This was me (on the left hand side) in January 2009, 7 months after I had Mackenzie. I wasn’t happy with myself, and had gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy. (I actually gained a lot of weight all 3 pregnancies). Then on the right hand side, that’s me, after losing 35+ lbs and reaching my goal of 155. I was just over 190 lbs in January 2009.
In July 2009, I was at my lowest I’d been in years (149.0), and felt great. I was wearing a medium, which I hadn’t done in years either. Almost all throughout high school I wore a size Large. I used to dance (ballet, tap & jazz) but once I had hit puberty, I got curvy and my thighs filled out. I had lost 25 lbs to bring me to 155 lbs for my wedding in 2005. 155 was a decent weight for my height (just under 5’5). When I was 155 for my wedding, and when I hit 155 in 2009, I liked my figure.
Then in the fall of 2009, just after I lost all the weight and was looking good, I got pregnant, and had a miscarriage. It took 6 months after that to conceive Quentin, and I ate my way through winter. Then I got pregnant with Quentin and by the end of the pregnancy, I was at my heaviest ever pregnant, and after delivering and losing the initial baby weight, I was at my heaviest ever as well, still. I was not happy with myself.
Just after delivering Quentin at the hospital, “first” family photo.
After getting home from the hospital, during Chanukah 2010.
In 2011, I started out at 204.4 in an XL shirt and a size 14 or 16 pant, depending on the company. I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t happy. I worked hard and in 2011, my lowest towards the fall was 172. I gained back a few pounds over the Christmas holiday and in 2011, I started the year off at 181.8. I got strict with myself in March, cutting out all sugar, and watching my portions. For 1 month I even cut out all diet soda (I don’t drink regular anyhow). I eat only whole wheat products and have not been even eating starch after 5 pm (it sits on you overnight!).
(This picture above was taken recently, in May of 2012, since then I’ve actually lost a few more pounds). And now, I am at my lowest that I’ve been in YEARS! I hit 146.6 this morning. I’d love to lose a few more pounds so that I have leeway for treating myself on the weekend and then taking it off during the week if necessary. I want to stay under 150 lbs. I feel FANTASTIC. And I even have been fitting into a few size small items, I love it! Size small?! If you would have asked me at the beginning of this year if I would ever wear a small again, I would have laughed at you. But it goes to show, that when you are DETERMINED and have DEDICATION, you can do it! Trust me, I did! And this was all without exercise, but with eating properly. It’s totally possible!
The problem is, I still see myself as huge. I tug at my clothes to try and cover the belly, I wear long shirts, that come over my pants. And when I was larger, I never saw myself as big as I was. It’s a vicious cycle, no? The mind works in funny ways. I am still trying to get used to my skinnier self. Luckily I have an entire medium wardrobe from when I lost the weight in 2009. Though, I have 2 wedding and an engagement party coming up after the summer, and don’t have anything to wear. That requires new dressed and shoes too, right?
I’m totally treating myself to a HUGE slice of Strawberry Cheesecake on my birthday next week. Yup!
What have you done to lose weight? What are you secrets to losing weight? What has or has not worked for you? Are you at your happy weight? Let’s talk! Don’t be shy or if you are, message me privately. I am open, or I would have not written all my numbers above! I’ve done so many “diets” over the years, but I finally combined all that I learned from all of them, put them together, (the things that worked) and managed to lose the weight. I still have a little belly bump (I guess that is normal after having 3 kids), but I get in those daily crunches (that’s all I’m doing for exercise lately – with 3 kids, and I’m still home with Quentin for a bit longer, I have NO time to exercise, and evenings I’m so tired I have no energy to do so). The belly bump hangs a bit where my 2 Csection scars are, but I’m hoping with doing some stomach toning that I will be able to get rid of it, eventually.
Don't forget to enter the contest for the knitting book! Contest ends this Saturday night 06/09/12!
