How I Lost 25 Pounds (And Kept It Off After 2 Kids)

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I want to share something personal with you guys. I'm not a naturally skinny girl, and have battled my weight since I was 12 years old. I have never been "fat" by doctor standards, but I was not where I wanted to be. I was eating "healthy", running, lifting weights, and doing everything I thought I should be doing. I wasn't making any progress because I was struggling with binging, overeating, emotional eating, and not having the right knowledge or mindset about weight loss. 

(The photo on the left is from summer 2011, when I was 17 years old. The photo on the right is from summer 2018, I am 24 years old, and have had 2 children. )

      

I wanted to tell my story, because I'm sure a lot of people can relate with my struggle. My mom and sister had always been skinny, and did not have eating issues like I did. Let me tell you, it gets old being the "bigger" one. It sucks being the heaviest one out of your family and friends. It's devastating in middle school and high school. 

I got to the breaking point where something had to change. I had to rethink my relationship with food. I had to cut out the bingeing. I had to break it down, and get knowledgeable about the calories I was consuming. The first part was really taking accountability for my own food choices. I was the one making the decisions. It wasn't anyone else's fault but my own. I had to get real with myself.

I couldn't use eating as a coping mechanism anymore. I would redirect my attention to something productive instead of mindlessly snacking or even binging. What helped me was listening to upbeat music, taking a walk, starting a workout, or getting busy with housework. I had to stop and think to myself, "Will eating all this really make me happy, or will it just make me feel worse in the long run?" Without a healthy relationship with food, working out isn't going to do much. Exercise is just a tool to enhance what only nutrition choices can do. You cannot out-train a bad diet.  Believe me, I had tried for years. 

Once I had a better mindset, I got down to the facts. I became knowledgable about calories. Once you know what you're putting into your body, you can make better choices, and reach your goals quicker. Then I added back in exercise. And this time I did it differently. I didn't go back to running 4 miles a day. I did all low intensity cardio, and focused on strength training. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be, and you'll automatically burn more fat. 

1) 2013 - 40 weeks pregnant with Lux

2) 2015

3) 2017 - 40 weeks pregnant with Thea

4) 2018       

(These photos are showing it's possible to snap back after two 40+ week pregnancies!)

-- Let me know if you would like to read a post about fit pregnancy. --

So after I reached my goal, I have just had to stick with it. Even through 2 pregnancies, I never let myself go completely. I stayed as active as I could during the pregnancy, and as soon as I got the clearance from the doctor after birth, I hit it as hard as I could. I got right back on track with my food, fitness, and was able to lose the weight again for the 2nd and 3rd time. 

 Set a goal, and take the necessary steps to get there. Be patient. Nothing happens overnight. There is no magic pill or quick fix. It took me months and years to get where I am now. And remember that weight loss is a 2 steps forward, 1 step back process. You aren't going to be perfect all the time, and that's okay! Just don't give up, and keep moving forward. The time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well be busy creating a better version of yourself. Before you know it, you will be hitting those goals. Thanks for reading!