My Journey To A Healthier Me

In the last eight years, I have stopped taking care of myself and let myself get extremely out of shape and unhealthy.  Simply put, I got fat.  I couldn't keep up with my son or my husband.  May 2011, I got up to 189 pounds.  For my 6'3" husband, that's a good weight.  On my 5'0" body, not so good.  

May 2011 189 lbs

Over the summer I started eating better.  I cut out a LOT of the carbs from my diet and eating lean chicken.  I was eating a salad for lunch.  I was still skipping breakfast though.  That's not good for the metabolism.  I was still feeling like crap though.  I still had no energy.  This next photo was taken on a trip to Chicago with my family.  I had lost about 13 pounds.

August 2011 176 lbs 

I had my last Dr. Pepper on Halloween 2011.  I drink a meal replacement shake for breakfast and I have a Spark about 30 minutes before I eat my lunch.  I have a salad for lunch, and I am still eating chicken for dinner.  I have a TON more energy.  I am able to wear jeans and pants that haven't fit in 4 years.  This next photo was taken today.

January 2012 164 lbs 

Side View January 2012

I plan on keeping a food journal starting in the next few days.  I keep up with the food in my fitness app on my phone and iPad, but I'm going to start taking pictures and posting recipes.  The recipes may be a little harder because Jim does all the cooking, but I'm going to try.  I will also start posting my workouts as well.  This is mostly for my benefit because I want to see where I was and where I'm going.  It's hard to see the change on a day by day basis when I look in the mirror, but when I look at the pictures, I can see the change.

*UPDATE*  *UPDATE*  *UPDATE*

I have lost more weight since my last post.  It is now July.  I am down to 144 now.  Here is a picture taken last weekend after a date night with my husband.  I am now a size 9/10.  I only have 30 pounds left to go to get to my goal.  I have started working more hours too.  I work for a gym now, so it's even easier to get my workouts in.  We have some excellent trainers there.  I LOVE my life right now!!!!

July 2012

Work and School

With school being shelved...yet again....I'm going back to work.  Ryan is old enough now, we feel comfortable having both of us working again.  It's been four years since I last worked full time.  I've already applied for a couple of Admin Assistant jobs in Fort Worth.  I'm not in any rush to find a job though.  I am looking for a position close by where Jim works so that we can save the gas and commute together.  Brad is still in school for another semester so we will have time to figure out how to get Ryan home from school in the afternoons.  He is getting old enough to start staying home alone, and my parents live close enough that if something happens they can help.  My parents can also keep Ryan at their house after school.  Baseball practices and Karate will be a bit of an issue, but maybe I can tap some of his friends parents to help us with that.  The two jobs I have applied for are both with TCC.  I'm also looking at other locations in Fort Worth.  The extra income will help us save more.  Plus the insurance would be nice.  I have been pretty lucky so far with not having insurance, but that will only last so long.  It will be nice to keep challenging myself.  It's nice to know that the grey mass between my ears actually works.  It will be nice to be living comfortably again.  I miss the days of not worrying about bills and how they were going to get paid and how late I could pay a bill before service got shut off.