Getting Started (A Guest Post)

My intention is to start a blog to help motivate myself and hold myself accountable.  In order to do so, I feel that I owe my readers an explanation. Here it is…

Long story short, I was an extremely active teenager (playing soccer 24/7) with terrible eating habits who turned into a moderately active adult with terrible eating habits and a slowing metabolism… HELLO!

I slowly and steadily put on weight. I eventually crept up to 212 pounds!  As side note, I always vowed I wouldn’t tell anyone that, and here I am posting it up on the Internet… Crazy, but I hope that I can help motivate others, because you never know if there is another moderately active 5’5” adult weighing 212lbs who is looking to make a positive change. 

My real journey started about two years ago. I saw this picture of myself:

I was almost unrecognizable. Immediately my eyes filled with tears and I thought: who is this person?! Initially, after the sting of the photo dissipated, I went into denial, it must have been a bad photo, and I couldn’t possibly look like the stay puff marshmallow man had interjected fluff into my face could I?

Then another photo surfaced, and I knew something had to change.

Soon after I decided it was time to shed some weight, I was diagnosed by OBGYN with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This is a syndrome that affects women to varying degrees in ways of weight gain/inability to lose weight, acne, and infertility. Sounds like a trifecta right! So I had a tough road ahead of me.

I worked out on an off since I graduated high school with one of my best friends. Katie and I always support each other and she has been a big part of my journey (as have all my other family, friends and of course my Hubby!). So when it came time to pick a new gym I was eager to start at the GOLDS GYM of Webster with her. Working out was the easy part, I had always been an athlete and my muscle memory was good. Dieting had been the hardest part, but I forced myself to put down the Mountain Dew and pick up the water.

The weight came off painfully slow at first, but I persisted. I had lost 6-8lbs my first 3 months. Eventually I joined weight watchers, and that helped a lot. Working out made me feel so good.  So I never gave up and here I stand 2 years later and more than 40lbs lighter. I saw 169 for the first time since I was 21. I am proud of myself but I want to push myself further. I am challenging myself to forever change my eating habits.

I downloaded Tosca Reno’s Eating Clean Diet Recharged to my kindle and I am intrigued. I am going to give it a try for 6 weeks while also watching my carb intake. I am not going to cut them out completely because I do need them for mental clarity and energy. Bikini body here I come!

Here is a picture of me from St. Patty’s day this year (2012)!

Be sure to check out Jessica's brand new blog, What Do You Mean Low Carb??  Thanks for the post, Jess!