Weight Loss Has Its Highs and Lows

Gaining weight is so easy, and losing weight is torture.

I remember these little dresses I wore my senior year in college.  My weight/size was pretty OK.  I wasn't a skinny little thing, but I looked and felt fine.

When I started teaching 17 years ago, I focused so much on work and the stress it caused that I didn't pay attention to what I ate or how I looked.  Looking back, I remember not having things to wear near the end of the school year, so I wore my mom's clothes.  That first year was horrible.  So horrible that I changed school districts for my 2nd year.  Looking back, I had no idea how big I was and it didn't click that I had grown to a size far larger than I had ever been.  I think I may have gained 60-70 lbs that year.  How could I not realize that?  How could it not have bothered me?  Could it have been because I was just trying to survive? Why didn't someone say something?

During my 3rd year of teaching, I joined Weight Watchers with my mom and aunt.  We went to weekly meetings, and I worked hard at what I ate.  I don't remember if I joined Curves the first time at that point or not.  After 5 months, I lost 25 lbs.  This was a huge deal.  I hated that it took 5 months, but I was excited I was finally at a low point after 3 years.  However, it didn't last long.

Over the next 10 years, I regained that 25 lbs plus at least 29-30 more.  I may have even weighed more than that, but that is the largest number I remember seeing on a scale. At some point during those 10 years, I lost 11 pounds cutting out soda and trying the South Beach Diet, but it didn't stay off.

In 2010, I decided it was the year to take care of me.  I began visiting the doctor for ailments I had been experiencing for several years.  Over the next 2 years, I only lost 10 lbs trying to eat better.

Finally, as you may know from my blogging, I joined Curves again on July 9, 2012.  Everything I have done since then has been compared to that start date and the highest weight I know from 2010.

After doing the 10 day detox and really trying to watch what I eat these last few weeks, doing a lot of house work this week, and adding in some walking/jogging, I have made it back to the weight I was at after losing with Weight Watchers.  This was one of my goals.  I wanted to get to this number on the scale.  That means I have lost 54 lbs from my highest point in 2010 and 14 lbs since January 6, 2014.  Woohoo!

I am trying to keep up with my BFF who has begun walking and jogging.  Last night, I walked 4 minutes, ran 2 minutes, walked 4 minutes, jogged 1 minute, and repeated for only 25 minutes.  That was hard on my joints, but I gave it a try.  Now . . . to keep trying.

While I am excited to get to this point, I have 30-35 more pounds to go.  I need all the prayer and encouragement I can get.