Exercise & Weight: Update #2

I've lost three pounds! Unfortunately, it was the same pound three times and I'm still at the same weight as my first update. My weight has been like a yo-yo. Why? Paul's parents were in town, loads of Christmas cookies/fudge, I had my birthday (which equals lots of free food) and illness. Yes, excuses excuses. But at least I haven't gained weight, right?

Ugh, I'd rather not post. Reflecting back on the past few weeks makes me feel discouraged. I suppose it's important to be accountable and really pinpoint the reasons I'm not losing weight. Another factor I failed to mention is not using MFP regularly. I do so much better when I count my calories. Otherwise I just keep popping those cookies in my mouth!

I do think it's important that I could feel a difference in my body when I compared the first three weeks to the second three weeks of this journey. When I was calorie counting and getting legit work outs I felt firmer, stronger and less bloated. As my exercise waned (I was still doing it 5x a week, just shorter videos or lower intensity) and my junk food intake increased I felt gross. My stomached pooched out more and I was tired. All of that junk made me want to take naps and be lazy.

So just a couple weeks left. Obviously I'm not going to lose 7 pounds in the next 14 days. That would be unhealthy (but awesome...). But another 2 pounds is realistic. Maybe not really because of Christmas... but I need to stick to my guns! I need to get back to portion control. Oh, and I need to give away all of those delicious seven layer cookies and chocolate fudge I just made.

I also need to give myself some credit. Looking back on the past few weeks stinks, but over the past few months I have lost 20 pounds! 20 of those nasty things pictured below are OFF my body. A few bad weeks stinks, but I need to keep pushing forward. I am strong. I can do this. By January 1 I will have 2 more of those bay boys off my body.

Each and every day I am trying to cherish my body the way it is. I remember feeling fat in high school because I was surrounded by skinny cross country runners. I look back at pictures and cannot believe how thin and fit I was. I am constantly trying to stop comparing myself to others. I'm not losing weight so I can be rail thin, I am losing weight so I can feel healthy and fit. I want to play with my son on the floor without feeling rolls of fat spilling over my pants. I want to be comfortable in my body. So while there will always be women who are skinner than me... I'm going to be happy in my healthy body and not take it for granted.