I saw a picture of myself from my cousin's baby shower in May 2011. I tend to avoid cameras, preferring to be behind the lens rather than in front, but my family is pretty shutter-happy. I am horrified to admit there may even be pictures of me in the swimming pool from that weekend, but I will pretend they don't exist. I'll just deal with the fact that my eyes are closed in this one and know that this is pretty representative of how unphotogenic I am.
I don't know why this photo struck me so much. But it did. I knew I needed to make a change. I knew I was tired of being uncomfortable all the time. I was heavier than ever and those numbers scared me. So on June 1, 2011, I went on a "diet" and starting moving.
By December, I was down 40 pounds and finally liked a picture of myself (Nathaniel is pretty darn adorable, too!).
And then there is the flower dress again! I put my arms inside to show what I lost in a year. When I wore it last year, it was a bit snug. Now I could fit Nathaniel in with me if I tried (and for those of you who are curious, I did try. I wanted to show what 50 pounds or so looks like but then figured he might not want pictures of himself in a dress with his mother floating around the net. He might have issues with that when he gets older ;)). I definitely have not completely met any goals I set for myself in January yet but I am on my way. I still want to lose another 70 or so pounds. Ideally, I want to lose another 50 by December 2012. 20 by September is my smaller goal. If I do that, I will be what my license says I am! For June, I'd like to drop 7. 2 pounds is my first week of June goal. Small steps, folks. I didn't gain all this weight quickly; I won't lose it quickly. I have to remember that. The first 40 seemed to come off pretty quickly and easily, but I have fought for the last 10. I have been at a standstill for the past couple months, gaining and losing the same 6 or 7 pounds. I am going to change that this summer!!!
Now that I have completed my 5k a day in May challenge, I am starting a TurboFire/Chalean Extreme hybrid that will take me through the summer. I'll also be spending each night in the pool. If you are free weeknights from 8-9pm, come join me in Galt for watercise!
Summer, here I come!
