I saw this picture:
Yes. That’s me on the far left in the brown dress. I was borderline obese and not proud of myself. I drank and ate way too much.
Fast forward three years later and I’m much happier when I look in the mirror:
Of course I feel better too but let’s be honest, at 32, I’m really excited about the looking better part.
I have been yo-yo dieting since I was 18 but I started gaining weight when my parents got divorced when I was 12. I always had a boyfriend so it wasn’t unbearable but I was always the heavy one in the group. I had to be in the middle of every group picture (you know what I’m talking about). I was miserable inside. Getting dressed sucked so I shopped all the time so I could at least be excited about wearing something new even if it was a size 14. Looking at pictures of myself sucked so I avoided that at all cost. I even went as far as calling an old friend and begging her to take down a photo she had posted of me on Facebook…okay maybe that happened more than once. Like people couldn’t just see me in real life one day and see that I had swollen up to 188 lbs. It wasn’t pretty. Not even a little bit. Of course my family and friends and then husband loved me and never really said anything. Of course now I wish they had but would I have really listened?
So I had to do something, but it had to be different. It couldn’t be a pill or a quick fix. I had spent way too much money on all those things already, and I was 30. It was time to change. So I did. Gradually. I made myself a priority. I made working out a priority. I ate what I wanted but I ate less. I turned down many happy hour invites so I could go to the gym (and that was unheard of from me). My dad and sister started doing half marathons so I would piggy back and do a 5k at the same race (they were a huge inspiration for me). It has taken me a little over two years but I have taken off over 30 pounds without the help of supplements or trainers or fad diets. If I can do it, I know anyone can. I have a 7 year old that I adore and am now a single mom so I have all the excuses on lock but I’m not using any of them. I’m never going to be that heavy again. I hope this blog and my readers help me do that but more than that, I hope to be able to help at least one person on the journey to finding his/herself.
Today marks the day of a new beginning and I’m happy (and slightly nervous) to share it here with you.
My Quest for Fit 