If you have known me for any good length of time, you know that I lost 40 pounds between the end of 2011 and the middle of 2012. Let me be clear... I did not just lose it, I worked hard and managed to get it off. I worked out constantly (often with the company of my sister-in-law while my brother was deployed overseas) and ate healthier, though my eating habits didn't really change too much. For the sake of being transparent and open, I will tell you I started at 175 pounds when I moved out of my parents' house. One hundred. Seventy. Five. I knew that wasn't okay. It wasn't good for my health, my self-esteem, or my slim college-student budget (new clothes are expensive!!). But it had never hit me quite as hard before. I knew I needed to change. I wanted to change, but I didn't. At one point before I moved out, my parents bribed me to be more active. They told me if I walked 100 miles in a month, they would buy me a new pair of shoes for $150. Um, OKAY! It's sad, but it worked. I walked and I walked and I walked some more. I got the 100 miles done and got my new shoes (some really beautiful cowboy boots), but did I lose any weight? No. I did feel better, but my body had not changed. So I went back to simply being upset with how I looked but not doing anything because... well, why? It's not going to help. Then I moved out of their house and into the dorm at the university I was going to. I was half the country away from my parents. I was on my own. That first semester in the dorm, I didn't work out much. I just walked everywhere I needed to go on campus and didn't eat very much (poor college kid, remember?). I didn't even own a scale. One day towards the end of the semester, though, I started thinking about my fitness again and went out to buy a scale. I had lost 10 pounds. What? 10 pounds?? I didn't know how that could be possible, but I was encouraged. I don't know what caused me to reconsider my health and activity level, but I did. Maybe it was because we had an amazing gym on campus. Maybe it was because I had seen progress without much effort. Maybe it was because I had a new boyfriend for the first time in 4 years (who is now my husband). Who knows. What matters is that I did. That is when I got intentional. I ended up moving out of the dorm after that semester and in with my brother and sister-in-law. I also got a job on campus. Both of those things helped my weight loss journey. My sister-in-law is an amazing cook and pretty great company during long 5+ mile walks around the neighborhood; in addition to walking with her, I went to the gym on campus after I got off work at 5, a lot of times with my awesome boss. Oh and water. I drank so. much. water. Then it happened. I reached the "40 pounds lost" mark. The scale clearly said 135. I couldn't believe it finally happened. I think that all sounds a bit like I rambled on for a while, but I say all that mainly for myself. To show myself that I've done it before and I can do it again. When Jordan and I got married, the typical, cliché thing happened. I gained weight (it started a few months before we tied the knot). 15 pounds, to be exact. I weighed 150 pounds when we found out we were having our first baby. At nine months and one day pregnant, I weighed 188 (sheesh!!) pounds. However, at just 4 months postpartum, I was back at 155, which is where I have been ever since. I am ready for a change. I actually have a section of clothes in my closet for when I lose weight or get pregnant again. Clothes that look good when I have a smaller mid-section or a pregnant mid-section (because it's socially acceptable for that kind of belly to show), but that I can't wear now because they cling to my weird post-baby stomach. I want to fit into my clothes. ALL of them. I want to be healthy for my daughter. I want to set a good example for her. I want her to live a long, happy, healthy life... one that includes her parents! So we are starting a new journey. Jordan and I both have our goals set and we are ready to go. As of tomorrow, we will have a new family member... Meet our new treadmill. (Thanks to Craigslist and funded by plasma donations 👍 💉) We get to pick up this beauty tomorrow evening and I could not be more excited!
As we get more organized with a specific plan and schedule, I'll post about those to keep us on track. If you tell everyone what you're doing and what your goal is, you kinda have to do it. So here we go! 💪💪💪
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AuthorMy name is Casey, I am a wife and mother, and I think you should always believe that something wonderful is about to happen. Archives
April 2017
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