A Little Bit of Bragging

I want to take a moment to revel in a little bit of success.  I'm going to brag for a bit.  Two months ago, I looked like this...

and today, after losing 17.3 lbs in the last 9 weeks, as well as 5 inches around my waist and 3 inches around my hips, I look like this...

I also competed in BYU's annual Splash and Dash. This is right after I got home after the race. I did the Beginner's biathlon, which is a 1/4 mile swim and a 3K (Standard would have been 1/2 mile swim and 5K, and the Elite would have been a 1 mile swim and 10 K). More to come in a later bragging post that details the race.

I will give a lot of credit to an online program called MyFitnessPal.  It's like a guided nutrition plan that I make.  I can input my weight, goal weight, lifestyle, and body measurements.  Then it helps me figure out how many calories I need each day.  Each day, I log the food that I eat so I know how many calories I'm getting and from what macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein).  I can also choose to watch certain nutrients like fiber, sodium, cholesterol, iron, etc.  I can also enter what exercise I get each day to track my calorie burn. I even got a heart rate monitor!  I've stared Zumba, and for the first time ever-- I'm enjoying exercise.  I look forward to it; it's not just a chore.  I feel healthier; I feel happier. I'm losing 1-2 lbs per week, but it's staying off and I haven't gotten discouraged or hit a plateau.  And since I'm happier with me, I'm a better wife and mom for my family.

I'm worth feeling strong and beautiful.  I'm worth the effort to lose my excess weight, even at a slow pace.  Even better, I'm worth it even when others discourage me.  This is the healthiest approach I've ever had to weight loss.  I've always been afraid to count calories and weigh myself, but not anymore.  I'm not obsessive; ok, maybe I am, but in a healthy way, right?  My weight on the scale can't tell me my worth.  I know I am a daughter of a loving Father in Heaven.  I know my body is sacred, a "temple" for my spirit.  I know that as I strive to be healthy and take care of my body, the Lord will continue to bless me in my efforts to be healthier.  I've never prayed for weight loss and health like I have the past 2 and a half months.  It is a great source of strength to me.  I know that with help from Christ and from the tools I have been shown that I can eventually make it to a healthy weight.  I look forward to that day, but I'm smiling NOW.  I'm not waiting to be happy until I am at my goal weight range-- I'm going to be happy all the way there.

I love this quote:
"love yourself no matter what you weigh.  If somebody comes up to you and tells you you’re fat or if somebody comes up to you and tells you your beautiful — that has absolutely nothing to do with who you are and everything to do with who they are.  And remember that.” -Kai Hibbard (Biggest Loser Runner-up, Season 3)