that matters I want to do that.

So, The dreaded scale number.... Sigh... I was 236 pounds.  I am 5'7".  So here are my before pictures. I don't have great ones because no one wants their picture taken when they don't feel good about themselves.  So these are the best that I could find.

I have never really cared about what I weighed.  I never wanted to be that girl who is obsessed with her weight.  I wanted to eat healthy and work out and if I felt good about myself nothing else mattered.  But I wasn't in that place anymore.  I was over eating, not working out and really unhappy with life.  Something had to change.  

So, I started running.  I was training for the sun run.  OH MAN do I hate running.  It is so hard.  One minute almost killed me.  It felt like death!!!!  But for some reason I stuck with it.  It started to get easier and easier. Then I started being able to run farther and farther for longer and longer.  I was amazed at what my body could do.  And just the other day I ran my fastest km.  WOOT!

Even though I was doing all that running, like 4 or more days a week, I had only lost 6 pounds in 4 months.  I was really disappointed.  I thought that I would have lost more than that.  I even talked to my doctor about it and she didn't seem worried and was proud that I had lost 6 pounds so I just kept on going.  That's when I realized that this is going to be a very long journey!!!  

Then I had a friend who told me she was going to join weight watchers.  I though, what the heck, I am going to too.  Maybe it will help.  I really didn't want to spend the money so I decided that after a month, if I didn't lose anything I would quit.  But after the first month of Weight Watchers I had lost 12 pounds.  WOW, I had lost 18 pounds all together.  I was shocked.  I thought I would never be able to lose 18 pounds.  That sounded like the hugest feat ever.  But I did it.  Well, that was motivation to keep going.  

As I lost weight working out became easier, and I began to enjoy it and even miss it when I wasn't able to.  

By christmas ( 7 months of Weight Watchers) I had lost 30 pounds.  That was so impressive to me.  

I never stressed about losing the weight.  I realized it was going to be slow.  I was so proud of myself I became determined to never put that weight back on.  This is tricky though.  You have to realized that when you are on a huge weight lose journey, the scale will go up.  I don't know why but it does.  You might not have done anything but every once and a while you gain a pound or two.  That is why I was so glad that I was taking my measurements as well.  When I was discouraged about the scale I would re measure and sometimes I had lost an inch or two.  That made me feel good. 

So, with my determination and feeling great, I got rid of all of my fat clothes... good by, good riddance... I never wanted to fit in them ever again!  

Now it has been One year and 8 months since I started my weight loss journey and I have finally reached my personal goal.  I wanted to weight what I did when I graduated high school.  The lowest I ever remember weighing.  That goal was 180 pounds.  

I stepped on the scale two days ago and to my delight I weighed 178 pounds... YAY!  58 pounds in total. I about peed my pants I was so excited.  This is huge.  A year and a half ago that never seemed possible to me.  But now here I am.  I love shopping for clothes now.  I love hiking, running, doing zumba, and all those other active things that I could never do.  I am no longer afraid that someone will ask me to do something that I will think I am too fat to do.  I went from a size 20 to a size 12.  Zipping up a size 12 makes me want to cry!  

So here are some after pictures....

Don't get caught up in the number.  When I tell people I weigh 180 they don't normally believe me.  They guess I weigh way less than I do.  I have a friend who weighs less than I do but wears the same dress size.  It's just a number.  If you are proud of where you are don't be embarrassed about it.  I am 178.. the least I have ever weighed and I am so proud of that.  My Weight Watchers life time goal is 160 and maybe I will get there.  I don't know.  But I am going to keep doing what I am doing and I am really happy with where I am at!

Everyone asks me how I did it and I have to say that losing weight is hard work.  There are no quick fixes, no pills or anything else that is going to make you skinny over night.  My first piece of advice I would give anyone would be to stop looking for that.  You are not going to find it and if you do you might lose the weight for a while but you will not be able to maintain it.  

Many people come up with excuses why they can't lose weight too.  Like, I don't have the time or the money.  My theory is that they aren't ready.  There are so many ways to get active.  There are work out videos on the internet.  Take a walk around the block.  Lift weights while you are watching TV.  But you have to want to do it and no one is going to do it for you.  Just do what you can, even if it is small, at least you are doing something.  So that is my second piece of advice.  Get moving, even if it is something small.  

My third piece of advice to encourage those who want to lose weight would be tell them to change their mind set. The biggest thing I hate is when I talk to someone who is trying to lose weight and ask how it is going and they say well I ONLY lost a pound this week.  Healthy weight loss is one to two pounds a week.  A pound is AWESOME!!!  Start saying, I lost a pound this week. Good for me! I worked hard and it showed.  Its seems small but like I said, it doesn't happen over night.  My response is usually, do you want that pound back?  The pounds add up.  There were weeks that I only lost .2 of a pound and there were weeks when I gain like 5 pounds.  But I always said, well, I guess I am going to have to work hard and lose the weight I gained!  Be proud of yourself and the efforts that you are making.  One pound is GREAT!  Anyone should be proud of that. 

Advise number 4.  Learn portion control.  I think many people eat healthy but we all get lost in the bigger is better.  Read the packages and find out what a serving size is and try to stick to it. 

Also, Don't forget it is ok to indulge every once and a while.  Just don't indulge every day or 3 times a day.  

Weight Watchers was really good for me for learning portion control.  I would recommend to anyone who is struggling to go to a meeting and find out what it is all about.  If it doesn't work you can quit any time.  

Most of all, have fun.  Be proud of yourself.  You are doing something good for your body even if it is the smallest change.  Losing weight is hard work! 

I have to say, I have been blessed with a really encouraging and supportive network of people.  I have people who have inspired me and people who have cheered me on.  I think you all know who you are! My Grandma has been my biggest cheerleader.  She always tries to cook healthy meals for me.  I have been really thankful for that.  

So, I hope I have been an inspiration.  If anyone has questions or wants to know more feel free to ask.