End of December Status update!

Hello all!  My journey officially began the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but I wanted to wait until the end of December to update so that  I could then give status updates at the end of every month.  Well, several setbacks came along with the holidays, all in the form of junk food!  Well, as strong as my will is to get this weight off, the lure of holiday treats won over.  Add in the fact that I didn't walk as much due to the cold and various evening events and well, I didn't quite reach my first goal of thirty pounds.  I have however, reached new goals that I didn't even know that I had in the first place.  Yesterday and today I went shopping to get something to wear for a New Year's party I will be attending.  I found that I was able to go down a size in jeans AND get a smaller sized shirt!  Yeah me!  I got to purchase something from Old Navy for the first time in as long as I can remember!  It has been seven years AT LEAST since I could shop somewhere other than the plus sized specialty stores.  Now don't let that fool you, I am by no means out of the "plus sized" status and I will probably hold that title for quite awhile yet. 

Nov. 26, 2012 stats:  weight 299.6 pounds, chest 55 inches, waist 49.5 inches, hips 53 inches
Dec. 30, 2012 stats:   weight 287.6 pounds, chest 51 inches, waist 42 inches, hips 50 1/2 inches

So sparing you the torture of doing the math, here are my stats: down 12 pounds, 4 inches in my chest, 7 1/2 inches in my waist, and 2 1/2 inches in my hips.  Not too shabby if I must say so myself!

I have to say it is nice, but I really wish I would have lost more.  So that gives me motivation to push even harder this next month. 

Here are some pictures.  I tell you, I am so embarassed to show these but it is part of the process.  I cannot believe I let myself go like I had.  But I guess hind sight is 20/20 and I have to learn from my mistakes.

Well, what have I learned this month? Lots of things.

1.  I have a huge support system around me and my biggest supporters are my littlest "loved ones".  My students and my precious little Carley.  They notice even the smallest change.  And hearing my daughter tell me that she is proud of me makes me want to push that much harder.

2.  Weight is simply a number.  I have to quit obsessing about the scale and start paying more attention to the inches.  Because as my friend Tonya told me today, "When you go out you don't wear a shirt with the numbers off that stupid scale... you wear a shirt that shows your new defined curves and less belly.  That is what matters!"

3.  Even the smallest of changes can make a difference.  Eliminating sodas and eating better along with exercise (even in small amounts) does help.

4.  There are no quick fixes.  It is going to take time to get the weight off.  I can't expect it all to be gone over night.

5.  Finally and most importantly:   It can be done!  There is nothing that cannot be accomplished if you set your mind to it.  Surround yourself with positives and set obtainable goals and push yourself! 

Thank you for continuing to follow me and my weight loss journey.  Believe it or not, knowing that so many of you are reading this makes me feel more accountable and has me more motivated than ever to continue this to make myself healthier and even more beautiful of a person than I am today!