At the beginning of February, I wrote a post titled, Exposed and Vulnerable, where I discussed how unhappy I had become with the “fitness” of my body, not that I was necessarily unhappy with my weight.  At that time, I weighed 163 pounds, and I was the heaviest I have ever been with the exception of pregnancy or just having given birth.  That Weight Loss Challenge was the motivating factor for me to get off my butt and get moving for two reasons.  First, it involved at least monthly accountability, and second, it required taking AND SUBMITTING before and after pictures.  The challenge ended at the end of August, and I finally got around to taking my “after” pictures today.

So, here I am after:

1. Six months of exercise and taking care of myself
2. Six months of eating right and changing my diet
3. Six months and 23 POUNDS LOST!!!

I spent most of my time running, but have since been told no more running by the doctor – at least until we find out exactly what’s wrong with my knee.  I also have been golfing at least three times a week, mountain biking, and hiking as much as I can.  My body is in such better shape that it was six months ago, it’s amazing!  I dropped 4 inches around, and 3 clothing sizes.  I am still not as “fit” as I want to be, and I want to increase my endurance, which will come with time.

So you can see how dramatic the change actually was, here are the side-by-side comparisons:

If you would have asked me a year ago if I had the will power to achieve this goal, I would have said NO WAY; however, the person I am growing into and the woman I am becoming says, “Oh HELL yeah!” I can do anything, and I will succeed at everything I do – because even if I fail, I will have at least tried, which is a success in and of itself.

Amy

Nature Girl. Mom. Wife. Friend. Photographer. Sewer. Crafter. Artist.

To borrow a phrase – “Yeet Ye Riche”