Hi there. So, I’ve been trying to write this blog post for weeks. I probably won’t capture everything I want to say in one post but in an effort to put myself out there a little more, keep up with my writing (which I’ve been neglecting) and staying up with the blog, I’m going to attempt to memorialize some of the thoughts I’ve been having about the changes I’ve experienced during the first five months of 2017. This is my story. I am not a fitness or diet expert so anything I am sharing is my own opinion and happens to be what worked for me. This is a bit of a brain dump for me so bear with me. When I get going about something, it’s tough to shut me off. After months of seriously thinking about wanting to do something more about my weight and overall health, I made the decision to commit to a healthy eating plan and regular workout regimen which has led to me being down three sizes and nearly thirty pounds in five months.
I have never in my life committed to a diet. I like food too much. I’d casually attempt to count calories here and there and would workout consistently for months without changing anything in my diet, convinced that as long as I was working out, I could eat whatever I wanted. I think there were several years where we didn’t even own a scale. Going to the doctor’s every year was a crap shoot and nine times out of ten I’d get the gentle lecture about staying active and watching my weight, only to be neglected until the next year when I’d get on the scale. I ignored it when clothes didn’t fit and used it as an excuse to build a wardrobe envied by friends and coworkers, telling myself I was showing people that you don’t have to be a size 0 to look good. And I still agree with that. I’m happy that I had enough courage to put myself out and share myself with others because I know I’ve been able to inspire others to step outside of the box when it comes to their wardrobe choices no matter what their size. I discovered an amazing community on Instagram and made some friends through our mutual love of building fun outfits and all things J.Crew. But, beneath all of that, I wasn’t truly happy with myself and I wanted better for myself. I wasn’t healthy and that needed to change. My wardrobe became another excuse for not losing weight. What would I do with all of my clothes? I’d buy more things and any thoughts of trying to lose weight would be ignored.