Wow! It’s hard to believe that in 2000, after having my second child my weight just kept going up and up and up! 2000 was the beginning of the end! Each bite, each pound, each day, each year…it just got worse until I hit rock bottom.  When my kids were about 2 and 3, I was a size 14 and miserable.  I was fat, frumpy, and super unhappy.  I hated who I’d become.  I was a size 6 when I got married and could not believe that my 5’2″ frame had turned into this!

This was me when my son turned 1 (my daughter was 2 1/2):

I was only 24 years old and felt fat and old! I was super unhappy.   A short time after this I started weight watchers.  I lost a bit of weight and dropped a size.  Went from a 14 to a 12.  This was not my idea of weight loss and I felt starved all of the time.  I didn’t feel like the program helped me learn to eat better, just less of the crap I was already eating.  And not enough.  I was tired and cranky still.  I never learned to eat well growing up.  My parents didn’t have much money and we ate cheap.  When I was a kid I was super active and the poor eating didn’t really make a huge difference to my body (although, I’ve never had a nice midsection).

After weight watchers, I didn’t look a lot better.  This is me for my daughter’s 3rd birthday (6 months later):

I was about 15 lbs lighter but only 1 size smaller.  I was still very unhappy.  My husband told me I could get myself a gym membership and get kids club to go with the kids.  I went day and night for months and months.  The problem was I wasn’t doing weights because I really didn’t know what to do…I was loving doing 30 mins of cardio and then showering and getting ready in peace (to fully use my 2 hours of kids club) in the morning, then I would go back and do 30 mins in the eve.  It was relaxing.  A little bit of weight came off, but nothing substantial.  I went occasionally until my kids started school, then it became easier to go and more like a routine.

I invested in a personal trainer.  It was nice to have a reason to be accountable.  I had an appointment, so I went.  I learned a lot of exercises, I learned nothing about nutrition.  I did lose a bit of weight and was happy.  Eventually I couldn’t afford to pay the trainer anymore, but thankfully found a friend that had been working out for years.  I started meeting her after dropping the kids at school.  We met everyday.  We did cardio, we lifted, we did more cardio.  It was great for me.  I lost 30 lbs in the first 5 months.  It was perfect.  I felt amazing.  I was down to a size 8, finally in single digits.  During these 5 months I went into the local Max Muscle often and talked w/ the owner (Austin) about how to eat properly, exercise properly, and keep on the right path.  He was an amazing help and he and his wife have become some of my closest friends.  After my friend moved away, I have found more passion in learning to become more healthy on the inside.  I spend a lot of time learning about how my body works and what it necessary to keep it healthy.

By 2009 (my son was 9), I had made it to a size 5 overall and was super happy with my progress. But if I could get to a 5, what was keeping me from pushing harder? NOTHING!! I am still on this journey.  Today I am between a 0-2 and would love to be more lean and have more definition, so I continue on my journey that is full of ups and downs and rough spots.  I just get up and keep pushing! And honestly, if I can do it, so can you!!

(I don’t have a super recent pic, but will add one in the next week or so!)

If you’d like to read about the reason why other fitness women got started, check out the other Fitness Blog World bloggers!! They are an amazing group of ladies!!