My Weight Loss Journey

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November 2010

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember, even as a kid I was always chubby. This is in large part to my poor eating habits - I loved fast food, pop, chips, chocolate, candy, you name it. You couldn't force a vegetable down my throat and I couldn't even stomach staples like meat and potatoes. One of the running jokes in my family is always centered around my traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas Lotus Garden egg rolls. Yup, no turkey, no potatoes, no dressing, no cranberries. Egg rolls. Granted, they are literally the best egg rolls you could ever imagine eating ... but I digress. 

I knew I was overweight, and I knew my eating habits were horrible, but there was always something holding me back - most likely the fear of not being able to do it, not being able to stick with it, not being able to commit to the lifestyle change.

In January 2011, I downloaded an app on my phone (C25K) and started going to the gym at my school. On the first day there, I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 220 lbs. At the time I didn't let it get to me, but thinking back I'm embarrassed that I let myself go that much. I fell off of the gym wagon, and my eating improved slightly, but I didn't stick with it again. I still enjoyed my McDonald's and Doritos, though likely more in moderation. 

May 2011

I moved into my own apartment in September 2011, where I found it easier to cook for myself and make healthier choices. I started making breakfast smoothies with fruit and spinach, but never really kept track of my weight. In March 2012, my mom and I went to a Visalus shake party. It seemed like it would be easy, I was already making smoothies, and the results seemed incredible. 

I joined a gym in Halifax that month, and made a serious effort to go 3-4 times a week, but then finals season hit and my time all but evaporated. When I moved home at the end of April, not much had changed.

When I started my 90 day challenge I weighed in at 200 lbs, somehow having lost 20 over the course of a year. But again, I didn't really stick to it. Some days I would have the two shakes recommended, some days I would only have one. And even then, I would make high-calorie suppers that all but negated any good the shakes had done. And still, from March 2012-September 2012, I lost another 20 lbs.

July 2012

In September when I moved back to Halifax, I decided to make more of an effort. I went to the gym consistently 4 times a week, focusing on cardio and a small weight circuit. I went in the morning before I had class, freeing up the rest of my day and leaving me feeling energized. I felt great, but the scale wasn't moving. Near the end of October, I downloaded the app My Fitness Pal by the suggestion from a friend. I struggled with it for a month, maintaining my calories burned and consumed, and giving myself a cheat day once a week to refuel my body. But most days I felt hungry all day, not feeding myself the proper foods to get the most out of what I was eating.

In that month, I lost approximately 7 pounds, it's difficult to say because I wasn't consistent in weighing myself. But again, finals season hit and my motivation and dedication went out the window. And then, it was time to come home for Christmas. I'd been hoping to maintain better eating habits over the break, but with all of the baking and baking and baking and egg rolls, I didn't. By the time January rolled around, I'd somehow gained back almost all of those 7 pounds I'd lost.

September 2012

A week or so into January, I introduced my mom to My Fitness Pal, and she agreed to change her lifestyle with me. When I started again in January, I weighed in at 180 lbs, setting my goal weight at 140-145 lbs. It was tough at first, trying to feel full but not overeating, cutting way down on carbs, not drinking my calories (I'd fallen back off the no-pop wagon), less snacking, not eating late at night. But the more time went on, the easier it became. It was fun experimenting with new recipes and trying to make old ones more 'diet friendly', I found I didn't feel like I needed all of that food, and some days even struggled to meet my calorie minimum. 

So that brings us to today. This morning I weighed in at 162 lbs, nearly halfway to my goal. Today the jeans I bought in December fit looser, my old Wranglers from the summer are all too big, half of my beloved Lululemon collection has been sold because I can't justify keeping something that doesn't fit anymore, and I'm not ashamed of my body and the progress I have made.

March 2013