One year.

10.19.09 - 10.19.10

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," I Corinthians 6:19-20

One year ago today was the day that I began a life long journey of living a healthy lifestyle. A year ago today I set out on a journey to lose weight to gain back control of my life. I knew that this year would be a year of challenges, successes, and most of all a lot of hard work. A year ago today I never dreamed of being where I am today. I remember thinking how much work this was going to be and being fearful that reaching my goals might not ever happen. I remember feeling like I was standing at the bottom of a mountain and looking up at the top to realize I had to climb SO high. Despite these fears, and despite how far this journey seemed I remembered telling myself that I was worth it. My life and the body that God had blessed me with was worth it.

A few before pics:






























This morning when I stepped on the scale, I can say that I am 95 pounds lighter than the person I was just one year ago. I'm not necessarily proud of the fact that I needed to lose that much, but I'm proud of the fact that I actually did it! The number on the scale won't ever define me, but living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life was my overall goal and I think I've reached it! They say that hard work always pays off in the end, and I can honestly say that I know that to be true in my own life.

Many people have asked along the way how I did it and what kept me motivated, etc.

How I did it? That's simple. I followed three concepts each day:
1. I started counting calories, and eating healthy.
2. I started working out 5-6 days a week. (The first 7 months of this journey I worked out with a trainer twice a week! Spend the money. It's a HUGE motivator/accountability)
3. I stopped making excuses. period.

What kept me motivated?
1. Reminding myself that I was worth it.
2. The immense amount of support and challenge I had from my trainer, Albert.
3. The incredible support I had from a few of my closest friends.

A journey like this isn't easy. It takes hard work. It takes an immense amount of discipline. For me it took sacrifice. For once in my life I had to be selfish with my time. I had to put my needs above other people's at times. I still tried to maintain a healthy balance of life and this journey, but I knew that working out and staying on track of my eating had to be one of my top priorities over the course of the past year. Despite the frustrations I had at times, the feeling of accomplishment I had when I saw significant changes in my life was incredible! I feel so much more alive today than I did one year ago. When you are that overweight everyday is a battle. I remember feeling so tired all the time. My back hurt, my knees hurt, everything hurt. I realized that as a 25 year old this wasn't the way I should be living! Today I'm full of energy and rarely tired. I don't have issues with my back or knees anymore! I'm living the life that I should be living thanks to God's great grace in helping me accomplish these goals. I can do things today that I didn't think I'd ever be able to do. I can meet a friend to go running for miles, I can shop in normal stores, and overall just be a more confident person in who God says that I am.

If you need the motivation to get started, JUST DO IT! Remember, you are worth it. Your body is worth it. If I can do it, you can do it.

A few AFTER pics! I'm happy!