Skinny Legs and All

                                    Then--July 2011           AND                          Now - October 2012

I attribute the title of my post to Tom Robbins' book, by the way.  One of my favorites.  Putting this collage together was HARD to do.  When I was overweight, I avoided cameras.  I didn't like the way I looked.  In the picture to the left, not only was I overweight (or probably obese), but I had also just lost my hair.  Two things that were utterly shocking to me at the time.

I decided to make a change.  I took one change at a time.  I started around November 2011, and I started making one change a week.  I set goals for myself, and I began to track them.  I stuck with it.  I stuck with exercising.  I stuck with eating right.  I allowed myself NOT to give up when I had binged or eaten too much the night before, and I ALWAYS started again the next day!

I still want to lose about fifteen pounds, but I'm happy with the way I look now.  I am proud of how far I've come, and I'm proud of the fact that I did it myself (with the support of friends and family, of course!). 

I have a good friend who says, "Why ruin a perfectly good CAN by adding a T?"  I think this is a great mantra in life.  If you want to lose weight and change your life you CAN do it.  You just have to stick to your goals and stop making excuses of why you can't do it.  You can do anything you set your mind to.  It just takes gumption.

Here are some things that helped me when I was just starting out, way back in July 2011 when I decided I HAD to make a change in my life:

• Set Weekly goals: Setting weekly goals makes your goals seem attainable.  It is easier to look at the fact that you need to lose one pound in a week, than to look at the fact that you need to lose 75 pounds in the next year! 

• Track your Goals: This is important!  Tracking your goals helps you see what progress you have made and what you need to work on.

• Make ONE Change at a Time: If you are eating badly all the time and sitting on the couch, make one change at a time.  This makes the changes more manageable, and you can make another change when you're ready.  For instance, I started out by adding exercise to my life.  Then when I felt like it, I stopped snacking at night.  Then I worked on portion sizes, but I added the changes when I was ready. 

• Surround yourself with people who support you in what you're trying to do.  It's important to have people in your life who tell you that you're doing a great job, and even people who become inspired by what you're doing and begin making changes in themselves.

I honestly believe anyone can make this change in their life.  It just takes effort, willpower, and the ability to look at how losing weight and exercising will impact your life in a positive way!