People are noticing

To follow up my post from yesterday where the gentleman who does the cleaning asked if I'd lost weight.....

Today a co-worker told me I was looking great and asked what my secret was.  I had to tell her, it's not a program you have to sign up for, there's nothing to buy, I've just been counting calories, eating some healthy recipes from Trim Healthy Mama, and avoiding added sugar and white flour/white bread.

At the beginning of my journey I had someone ask me if I wanted to join their team in a MLM company for weight loss.  They told me that I could use the product, lose the weight, and then when people started commenting on how much I lost and asked what my secret was, then I could sell the product to them.  I seriously considered joining. But in the end I decided I didn't want to be dependent on a company, or shakes, or meal supplements.  So now, when people ask for my secret, I've got nothing to sell them, and I'm okay with that.  I don't want to profit off of them.  But maybe they can profit from my experience.

I'm more than happy to share my story, swap recipes, and lend support.

Progress

              Sept. 22, 2015       April 19, 2016
                  198.6 lbs.              163.8 lbs.

Got the nicest compliment this evening from the gentleman who cleans the office. He said, "I don't know if it's my business to say this, but have you lost a lot of weight recently?" "Yes! Thank you for noticing." "You must have really been working hard at it. Good for you."

He made my whole day!
           

Hey, Skinny...

Went to my parents' house for brunch wearing my pre pregnancy jeans. My mom greeted me with, "Hey, Skinny, how are you doing?"

165.6

Where I am, and how far I've come.

166 lbs: four pounds in a month

Weighed in at 166 this morning.
On March 4th I weighed 170.
Four pounds in a month feels like slow going, but I'm moving in the right direction.

168 lbs

Back in my pre pregnancy size 10 jeans and medium t shirt. My shape has changed (saggy, jiggly skin in the belly area) but I'm so thankful for how far I've come.

Size 14

170.6 pounds. Wearing my new size 14 pants to work today!

Where are my belts?

I bought these pants a very tight size 16 in the middle of August as I was preparing to return to work at the end of maternity leave. And now it looks like I could use a belt!

Dress shopping

Yesterday I went back to Kohl's to find a dress for Lily's Christening. Grabbed about six dresses. Was able to zip into a 16 and a snug 14. Then tried on the dress I got in both a large and an XL. The large fit better in the arms and chest, but the XL fit better over my belly, and a girl has to be able to breathe, so I bought the XL. Was so tempted to force the Large, but it is not yet time, so I'm working to accept that. Here's where I am today. I will be at peace with my current size.

171 lbs

171. Thank goodness.  I was stuck. Just going up and down, up and down between 173, 174, 175 all month!  Sheesh.  Finally moving in the right direction again.

Put a ring on it

Back up to 174 from 173, but today is the first day I could get my rings on since I stopped wearing them while pregnant. Too snug to wear all day, but I'll take it. Cried happy tears.

Weigh-in

Weighed in this morning at 173.6 lbs. Not too shabby.  Starting to feel more like myself again. And my left wrist that has been hurting since Lily was born, is no longer hurting.  Wahoo!  Non-scale victory!

Side by side

September 22, 2015         January 26, 2016
                    198.6 lbs         177.2 lbs    

Somewhere in the middle pictures

177.2 lbs

The number seven

179.4 lbs on the bathroom scale this morning. The number seven was a sight for sore eyes.

Frustrated: the girl in the mirror

This morning I stepped on the scale which read 182.4 pounds. I was thrilled! I got dressed, looked in the mirror, felt great.  Over my lunch break I decided to go to Kohl's to try on a few dresses since I got a gift card from dh for Christmas. I figured I could get two and wear them to work, and maybe for Lily's upcoming baptism in February.

I suddenly didn't feel so great anymore. I tried on three dresses and was devastated. I looked at my lumpy body in the three full length mirrors in the dressing room. I saw my wiggly varicose veins in all their post pregnancy glory worming their way across my calves and thighs. I saw the rolls of flesh and the back fat spilling over my bra band. I put the dresses on the fitting room rack and made it to my car before the hot tears streaked my cheeks.

I was a fat kid and always had to shop in the pretty plus section. In today's vocabulary I met the requirements for childhood obesity, but at that time the word didn't exist. I knew I had to wear bigger clothes then, but I was never disgusted or repulsed by my body. Today was the first day I ever remember feeling this way. Three minutes in front of three full length mirrors took me from on top of the world to serious self loathing.

I pulled myself together and went back to work. But I'm still perplexed. How is it that I went back to work a size 16, have lost 20 pounds since then, and am still a size 16? At the rate I'm going, I'll get back to my pre-baby weight and still be a size 16.

Just needed to rant to get it out of my system. Tomorrow will be better.