Day 89: WOW, this is ME...!

Day 89: Wow, this is ME 13 Weeks Later!

When I first started this endeavor, I thought it would only last 12 weeks. I thought I would get all excited, go through this effort and then get back to my old routine. It was about week 8 when I decided it was to be our new lifestyle. I love how I feel, it doesn’t take that much effort and I really enjoy cheat day. Jason has lost 33 pounds, he looks like a new man! Me, I am too small for some size 4’s! The I still have some progress to make (my legs) but I know this is a lifetime achievement. It doesn’t matter if I hit my mark at 12 weeks or not, what matters is that I know someday I will. I am still working out every morning. I feel this alone was a game changer for me. At the end of the day there just isn’t much of me left for a workout. Workouts in the morning refresh me and give me the energy boost I need to make it with less sleep. I hated working out in the beginning, planning ahead really helped. Then, I started planning ahead for other things in my life. All of sudden, I am organized, okay…not totally, but way more than I used to be. I really enjoy what this has done for my marriage. Not that is was on the rocks, but I felt it brought us closer together. We were achieving a goal together, and that felt really good. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I can’t believe that is me staring back. I have hated that girl in the mirror so long, I never thought we would ever be friends!

I must admit, seeing the photos all together, it is very impressive. I am still in shock! It was on my mind but since week 4, I haven’t been in an all fired up mood to get my progress pics taken. This morning I knew it must be done but I was dreading it. I am a perfectionist. My thinking is, if it can’t be perfect, it isn’t worth doing. This has held me back in so many areas of my life. I hate mediocrity and substandard is unacceptable. But this is life, isn’t it? Life isn’t perfect, it is messy and unpredictable. Just when we think we got it figured out, it changes on us. Just like my son. This challenge meant a lot to me but I think after week 8, I got a bit overwhelmed with life. I started my book, and that took over my free time. Once I took care of my family there wasn’t enough of me left to blog about my progress that day. I got into a mode of thinking that what I doing wasn’t hitting the marks I set for myself. I got down and didn’t want to talk about it. Sometimes, if you can’t say anything positive, it is best to keep it to yourself. So, I just stuck to my diet, cheated sometimes, okay more than sometimes, and exercised 5 – 6 times per week. I wasn’t losing weight but I wasn’t gaining. Then last night I had a ½ of a fajita extra than I was meant to, drank a couple too many really good drinks and paid the price this morning: 124.2. I gained a half a pound from last week. From that weight, I am 11 pounds lighter than when I started. I hit my goal weight of 125. I don’t have a goal weight anymore, I just want my body to be whatever weight it wants to be. But weight doesn’t tell the whole story, let’s look at the numbers:

Arms Before: 11 ¾

Arms After: 11

Total Loss: ¾ inch

Chest Before:  35 ¾

Chest After: 34 ¼

Total Loss: 1 ½ inches

Waist Before: 32 ½

Waist After: 28 ½

Total Loss: 4 inches

Legs Before: 24

Legs After: 21 ¼

Total Loss: 2 ¾ inches

Total Body Loss: 9 inches

But sometimes you have to see to believe…