Little Bit of Catchin Up

It's been some time since I last blogged.  I have gotten caught up in life and complacency in my weightloss journey, and thus blogging has become less of a 'necessity'.  Back in 2011 when I started my journey, I couldn't fathom going without journaling my progress.  I needed to record each milestone and keep myself accountable.  I wanted to be able to look back and see where I had come from, have a reminder of the pangs and triumphs, and the goals and accomplishments.  There is even value in seeing the failures.  I have lost 100+ pounds.  I am not sure of my current weight.  It is somewhere around 185.  I don't get on the scale often.  I wear about a size 12 on bottom, smaller than when I was in high school, and a size Medium-Large on top.  I am comfortable in my own skin.  I sometimes wish I was a little smaller, but I must not wish it that much or I would be doing more to achieve it.  I could use to work out more, but currently I am working harder than I ever have.  I love my job.  I love my fiance, whom I should have married by now, but due to finances have not yet been able to.  I have the goal of finishing my final six classes to get my degree by this time next year.  I hope to be married and have a child.  I hope to have advanced into a higher position in work.  I hope to move my family to Minneapolis.  It's funny that this post has quickly evolved into a sort of list of new year resolutions of sorts.  Below is a picture of me trying on a dress (which I bought but haven't worn to work yet) just about a month or so ago.  I didn't have my spanx on to smooth the bumps, but I felt pretty hot in this dress.  (No it's not leopard print, just a brown and black knit fabric).

and a little something to compare it to...

I am happy with how far I have come.  I hope to have a baby (did I mention that already??) in the next year or so.  I'm practicing really hard!!  ;-)  Things are moving in a positive direction.  If I haven't heard from you in a while, drop me a comment and say hello!  Feel free to email even.  I would love to hear from my fellow bloggers/readers about how you're doing, good, bad or otherwise.

Reading but not writing

I've been reading blogs again lately, but not writing as much as I used to.  I have become somewhat complacent in my weightloss as of recent.  I am down over 100 pounds and for the most part I feel pretty good!  Then I got a glimpse of myself on film and realized that I still haven't quite made it to where I would like to be.  Somehow having reached that 100 pound mark, I have fallen off the wagon.  I really need to refocus and get back my act together.  I haven't regained any weight since making my loss, but I have plateaued.  I could use to lose about another 20-30 pounds.  After 100 this seems like it would be a piece of cake, but it isn't.  No longer having my clothes screaming for help, busting at the seams as motivation, I have become comfortable with average.

My surgery was in August 2013.  I took a month off to heal and rest.  I also needed a break from my job, and because of an extended leave benefit that my job offers, I was able to do so.  Upon returning to work in September, I realized that I could no longer stand my job.  I wanted out and I really didn't care what I had to do to do so, so long as I made the same or more money.  Chance had it that a job I had applied for in the beginning of the summer had finally been posted and I could officially interview.  Needless to say, I started the position in mid-October and have not slowed down since.  Just as with my Lap-Band surgery, life got in the way of my focus, and I wasn't as in tuned with my mission as I would have liked to be.  As many of you who have had surgery know, the momentum you have right after surgery, eventually slows, and though much progress has been made, that initial boom of excitement, enthusiasm, and dedication can be a little harder to stay in tuned with, especially when your goal isn't so very far away.  I never really set a hard number as a goal.  I wonder if maybe that is part of the problem.  I may need that hard number to strive for.  Previously I had just wanted to get below 200, then I wanted to lose 100 total pounds.  Both of those milestones have been met.  Now I have no hard goal.  Maybe I need to change that.  Today is May 4th (Happy StarWars Day! May the 4th be with you!).  I am going to set the goal for 10 pounds by July 4th.  Two months, ten pounds.  That is a healthy rate of loss, and not overly ambitious.  Feel free to leave some thoughts if you have any.  I haven't heard from or communicated with many of you in a long time and would love to hear from you!

How's about a recent photo too, to show a little progress!