Growing up, I never considered myself overweight until I went to college. I stopped exercising and starting drinking, heavily. College was an amazing but detrimental 4 years to my body. I didn't seem to take notice to the lbs I was packing on when I was eating pizza for most meals and working out once or twice a week. I went from being really active and healthy to being quasi-active and healthy. My eating habits turned to convenience over health. Entering college, I weighed 145 lbs in August 2005. Leaving college, I weighed 185 lbs in May 2009. I had gained 40 lbs in 4 years at college. HOLY CRAP.
Graduation Day May 9, 2009
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July 2009
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July 2009
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The year after college, I tried every diet under the sun. I bought tons of books and every diet drug advertised on TV (take it from me- EVERY SINGLE ONE IS A SCAM and DO NOT waste your money) I would lose 5 or 10 lbs here and there but before I knew it, I was right back to where I started. There were multiple times that I almost didn't go to friend's weddings because I couldn't find anything flattering to wear. I mean- we are talking me sitting on the floor infront of my closet crying (Thank god for my amazing boyfriend who would pick me up off the floor and say you are beautiful, get dressed in whatever you feel comfortable in, WE ARE GOING TO THIS WEDDING!) If you know me, YOU KNOW that I take more pictures than anyone I have ever met in my life and if I don't look good for my OWN pictures then I'm not going plain and simple- CASE CLOSED.
I needed a new word besides frustrated to describe what I was feeling. Every single one of my best friends are ridiculously beautiful and skinny (yes, EVERY SINGLE ONE <3) All of them went to college. All of them drank. All of them ate pizza, burgers, etc and not one gained weight like I did. God bless each and every one of them because not one has EVER made me feel self conscious about my weight gain.
May 2010
Strawberry Hill 2010
July 4, 2010
Fall of 2010, when I moved to Arlington, I joined Gold's and started working out 4-5 times a week and didn't lose even ONE lb!! Christmas of 2010, I stepped on the scale and almost passed out when I saw the number staring back at me. 198 lbs. (believe me when I say I judged myself WAY more than you are ever going to) I now weighed more than half of the Philadelphia Eagles Football team. All of these questions started coming to mind. How did I let myself get this big? Why didn't someone tell me I was the size of a whale? Why can't I lose weight? What is different about my body than everyone else who eats like I do? This was the absolutely lowest point in my life and it was time to do something drastic.
I vowed to my closest girlfriends that I was going to lose weight in 2011.
New Years 2010
Christmas 2010
Christmas 2010
April 2011
Birthday Cruise
Spring of 2011, I lost 15lbs. I felt much better and my confidence was starting to come back. By taking dairy out, I had gotten rid of headaches, heart burn and indigestion. (I'll make another post about food intolerance) Even though I had lost 15lbs, I was still severely over weight. I started adding dairy back in slowly and like clockwork my symptoms came back. I needed help. Clearly, I wasn't able to lose the weight on my own.
