It's been 4 years...

It's been 4 years ago this month that I started on a healthier lifestyle and weighloss goal and have pretty much maintained that since. I've always been a chubby girl but right after high school about at the age of 21, I lost 25-30 lbs and was the smallest I ever was in my adult life. I was a size medium in clothing. I loved it. I had stopped eating red meat and ate a lot of cottage cheese and baked potatoes. I also had a video tape for step aerobics and a stepper (wish I still had them) and I walk about everyday.

It didn't last long...it probably took me 4 or 5 months to start gain the weight back and then a few more lbs. I got a night shift job at that time which killed my eating and sleeping habits. About 1 year later I moved from my home town to go to college at the age of 22.

I gained that freshmen 15. Well it was more like 10. After my first sememter at college, I became more active and lost 20 lbs. I kept that weight off the rest of the 4.5 years I went to college due to the fact I had free access to the school's gym and I was on my feet all the time for my job in the evenings on weekends. Retail will do that to you. I was pretty happy with my size then and I felt pretty healthy.

After college, the weight kept creaping up. I blame finally landing that desk job. I gained that 20 or so back about a 1 year after college. Eventually sometime in 2006-2007 (3-4 years after college) I became the heaviest I ever was and packed on another 40 lbs. I didn't really see it that much in the mirror. We look at ourselves everyday and can miss what it happening to your body. Or maybe I was in denial. I heard people say that I had gained weight. But I didn't see it until I saw some pictures of me. I was also starting to get winded while walking or when I would sit down it was hard for me to breath sometimes. I thought, this isn't good.

So in January 2008, my resolution was to give up my cable tv and join the gym (as I couldn't afford both at the time) and get healthy and loose weight. I've been a member at the gym ever since and have kept off 35lbs for 4 years. I can work out for 1.5-2 hours no problem at the gym and before I could only do 20 minutes.  I have my cable tv back though and at one point that last couple years I've become more of a tv junkie but I'm trying to get back into my habits I had in 2008. I exercised 5-6 days a week. I was up to a 50 lbs weightloss but I gained 15 back the last couple of year but have maintained the rest of the weightloss. I will say the last 2 months I have noticed inches coming off my body as I've incorporated more strength training. My clothes are fitting better and I think I'm looking better in the mirror.

This will always be a struggle for me. I hope the new ways I'm eating too (no meat on mondays and less sugar and flour) will also help me get more fit.