I did it. I reached a goal weight that I just imagined at the beginning of this all. I did something that seemed impossible to me. I saw other people's weight loss journeys, but I never imagined I would be accomplishing the same thing one day.
Yesterday morning I decided to weigh myself even though it wasn't my normal weigh in day. I saw the number on the scale and literally ran back to my room and started crying. Happy tears of course!! I just kept saying, "I can't believe it, and thank you God." I then proceeded to put on the cute bikini I got (that was one of my goals in my first post for January) and take my first set of "after" pictures.
I don't think I've mentioned how many pounds I've actually lost, but as of right now it's been 42! I started last July, so don't get me wrong it has been a long journey, but that's because I've done it in the healthiest way possible: eating right and working out!
I cannot describe how amazing all of this has felt. It has been a huge journey and I am so blessed that I finally decided to turn things around. This time last year I was in a stage of life that was so completely different, it's hard to even imagine. Now, I am the happiest I have been in a long time. God has blessed me in so many ways through all of this. I still stand by my statement at the top of my page that it is so incredible when your faith, life, and fitness really come together, its amazing all of the positive changes that will occur.
Don't get me wrong, it has still been incredibly hard, but it has been so worth it and will continue to be worth it. It's still difficult to see yourself in a positive light sometimes. I will catch myself criticizing my body, or thinking a negative thought about the way I look but then I remind myself, "Nope. I've worked hard for this, and I am beautiful." Looking at my before pics and now also helps a ton. Seeing a picture really put's things into perspective. I am genuinely happy with my body, and I can't wait to keep improving myself.
Some people have asked if since reaching my goal, this is where I want to stop. My answer to that? NO WAY. I do not believe in ever "stopping." What did I do when I reached my goal weight? Set a new one. Does that mean that I am going to obsess over getting a new number on the scale? No way. My main goal now is to continue to tone up. If I lose weight in the process of doing that, then awesome! I will however not be looking to gain much. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I know where I am is healthy and even a lower number will still be in the healthy range.
Why do I not believe in stopping? I believe in staying healthy and active for the rest of my life. I am continually wanting to try new things involving fitness and a clean lifestyle. I believe that there is always room for improvement and we should not ever limit ourselves.
As of right now I am sticking pretty close to a meal plan that is very similar to the one that I posted a while back. It has been helping me eat very clean and with portion control. Food has become something that I use to fuel my body, not satisfy my cravings. I still enjoy food, and can go out with friends and eat healthy, but I will never eat like I used to. I believe changing that pattern is something that really impacted my whole journey. The foods we eat can completely destroy our bodies, but we have the choice not to let them, and that is a choice I made.
Let me make something clear though. I could not have done this without God. I would have given up a long time ago if I hadn't been able to go to Him throughout all of this, and he is still teaching me that. Even with reaching my goals, he has showed me that nothing is impossible when we seek him. He wants the best for me. I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that God always knows what is best for us, and wants the best for us, but it is up to us to listen to him and let him move in our life. I have tried to do things on my own, but they do not become a success until I let Him come in and take control. He is the reason I've succeeded and will continue to. I could run a million miles, do a million pushups, and have the best body in the world, but if my heart wasn't in the right place none of that would matter. I'm still seeking a beauty in Christ, not just a physical beauty based off of my looks.
I hope to continue to update this more often, now that some of my school projects have been completed, I will have more free time. Even if only one person reads this, and so much as smiles or feels some sort of encouragement, then I know I'm succeeding.
The last piece of advice I have for now sounds pretty cliche, but I firmly believe Nothing Is Impossible. We don't believe that truth enough these days.
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