8 Months Later

Eight months ago, I decided to change my life. At 30 years old, I'd been to the doctor for a check-up and discovered that my cholesterol and blood pressure were both borderline high. I was too young to be this unhealthy, so I decided it was time to get it under control. I'd once been an athlete, and I wanted that strong, healthy body back....
I started on March 20th as part of a small group of girls with similar goals through a weight loss challenge hosted by Ash Is Fit. I didn't blog much about my journey on here, not in specifics anyway b/c I was ashamed. Ashamed of the way I'd let my body go and of the unflattering numbers associated with it. But no more...Being honest (with myself mostly) has been a big part of my success. So here are a couple of before photos:


My starting stats were:
Weight: 198 lbs
Body Fat: 28.8%
BMI: 28.4
Body Measurements:

• Bust - 40.5 in
• Waist - 35 in
• Hips - 46 in
• Arms - 14 in
• Thighs - 26 in
• Calves - 16 in

When I started running, I did the C25K program and found even the interval running incredibly difficult. But I kept going...little by little, I was able to move farther and faster than I thought possible.

I also watched my calorie intake and came to really understand how many calories I had been consuming a day versus how many I actually needed according to BMR.

Fast forward 8 months...



Okay...these photos are from over a month ago but I haven't taken any of myself recently...need to work on that.

My current stats are:

Weight: 164 lbs
Body Fat: 22.8%
BMI: 23.5
Body Measurements:

• Bust - 37 in
• Waist - 31 in
• Hips - 42 in
• Arms - 13 in
• Thighs - 21 in
• Calves - 15 in

That's a lot of inches gone (2 full pants sizes)! My original goal was to lose 48 lbs by now. 8 months later I've lost 33 lbs. Two pounds a week was a bit ambitious it turns out. There were weeks I lost more than two and weeks I stayed the same or gained. I averaged about a pound a week. I'm not disappointed that I haven't lost all 50 yet...17 to go! If I can keep up an average of about a pound a week, I should reach my goal by the end of Feb/beginning of March!

Aside from the obvious health benefits, one of the biggest outcomes of all this has been the huge boost in my confidence. Not just in how I look, although shopping has become infinitely more fun again. But, I've really started to believe I can do anything. A year ago I never would have signed up for a 5k, let alone a half marathon. But, I set a goal to lose weight, and I have...I set a goal to become a runner, and I'm well on my way!