Every
once and awhile it's inspiring to look back at your progress and feel
proud of all you have accomplished. Losing weight and is down right hard
and keeping it off is even harder.
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| 2008 Honeymoon 2012 |
One of the most important things to remember is that eating healthy is a lifestyle change not a diet. The food I eat isn't the only change I've made to get this far. Almost everything about my life and what I do every day is different from when I was a chunker. You have to make big changes to see big changes. Just cutting out cookies but still eating an entire bag of Doritos isn't going to help you get skinny/healthy/fit/happy/confident.
I have struggled with my weight and self-image since I can remember. I bought my first pair of size 10 shorts my senior year of high school and knew I was heading in the wrong direction. I continued to gain the usual Freshman 15-20lbs in college and a few more when I moved into the sorority house. There was always someone driving through Sonic at 11 p.m. or someone who wanted to grab $1 beers on a Tuesday night. The university fitness center was literally
in our backyard but I don't remember ever having a good workout. On the rare occasions I went to the gym, I stuck to a slow speed on the elliptical while watching TV. I frequently rode the 'Hot Mess Express' rather than the 'Skinny Train.'
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| Hot Mess Express |
A lot of things about my life changed in the summer of 2010; some gradually and some drastically. My 'maybe someday' mindset changed when I met DLW. In my brain, "health fit people like healthy fit people." Duh. He was super fit and gave me the motivation to get off the couch and move!
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| Our first every picture together. Maybe our 4th date? |
After our first date in early August 2010, I attempted to go for a run. Ha! I made it up the hill by my house, thought I was dying, and was sore for a week. I can laugh about it now but it was pathetic. At this point my diet was still junk. I was working at Buffalo Wild Wings eating a free full sized, calorie packed meal with every shift (at least 5 nights a week). When I began my student teaching in September 2010, the weight gradually started to come off on it's own. I was packing my lunch and constantly moving around my classroom. Just two changes made a big difference and my pants started getting looser. This continued through my college graduation and I was feeling pretty spectacular.
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| USC graduation December 2010 |
Surrounding yourself with people who support and encourage you is an essential to successful weight loss. I moved in with DLW in December 2010 and was no longer eating most of the junk I had been in college. We were not the picture of health but we were significantly healthier than I had been on my own. I joined a gym because I had nothing better to do with my time. I had to set an alarm to wake up by 10 a.m. for Regis & Kelly.... I don't think I've slept until 10 since.
In the Spring/ Summer 2011 I started running and hitting the gym each morning before work. In July 2011, we took our engagement pictures and I bought a size 4P wedding dress. I was happy, healthy, and more confident than ever.
My new found love of exercise continued through the Fall of 2011. DLW & I were engaged, I had my first teaching job, and DLW went to a Army school in Georgia for 6 weeks. To fill my time, I started taking group exercise classes at my gym and was competing in a challenge. You got points for attending classes and I got real competitive. I was still packing my lunch every day and cut back on snacks. Before I knew it, my size 4P wedding dress was way too big and fell off of my when I put it on.
Since our wedding I have
run three half marathons and become a
certified BODYPUMP instructor. I have continued to alter my diet and exercise to fit my lifestyle. To maintain my progress, I count calories using
MyFitnessPal and make sure I hit the gym at least 5 times a week.
My current healthy lifestyle allows me to smile every day, laugh at my kiddos, move my body and be the best wife I can be to DLW. I have found balance between who I was and who I want to be. I might still grab a milkshake now and again but I work my tail off at the gym.
It has been a long journey and it is nowhere near over. I will probably struggle with my weight and self-control forever but I have the strength, motivation and support to never become the girl I used to be. Surround yourself with people who will help you reach your health and fitness goals and never forget how far you've come!
- What's your fitness story?
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.malsmiles.com/" title="Mal Smiles"><img src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a500/MalloryCollinsWhitt/Notivation20x200_zps2f02ec49.png" alt="Mal Smiles" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
Did y'all know I went Vegetarian for a whopping 9 months this past year? My teeny tiny mom, Kath, decided to make the switch last Spring and saw tremendous results in her overall health. I was stuck in a diet rut and decided to go meatless on August 1st, 2012. The switch wasn't all that difficult and I surprisingly stuck with it until Spring Break this year. I was just 'over it' and hated feeling like I was missing out. Since switching back to the Carnivore side of things I still try to go meatless most days. I no longer eat red meat (except maybe the occasional cheeseburger on a special occasion) and fill my plate with veggies. DLW cut out red meat too and has seen a significant decrease in headaches that used to ruin his day. I might not be a full Vegetarian anymore but I do still believe in the health benefits of a plant based diet.
