12+ lbs Down!
I feel a little nervous sharing my progress and process. I figure documenting this more publicly can help me keep going when it gets tougher and maybe what I do might help someone else.
A little bit about where I started: I’ve always been a bigger girl who struggled with body dysmorphia and my weight. After moving back to the states from overseas in 2020 (mid-pandemic) my weight started drastically increasing.
I don’t have a lot of full body photos of myself during this time. I would just take selfies at a strategic angle to hide my second chin and my body. The March photo was from my sister’s wedding and I tried so hard to hide my body. October was my wedding day and my friend had to convince me to take the photo to commemorate the day.
It’s hard for me to look back on those photos, let alone share them. 🫣 I guess I can think of this as exposure therapy.
Last year in July I hit a breaking point and ended up in a mental institution. I have PTSD and didn’t realize I was constantly being triggered at work. BAD. I would stress eat and that would lead me to binge eat, which kept the number on the scale steadily increasing.
I was able to quit my job thanks to my husband and start focusing on my mental and physical health. I really started this journey December 2024 and so far since then I’ve dropped about 12 lbs.
The goal is to go from my starting weight of 336 lbs to 180 lbs.
Anyone else on a fitness/weight loss journey?
Wanna be accountability partners? 😊
#gymmotivation #embracevulnerability #Lemon8Diary #fitnessjourney #letschat
It's incredible to reflect on how far I've come since hitting that breaking point. When I decided to prioritize my mental and physical health around late 2023, the idea of losing over 150 pounds felt absolutely monumental. I knew I couldn't tackle it all at once, so I started focusing on small, sustainable changes, much like setting mini "phases" for myself, even if I didn't call it a '10-week cut.' My initial goal wasn't just to see '12 lbs down!' on the scale, but to feel better day-to-day. One of the first things I focused on was my relationship with food. For so long, stress eating and binge eating had been my coping mechanisms. I started by simply becoming more mindful of why I was eating. Was I truly hungry, or was I stressed, bored, or emotional? This wasn't about drastic diets, but about making small swaps – adding more whole foods, increasing my water intake, and cutting back on processed snacks. It was challenging, especially in the early days of late 2023, but even these small shifts started to make a difference in my energy levels and how my clothes felt. When it came to physical activity, the thought of 'running for weight loss' seemed daunting and frankly, impossible for someone at 336 lbs. Instead, I started with gentle movement. Long walks became my therapy. I'd put on a podcast or some music and just move my body for 30-45 minutes. As I progressed into early 2024, I slowly increased the intensity and duration. By March 2024, I was feeling noticeably lighter and more energetic, and those walks were getting easier. It wasn't about pushing myself to extreme limits, but about finding joy in moving again and listening to what my body could handle. This gradual 'before and after' in my activity level was just as significant as the number on the scale. Tracking my progress wasn't just about the scale, which I now check less frequently. It's about how I feel, my improved stamina, and the non-scale victories. Seeing how much my mindset has shifted from October 2023, when I struggled to even take a photo, to how I felt and looked in March 2024, has been incredibly motivating. Every pound lost, every healthier choice made, builds momentum. As I look towards January 2025, I'm excited to continue this journey, embracing all the changes along the way. It's a true 'weight loss progression' in every sense – physically, mentally, and emotionally.