Saturday, July 30, 2011

16 weeks and 39 lbs Skinnier

I just want to start off by saying that this was a hard post to do. I've been thinking about it for awhile now, and I need to just bite the bullet. So...

Here I am. I started Weight Watchers 16 weeks ago, and I've come a long way. To show you just how far I've come, I grossed myself out and went looking for a picture to show you of how I looked "before."

This picture was taken just after my family arrived in Hawaii, December 2010. (from left to right, me, my sister Valerie, my sister Lisa)


At this point, I probably weighed somewhere around 190 lbs. I felt gross, and I had been wanting to join WW for a few months already. I just never managed to work up the nerve. Over the next few months, my weight snuck a little higher. I started hanging at 195-196, and those were very scary numbers to me. I was 19 years old. I stood 5'6". And I weighed almost 200 lbs. There was no way that I could let that happen.

I started out just trying to eat better on my own. Like most people trying to diet, I kept saying, "Oh, I'll start tomorrow (next week, a different day)." When I managed to discipline myself a bit more, I ended up eating a lot of salads, which didn't work for me at all. (I was on a really weird schedule with classes and eating, and the dining hall seemed to never put out fresh salad. Can I just say that lettuce that has been sitting out forever is gross? Because it is.)

So, in April, I went to dinner with one of my friends, and found out that she was doing WW. And that was the final push that I needed. I didn't have to go to meetings alone! So, April 16th, I got up early and went to a meeting at the crack of dawn. The leader introduced me to the program, and I learned about what was really going to work. No fad diets. No crash diets. Just real people, and real food.

From that day on, I started eating better, eating smarter, and exercising. I still indulge every once in awhile, I'm just smarter about when and how much. In fact, I've found that I can't eat too much of anything even halfway rich anymore. It's just too much! Besides, any "diet" where you completely restrict yourself is doomed to fail. You can't deny yourself all the time. It sets you up for failure. So, I just plan ahead for indulging. Or I get to the Muny and decide that instead of the pretzel I was thinking about earlier, I'm going to have the chocolate-covered cheesecake instead. And that's ok.

But anyway, here I am 16 weeks after joining Weight Watchers. Right now, I've lost:

  • 39 lbs 
  • about 3 or 4 pants sizes
  • 3 dress sizes
  • at least 2 shirt sizes
And I've gained a lot of confidence. I still have 20 lbs to go, but I already feel so much better about myself. I'm not afraid of the mirror anymore!


current weight: 157.6 lbs

3 comments:

  1. Hey Emily! Just found your blog after you commented on mine! :) SO glad you did, because I am loving reading your posts! You have a beautiful heart for Jesus, and I know you make him smile! :)

    Way to go on the hard work girl!!! xo Katie

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Katie!

      And thanks for the compliments! I actually made it to my goal in December, but I don't think I've posted a recent picture yet. Somehow, I always end up behind the camera instead of in front!

      -Emily

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  2. and 20lbs to go? no way! you look perfect!

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