My Journey to a Fit and Healthy Me...

I'm starting a food and exercise journal to help me stay on track with well...food and exercise! I enjoy exercising; riding my bike, going for a walk, working out on the treadmill, but I usually get bored with it and stop for a week or so. The problem with stopping is that I usually like to snack and snack late at night...so when I stop exercising the pounds add up and I become really unhappy with myself! It's become a routine where I exercise for two weeks, stop for a week or so, gain a few pounds, and then realize I need to lose those pounds I gained, and then I get bored again. But it's not just about losing their few extra pounds that I just put on. I want to eat healthier every day and continue to eat healthy, I also want to tone my arms and legs, and be a dress/pant size that isn't considered plus in some stores.

Don't get me wrong, I love who I am and I am very proud of how far I've come with my body image and weight loss struggle. In college and a few years after I graduated I weighed almost 250 lbs...yup I said it, I put that number out there. And now I weigh 205...sometimes I look back at my photos and I can't believe how heavy I was and how fat my face looked! I believe I started struggling with my weight in middle school (6-8th grade) and continued to get heavier from there until about 10th -11th grade when I began to lose weight, but put it back on in college. The year before our wedding I was determined to not be "fat" in our wedding photos and in my wedding gown. In 2009 I was at my smallest dress size, which was still a 14, but was really happy to see that number. I would really love to get around size 12, right now I'm a size 16.

Today is Day 4 that I've been keeping track with my own food journal and with an android app on my phone called My Diet Diary. Wow, what a difference it makes when you look at the calories you have eaten and what you have left to eat for the day. It also opens your eyes to see how many calories just one cookie or even a salad has in it. Oh and that glass of wine that you used to have two of, well now that you learned that it has 256 calories for just 3.5 oz, you'll only be having one tonight!

The food journal app makes it fun to eat healthy and now that I can see what I'm doing and how I can reach my goal, it makes me feel good. You don't need to go crazy and just eat fruits and veggies every day; but eat one cookie instead of four, stop drinking soda and even diet soda, use less sugar, exercise even if it's just going for a leisurely walk, write down in a journal what you are doing, and even start a workout group with your friends. I've recently started a workout buddies group on facebook and it feels good knowing that I can share my story with other women who are struggling with weight loss and fitness just like I am. These are women who are positive, supportive, and encouraging. And even though we can't walk together in person, we are there for each other.

Photos of My Progress...

                                             

Here I am on vacation in 2006...don't you like my hair do...I mean don't!

Later that year (2006) getting ready at my best friend's wedding. (I look like I could be a linebacker for The Steelers...not a fan!)

At my smallest, which was still a dress size 14, in 2009 trying on my wedding dress.

Here I am a few months ago (2012) on vacation this summer back to a size 16...

What I've always struggled with are my arms and my thighs, but looking back at these photos I am very pleased with how much thinner my face looks. In 2006 you couldn't even see my jaw line! I am also glad I don't wear my hair and tweeze my eye brows like I used to in 2006!!!

How have you changed through out the years, have you struggled with your weight and your body image?