8 Weeks...

This is the most recent photo I have of myself. I'm eating out at a restaurant, but don't worry, I made wise choices. :) And I couldn't figure out how to crop Sam out of it, so hopefully she doesn't mind having her photo on the world-wide-web. :)



Yesterday marked the 8 week anniversary of this whole life-changing experience. It sounds cheesey, but it's SO true. In eight weeks I've managed to lose 14.5 inches from all over my body, and lose 20 pounds. (Well, 19 point something, but lets round up, shall we?) And that's just on the outside. I have my annual physical in September, and I can hardly wait to find out my blood pressure and to see the look on my doc's face when I get on that dreaded hospital scale.

I can't believe how far I've already come. It's such an amazing feeling. And as I lose weight and get in better shape, I'm less afraid/embarassed to share with you what I started out at in my journey. I weighed in at 229 pounds. I'll pause here to let you guys throw up/cry/gasp/swear......... Okay, we good? I was in size 18 jeans/pants/bottoms in general and 14-16 top...... Here's the amazing part. Yesterday I was trying on old clothes (it's definitely more fun when they start to fit again), and I got myself COMFORTABLY into a pair of size 14 jeans! They were zipped, buttoned, and with little-to-no muffin-top! I'm think by the end of next week they'll be just about perfect... :)

So like I said, I went through ALL of my clothes. This had never been done before. So EEEEK. I ended up with 2 black garbage bags full of give-away clothes. Oh and a smallish box. I also ended up with a GIGANTIC Rubbermaid full of clothes that WILL fit this winter. :D Oh, and two medium-sized Rubbermaids full of clothes that WILL fit next summer. I'm getting so excited. It's just a whole new world (go ahead and sing the song. I'll have it stuck in my head all night, too.) It's amazing to look at a pair of jeans that you haven't worn in two years and be EXCITED about wearing them AGAIN, rather than depressed as hell because you never will, and then (lets face it) you go binge-friggin-crazy on Cold Stone and Olive Garden breadsticks. Yes ladies and gentlemen, those were my drugs of choice.

Now that I'm feeling so much better, mentally AND physically, I'm really trying to inspire people. I know how painful it is to be overweight, and I wasn't even as big as a lot of people start out. But I was sad, and angry, and disappointed in myself, and depressed, and really unhappy. And I think everyone who is out of shape, in any way, shape or form, feels those things. So I want to help someone. I want to motivate someone. Being fit and feisty will be great fun, but I've decided my ultimate goal is to help someone else change their life. Wish me luck!