In preparation of writing this, I went back and read last year’s weight loss review. I sat here laughing at myself in the most pitiful way.
Last year, I vowed to return to Weight Watchers and lose my fat suit by my 30th birthday in April.
While I did return to Weight Watchers in January, I’d quit again by March because 40 bucks a month was just too much strain on my pocket, and by the time my birthday rolled around in April, I actually weighed more than I ever have. I’d reached a whole new level of shame.
Then one night this past summer, while perusing Pinterest, I stumbled upon a series of before and after pictures of girls from tumblr dubbed ‘fitblr’s’ that made my jaw drop. I read everything I could about each of them. How they began, how they succeeded. I tried to soak up as much knowledge as I could from these people who did exactly what I was trying to do. I followed their progress quietly at first, but eventually my intrigue over these ‘clean’ lifestyles they lead, while still eating more food than I would have ever dreamed you could eat and still lose weight, got the best of me. I had to give it a shot.
And so at the end of July I marked my starting weight and measurements down, took before photos, calculated my needed calories, and set out to try ‘clean eating.’ It was slow moving at first, it takes some adjusting to when you suddenly start paying attention to the things you eat and how they can/can’t benefit you, but I started to lose weight – in a healthy way. By the end of October I’d lost 20.1 lbs.
Things have been rocky since then, with the holiday season arriving and my uncontrollable desire to bake these days, but I’ve only gained 3 of those 20.1 lbs back. And while it’s still nowhere near the total weight loss I hope to achieve, I think that I at least have a better, more realistic formula to follow this year than last. I really hope when I’m reflecting on this journey at the end of 2013, I’ll have made enough progress to share my own before and after photos and join the league of successful fitblrs.
I suppose it’s time to give a little shout out to the four main girls who’s drive to live healthier lives encouraged me to do the same. Caitlen, Brynn, Shae, & Sharee, what you’re doing is amazing and inspiring. And I am really grateful for all of you.
Best of luck to all you out there trying to lose weight or just generally be healthier!