My Weight Loss/Getting Fit Journey in Pictures

This post has been a long time coming. It was inspired by my friend in hopes that it will encourage and inspire others. 

It took a long time for me to want to post 'before' pics of myself and then it took even more time to find before pics. I was a master hider.

Case in point. Hiding behind the kids...then craftily cropped most of me out. I was about 226 here, that shirt was a 3X. Wish I still had it, it'd be a dress. Those are my 2 youngest about 5 years ago. I decided then that they deserved a happier, healthier mommy.

OK, hardest pic to find and to post. This is my before. I quote my highest weight as 226, but looking at this pic I wonder if I was heavier. I wasn't weighing.

I started walking and doing yoga, and even joined Curves. At this point I went gung-ho low carb...it worked for a while. Then I stalled out about:

204, bad pic, but this is when I joined Sparkpeople. Started counting calories and adding some workout DVDs.

me at 200 lbs. Cut my calories even more (sometimes too low) and started running.

Running my first 5k. My goal was just to run the whole thing. I did! I began to realize I could do things I'd never thought possible. The real changes, the changes on the inside started here. I was about 195 in this pic. I had caught the running bug and jumped into a huge goal from there:

Me after my first ever (and only so far) marathon. I overtrained, hurt my hip, and finished in second to last place, but I finished! I was about 185-190 lbs here. I had much more muscle though. Not only was I running crazy miles, but I added in strength training here too. My eating was out of control though, so I didn't lose much weight during this time. All that running had me famished. Should have upped my protein more I think, hindsight.

My hip was hurt and I couldn't run for months as it healed. I watched my food better and started a blog. Faceless at 185 lbs.

182 lbs. I began to really delve into my deeper issues. The support and encouragement of my blog readers was priceless. I felt ready to hash out all the junk in my head. I also moved away from just wanting to keep calories low regardless of the quality of food. No more fake sugars, no more food low in calories and completely devoid in nutrients.

178.5 lbs. I got braver here. Started to actually like myself for the first time ever. My blog grew a face!

Kicked my inner fat chick to the curb at my fastest 5k.

I know this time is the time for me. Yes, you can see the physical changes in these pics, but so much more has changed about me too. I am a different person. I think different, act different, make different choices. I am that happier, healthier mommy I wanted to be!

This was yesterday, with the baby from the first pic, sniffle. Today I'm at 172.5. I am focusing on eating clean, running, doing ChaLEAN Extreme and lifting slower and heavier while making the mind muscle connection (as I've heard I should).

No, I'm not at my goal weight, but I know I'll get there. And instead of loathing where I'm at, who I am right now, I'm loving me along the way this time. No more crazy fad diets. No more self hatred. No more putting myself down. No more mean inner fat chick self talk. Healthy choices and treating myself well mentally and physically is how I will get there.

Before

After

I have come a long way and I'm proud. The pictures only show half the story though. I am a more positive, happier, healthier person. I am a better wife, mom, and friend now. Not because I'm thinner, but because I did the harder work along the way. The mental and emotional work. The work of making a better me all around, not just physically.

I am on my way, I am doing it. If you come away from my blog with only one thing I hope it's that YOU can too.