If a picture could speak...

My weight loss journey to date..

1 week postpartum

1 month postpartum

5 weeks postpartum

6 weeks postpartum

2 months postpartum

 3 1/2 months postpartum

4 months postpartum

4 1/2 months

5 3/4 months postpartum

 And the present...8 months postpartum..57lbs lost and gone forever!!!!

If my weight loss pictures could speak what would they say?

I hope it would be this:  You can do it!! You can!! You can get healthy! You can lose weight and be the best YOU that you can be!! You can change your life! My desire is to encourage you and to inspire you!

I am not stopping here. I am still going and still losing weight...there is a number in my future where I will maintain but I'm not there yet.

Come on!! Join me!!

Exercise

I took a hiatus from exercising and am now getting back into my routine.

I experience burn out so taking a break helps me feel refreshed and ready to begin working towards my weight loss goal.

So, I am starting with a 1 mile aerobic walk (Leslie Sansone) with weights so I am getting strength training into my workout. Then I do 15-30 minutes of Yoga.

I am shooting for every day for a total of a 7 day week of exercising. Then once I have worked up to my usual of 4-5 miles I will go down to 4-5 times a week.

I want to start attending the meetings for weight watchers instead of just doing it online. I think the support will be beneficial. But to be honest I am struggling with going. I don't want anyone to know my weight..and I keep thinking once I hit this weight I will go..Silly? Ya, probably but it's what I'm feeling...

I need to pray more about this and just get on over myself!!
A recent picture..

Me with my baby girl Avlee


  

Still here!

I have been on vacation but we're home now and I am back with an update. I have lost a total of 55lbs now and all of my pregnancy weight gain!!

I tried on a pair of pre pregnancy jeans and they fit! That felt pretty good!!

I am still working on losing more and chugging along. I am hoping that by the time my baby girl is 1 I have lost all that I want and I am just maintaining.

I am learning..

Today is my weekly weigh in day and after weighing in I have discovered I have lost a total of 51lbs!!! And I have 4lbs of pregnancy weight gain left to lose. Then I plan to lose a bit more until I begin maintaining my loss.

Yesterday I went to Target and tried on clothes. It's hard for me because all I still see in the mirror so often is that person who is much bigger than I am now. So I sort of have to force myself to go smaller with my clothes sizes.

This is what I did...I took some clothes to the dressing room. A shirt and two summer dresses. I put them on and WOW!! it was then I realized how much smaller I am and how cute I looked and felt in the dresses! That's a special feeling for us ladies! feeling beautiful...every woman should feel beautiful!!

I was able to purchase a dress and pair of pants in much smaller sizes...and they were on clearance. (the best part!!)

I guess I'm learning..it's hard but I am slowly accepting that I am smaller and I have lost a lot...

One piece of clothing at a time..

Weighed in and...

Well another weigh in day has passed and another exciting announcement from me!

I have lost 49lbs! 49 lbs gone and lost forever!!! So close to 50lbs now and very excited!!
And only 1 lb away from my 3rd weight loss goal and only 6lbs from ALL of my pregnancy weight gain being gone!!! WAHOO!!!!!

I had to come back to edit this post and add some recent pictures of me..

Going with the flow. Yes I (you) can!

Well, this:

This week my workouts will look like this: today a 2 mile, tomorrow 3 miles, Friday a 4 mile, Saturday 5 miles, Sunday back to 2 miles and so forth

is now a 2 mile with weights and last night a 3 mile walk with boosts...I think I always sabotage myself when I plan a routine ahead of time. I guess it works for me to go with the flow when it comes to getting my workout in. 

As long as I get in 4-5 days a week it's all good! 

As far as my eating I am doing really well this week! I have consumed less weekly point allowance and pretty much keeping to my daily point allowance! Yay me!

More of my clothes are fitting me. I haven't tried on any of my pre pregnancy pants yet..I wanted to wait until all the weight was off...gives me the jitters just thinking about it! 

I need to add some more recent pictures...I will try to get to that this week! 

I will leave you with a poem I really like!

It Couldn't Be Done
By Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Are you right here in this moment? Are you believing the lie that you can't do it? Yes you can! You can do it! That change is only a moment away! 

Overcomer!

I wake up each morning to the wonderful aromas of baked goods coming from the kitchen. My children have assigned days they cook and they make some very tasty breakfasts. Cooking to them is a work of art.

Today my son Quentin (12 yrs old) made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. I am sure you can imagine how tasty these smelled!

It's hard! Very hard..so my trick is when I am feeling particularily strong I will allow myself one small bite just to taste them. When I am not feeling even the tiny bit of strength to resist them I stay away! Out of the kitchen...FAR AWAY!

Food is a source of temptation for pretty much all of us!

 So what can we do?  Well, finding little things that help us handle the food monster, having more healthy snacks and food on hand. Allowing ourselves those yummy treats here and there. Not depriving ourselves which leads to binging.

Find ways that work for you! You can be an overcomer!!  Let me share this song with you! You are an OVERCOMER!!