Weight Loss

I was the tiniest little thing before elementary school...in fact, my parents were constantly shoveling food in my mouth because I was TOO SKINNY. (if only that was the case now).
Then as soon as I hit kindergarten, I started to get fat blossom.
That probably had to do with the fact that my grandpa would pick me up from school at noon (we did half day kindergarten back then) and make me piles of spaghetti as I shoved butter crackers (Wheatsworth crackers with a slab of country crock spread between them) in my mouth. Now, don't get me wrong...I in no shape or form blame my grandpa for making me fat. In fact, my grandparents are some of the most influential and important people to me.  But...the butter crackers didn't help AT ALL!

So I was a porker...I spent my elementary & middle school years being teased for my weight. I can look back now and laugh (for those of you that know me well, you'll remember the Simile/Metaphor story from 7th grade) but at the time it was hard.
Then something happened...the summer between 7th and 8th grade, I dropped about 20lbs and got contacts. When I started 8th grade in August, some people didn't even recognize me. It was like a new beginning! Which was nice considering 7th grade was probably the worst year ever!
Then came high school...I was average sized (but still only saw myself as fat) and did things that kept me active. Color guard being my main source of activity. Make fun if you will, but in the South the band is an integral part of the Friday Night Lights mentality and I loved being a part of it!
I was constantly practicing and performing and that really kept me at a comfortable weight!

Then College happened! Now don't get me wrong...College was the best 4 years EVER! I wouldn't take one second of any of it back! It truly shaped me into who I am today...hard part being, it shaped me physically too. I decided not to do Color Guard in college (thank god...I wasn't a band nerd ya'll I promise) so I got zero physical activity other than walking to class...and then I was also exposed to A LOT of alcohol and a meal plan.
You mean I can eat cheeseburgers and chicken alfredo everyday??? Sweet!
Some gain the Freshman 15...I gained the Freshman 40! Summers didn't help. I was a camp counselor..and while my activity definitely went up, I compensated with late night counselor invasions of the ice cream pantry.

After college, I was depressed! I missed my friends like crazy and couldn't imagine life in the "real world" now....so I ate. And I gained another 10.
By the time, I moved to DC, Sept 11 2002, I was 60lbs heavier that I was in high school...ouch.

I knew I was fat but I used it as a crutch, and refused to face how big I had actually gotten.
I loved DC, and was excited about beginning my life as a single 20 something in the big city (Carrie Bradshaw style) so I started walking to the metro everyday to get to work.
over the course of 3-4 months, I dropped about 10lbs! Ten pounds just because I was walking to and from the metro (about 2miles/day). Then in January 2003, something happened...I just decided that I would start going to the gym. My office had a workout facility and I was too poor for a membership anywhere, so I started doing the elliptical after work everyday. I would do it for an hour and a half, then throw in some crunches.
Then I decided that I would try to eat a little healthier too (besides alcohol...I was on a mission but I wasn't stupid). I traded unhealthy lunches for Lean Cuisines and sandwiches/bar food for salad at dinner.
I'm not even lying when I say the pounds MELTED off. By October of 2003 (when I met Ben) I was 55lbs lighter than I was before I moved to DC, and after I had my tonsils out in January 2004, I got the last 5lbs off!
Crazy right???...here I was 7 years, post high school and I was back to my high school jeans! I even came home one weekend and tried on my high school prom dress...and it fit like a tight glove.

Over the years, I gained about 15lbs back, but I contributed that to being "in love."
When I got married, I was about 15-18lbs from my high school weight, but I was okay with that.
Honeymoon happened...gained 10lbs.
Ran a half marathon...but didn't lose any weight in the process.
Pregnancy happened...gained 40+lbs.

I had Tyler and dropped 30lbs pretty quickly. I was a busy new mom, and for the first time in my life "forgot to eat"
But I still couldn't get that last 5-10lbs off.
Then the move and holidays happened in 2011, and working out and eating right got put on the back burner.

When I got on the scale Jan1 2012, I wanted to cry.
It took about 3 months of yo-yo dieting before I joined my neighbor and her coworker at Weight Watchers.

6 months later, and I'm down 22lbs.
3lbs away from my wedding weight, and 18 lbs from my goal weight! And I'm training for a triathalon!

I was hoping to lose at least 8 more lbs before getting pregnant again.
I'm now starting to see that might not happen..at this rate I'm losing 1lb/month, so by the end of the year, I'm realistically thinking I'll be down 3 more lbs. But  a 25lb weight loss before baby #2 isn't too shabby. I'll definitely be proud, and in a much better place than I was when I got pregnant in 2009!
We'll see what happens!
I'm pledging to be healthier when I get preggers again. Last time I took full advantage of not exercising and eating what I want.
But who knows what next year has in store for us. Until then I'm just taking it one day at a time!!!!!!