Okay, so technically I'm almost a week late on this diet-iversary. Oops. I promise that once the summer is over and my life gets more normal my blogging (and hopefully my diet) will become part of my life again.
ANYWAY, today is not a day for apologies. Instead, it is a day for some authentic Jersey-style fist pumping. Today is the day where I can remember what I felt like 1 year ago. So follow me back, if you will. Walk down memory lane with me... :: With a Wayne's World style "Diddloo! Diddloo! Diddloo!"::
August, 2010: I was sitting in my office at Visalia Youth Services, waiting for another client who skipped our session. I started wandering around the internet, researching diet plans, reading reviews, and checking prices. I decided on Slim-Fast, mostly because of the price. My mother-in-law had been over a few weeks ago, and was telling me about a meal plan she had used to lose upwards of 20 pounds. She looked awesome. And I looked like the Michelin man. And I didn't believe, never really believed, that I could look like myself ever again. I figured with Slim-Fast, at least it would cut my calories and if (WHEN) I failed at it, I wouldn't feel more depressed for having wasted my money. I'd just still be fat.
So yeah, suffice it to say, I was kinda depressed. Add to this the fact that I was having severe, constant back pain. And terrible allergy symptoms. And was starting to have regular panic attacks. Then my brother's wedding was coming. I'd bought the bridesmaid dress months before, size 14, and it was pretty friggin' tight. I figured I'd lose a lot more weight (my daughter would be nearly 11 months, you can lose TONS of weight by then, right?) but I could just have the fat-lady dress taken in.
Unfortunately, when it was time to have the dress fitted to me, the only "taking in" that had to be done was in the shoulders. Because you'd think size 14 girls would have bigger jugs than I had, right? Go figure. In FACT, the seamstress highly recommended I invest in some quality "shapewear" just to, you know, "smooth some stuff out". Translate: "To insure my belly rolls weren't going to bust any seams on this too tightly fitting dress".
"But I swear seamstress lady! I know the wedding is in 3 weeks, but I'm on a diet! It'll work, I promise...ish."
And I did diet. By the wedding, I was almost 10 pounds down, and not busting at the seams of that dress. At least as much.
I'm not saying I wasn't happy here. I was ecstatic for my baby brother and his gorgeous bride. I just felt like Gigantor.
Cute baby didn't like strangers or cameras so much back then. Note how Mommy's "You'd Totally Think I was Pregnant" belly works as a nice munchkin supporter. Always a bright side!
Here you can see what I was up against. My ridiculously beautiful sister-in-law and her posse. Geez, I could have at least gotten a tan. A tan may have helped. Also, note the shoes. Best shoes I've ever owned ever.
Yep. That's my belly and booty. And yep, it's got loads of shapewear on it. But there's some level of chub that won't be maintained by spandex.
Now here we are. 1 year later, after loads of prayer, tons of support, and a good amount of complaining about hunger and stupid exercise, I'm right around 45 pounds down. In an effort to celebrate and make a fair comparison, I've jumped back into the dress for the first time since that day!
Yes, I'd just gotten out of the shower, and no, I was not wearing makeup. I probably hadn't even brushed my hair, if I'm honest, but my hair is not the feature here. The feature is the fact that I have TWO discernible ankles.
Even my daughter is excited about it! "Ta Da!!!" She was also emphatic about telling me that I looked "Cuuuuute!" She really notices when I wear dresses or skirts. That's because I never wear dresses or skirts.
I'm not stretching it. It's not stretchy. It's just pulled out enough to fit me and, well, probably most of another me. Or my skinny arsed husband.
As you can see, I've evidently lost the most weight in my clavicle. Hellooooooo clavicle.
Measuring tape belt of awesomeness
So there ya go! Smaller in the body, weirder in the face. These days, I have very little back pain (I was still built a little wonky, I'll always have a little pain), I almost never feel anxious, and a lot of my allergy problems are gone. I'm healthier. And I'm happier. And I'm totally cool with taking weird, makeup-free pictures of myself because now I have sexier ankles. Speaking of which, I really need to work on convincing my husband that ankles are sexy.
Well, I'm off, probably to work out again. These pictures make me want to increase my awesome and NOT my waistline.
Hope you all find a reason to celebrate today! And if you don't have one, make it up. Your reasons to celebrate are only limited by your imagination. I.E. "Woo hoo! It's Grocery Shopping Thursday!!! Time to have a living room parade!"
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