Timehop can be a lovely app, right? My #tbt was so eye-opening today.
I’ve always been an open book. I haven’t written in a long time and I
miss it a lot! So, I’ll let you in on a little bit of my reflecting.
Most of you know, I have 3 daughters. Kylie is 6. When she was 2, I
lost about 20 pounds before getting pregnant with Layla. She was born in
November 2011 and passed away shortly after she was born. (If you want to read
my journey, start at the beginning of this blog). Shortly after, I had Zoey who
is now 2. There was not much time between Layla and Zoey, so I just ate and acted
like I was pregnant between the girls. I realized when Zoey was about 7 months
old that I needed to pay attention to myself a little bit.
After having Layla I didn’t eat for a couple months. I was not
healthy and I was grieving. I can see right through the smiles in pictures from
that Christmas. I didn’t have a hard time eating after having Zoey. I was at my
heaviest in December of 2013. I had to make a change.
I’ll cut to the chase. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I beat myself
up when I have an off day or vacation week. But to see how far I've come is
reassuring. I know that if I do the work, I’ll see the results. I still have a little further to go.
Here's your before/after pic. Everybody loves these, right?
In the before picture, I was 39 pounds heavier than I am now. Yes, it
took that long (18 months) for me to lose weight. I take days off, enjoy
birthday cake, drink Mountain Dew & eat candy (I need dessert after every meal).
The most important thing I’ve learned; you can't out exercise a bad
diet. I hit a plateau from June-Nov 2014. I was running over 7 miles/week &
not losing a pound. I drastically changed my eating habits & started
losing. I began working out and toning my body. I haven't lost much lately in
pounds, but the inches are evident.
I have this goofy fear of being selfish. I feel guilty every time I
go to the gym. I should be home with my kids, my husband or working. I’ve
recently learned that the time I’m spending on myself has made me a better mom,
wife and employee.
Why
am I sharing this? I guess to say it's hard work & it takes time. There's
no magic pill that will work & there's no end. It's cheesy, but it really
is a lifestyle change. I am in control of who I am and have taken huge strides
in improving and being intentional in so many aspects of my life.
If
you’re at the beginning of your journey, be encouraged. Cutting out processed
foods, to start, will make you feel incredibly different. It’s shocking. Try
it!
Surround yourself with encouraging family and friends. It’s always good to
have a group of cheerleaders helping you stay on track. My family has been a
huge support system as well as the Better Body Fitness family keeping me on
track & kicking me in the butt.
If you’ve been living a healthy lifestyle
for a while, you know what I’m talking about. Always keep a big perspective on where you are. On the days you feel like you're failing, look at how far you've come. You improved your life, intentionally. Don't stop.
