The new ME!!!

I look a bit different now then I did when Hugh left 7 months ago. I have been working very hard to restore myself to the shape/size I was when I got married. I am not embarrassed to admit that I had quite a few pounds to shed. I guess I just knew it was not something I was going to be able to do with Hugh around. So I took advantage of this fine opportunity, as I did with my skills, to "shape up"! And that is what I did!

How did I do it? It was a big learning process. I have a "diet" that I have done 2 times before where I was successful with losing some pounds. The first time I did it I lost 15 pounds in about 1 month. That was while Hugh was in training for his job and the kids and I were living with my Mom back in Jan. of 2008. Yes that was fast. But somehow it just worked that fast that time. I had put that weight back on and then some because then I got pregnant with Simon. The second time I did it was Aug. to beginning of Oct. of last year and I lost 20 pounds. I was able to keep that off. Hugh then left and I got into gear. With much help and support from my sister I have been eating healthier and exercising. We also have a blog together where I have been having to report to her how my eating was that day and how I did with exercising. It was the biggest help for me. I do not think I would have been able to do it without her support and help. That is the first thing I would suggest to anyone wanting to lose weight, get a good support system. It does not have to be a big one. Just find a friend who can help you stay strong. So on this third time of my system (slightly adjusted this time and I learned new things) I last another 30 pounds. So from Aug of '09 to Sept. of '10 I lost a total of 50 pounds!! 50 pounds!! HOLY COW!! That's 2 Simon's!!! That is a lot of extra baggage I was carrying around. I went down 4 pants sizes!!

I know you are dying to know exactly what it is I did. Well I can't tell you. Because it drives me crazy when people ask what it is I did, I tell them, and they say "I could never do that!" The best quote that fits with that is "Whether you think you can, or you can't, you are right!" If you already start with the attitude of saying you could never do that then you are right! You will not succeed. If you really want to know what I did and you really want to try it out for yourself, I have no problem telling you. But I am going to tell you now, I did not do Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, I did not count calories AT ALL, I did not pay a company to tell me something I already know (eat healthy). I did non of that. I gathered info from others who have lost weight and gathered more info of my own from other online sources and came up with a plan that fits me. I am one that needs to be told what to do on a daily basis. And it worked for me.

The best and most motivating part about all this is that Hugh had no idea what I looked like. He knew I was losing weight and I would even tell him on occasion that I had lost more weight. Even at the end it seems like all I could talk about. I was so excited for him to see me. He had not seen even a picture of me while he was gone. It was like one of those revealing moments you see on TV when he first saw me. It was awesome!