3 Years...

(just about) 3 years ago, I started an incredible journey... the journey of a fatty that hated having to hold the camera instead of being in the photos, and missed being in almost a DECADE of family photos... of not being able to run around with the kids because I would be out of breath in a minute... of not letting my husband see me naked because I SURE didn't want to see myself naked so why would I make him... of those negative voices that told me that I wasn't cute enough or strong enough or worth anything...

... a journey that I was going to put it all on the line and figure out how to lose the weight... how to get my confidence and sexy back... and once again become my husband's girlfriend.

I can't believe it has been three years.  As I sat to write this post, I seriously thought it had only been two years and I had to absorb that time gap just a bit. 

Then... I got a little smile on my face...

2011 - In the first year, I lost 37 pounds!  50 pounds total from my heaviest 3 months before I started this blog.

2012 - My average weight was between 203 - 207.

2013 - My average weight was between 203 - 207!

THAT is what made me smile!  After looking back over my photos and weights for the past two years, I haven't made any big weight loss changes, BUT I have been able to hold onto my almost 50 pound weight loss!!!  No wonder the past two years blurred into one! :-)

Now, with as great as it is that I've been able to keep the weight off, it is time that I plunge into that next step of weight loss.  I still have a way to go and this is as good a time as ever to renew my efforts.  Just like almost everyone out there, I want to JUMP IN with both feet to a new training plan and food plan to get to my next level.  I spent some time looking over my previous blog posts and found several that are worth revisiting.  One thing that I found was the topic of "goal setting/new inspiration" came up over and over and over again.  WHY...?  This journey is not a 12-week plan or a "until I lose 20 pounds" plan.  This is a lifestyle change.  I'm in it for the long haul and that means that I will have good days and bad days... and I will need to remind myself of my goals... reset my goals... re-write my goals... over and over and over again.  My life is constantly changing, as I'm sure yours is, too... which means my goals have to keep changing.

... actually, I don't think that it is MY GOALS that keep changing... I think it is the INSPIRATION and the COMMITMENT and the WAY that I plan to reach my goals that keeps being revised.  Read the posts below and you will see what I mean...

...and here we GO!... January 2011... a summary of this social experiement rollercoaster, photos of where we were when I was Jeff's girlfriend and why I'm going "Full Monty."

Setting Goals...... late January 2011...my first goals... and what the negative voices in my head were telling me about them... and how I told those negative voices to take a flipping hike!

Goals for 2012...... January 2012...after a year of this journey, setting the next set of goals.  This one is a reminder that you need to set goals for YOU first... and the goals for family, love, work... those will all fall into place!


203 pounds

237 pounds

Life Reset - Step 1 - Reflect and Inspiration... ... November 2012... stuck in a rut and the new schedule had beaten me down.  Time to reflect on the past decade, key moments and inspiration to help me move forward.

2 Years... January 2013... after a year of plateau, going back to work after 8 years staying home with the family and trying to balance our new life, I took a hard look at the past year and, after putting it in writing, there was nothing more important than REFLECTION.

203 pounds

207 pounds

So I started 2013 at 207 and my first photo of 2014 is me at 208.6.  One, I love the fact that I am taking photos... for better or worse, photos tell the tale!  Two... sometimes, even a 2 pound difference is HUGE... as these photos DO tell the tale.

As I look forward to my 4th year of this journey, and I set my goals, I have a NEW TWIST to the blog that I look forward to sharing in the next few days.  It is time to dig back in and take care of business... and BUSINESS is about to get FUN...!