A Fitness Anniversary

Hey guys, remember when I finally got sick of feeling sorry for myself and started working out and taking care of my body? It was a year ago today!

Remember this?

So. Awkward.

I took what I had hoped would become my "before" pictures one week after I started working out at the pilates/spin studio. In that week, I had lost 2.5 pounds and 3.5 inches leaving me feeling very motivated to continue. By August 9th, I had lost 10.5 pounds and 12.5 inches. I plateaued a bit, then only lost one more pound by October 4th. In that post, I mentioned that I had somewhat fallen off the healthy-eating train and even mentioned that I needed to keep myself on track during the upcoming holiday season.

That didn't happen.

October 4th had been my last fitness post of 2012. Three months later on January 4th, it was time to get back on track. I posted new photos and set a new base for my measurements; I was no longer comparing myself to my starting weight and size from June. I was up 2.5 pounds and 2.75 inches and really motivated to break into the 140s.

I did really well the first week losing 2 pounds and 2 inches, then another pound and another inch the following week, putting myself ahead of where I was before I went to town on my mother-in-law's two tubs of Christmas cookies that she had mailed us. But then my mom's surgery happened and I spent 2 weeks in Ohio taking care of her with no real way of getting my fitness in.

I fluctuated through February but in March, I first hit my 5 pound mark for 2013 followed by the 15 pound mark since starting my journey last June. It was a good month! March was also the month that I started going to CUT Fitness, eventually transitioning from going to both CUT and Studio 5 in March and April to letting my pilates contract expire and attending classes only at CUT.

April was rough for fitness being that my family was out visiting for a week, then our house flooded, then Jamie and I were gone on our New York trip! I didn't get back to regular fitnessizing til a week into May. Since then, I've somewhat been struggling with getting back on my weight loss track, but I'm happy to say that last week was the day that I finally was back at my 15 pounds lost mark.

That wordily brings us to today, my one year anniversary. Wanna see some side by sides?

Left: 6/14/2012; Center: 1/4/2013; Right: Today!

Left: 6/14/2012; Center: 1/4/2013; Right: Today!

(I decided to throw on those awful booty shorts just to offer a more accurate comparison to my "before" photos.)

June 7, 2012 (gained since 5/2010)

• Weight - 163 (+20)
• Calf - 14.25"
• Knee - 16.5"
• Thigh - 25.5" (+2")
• Hips/Butt - 43.5" (+3.25")
• Belly - 40.5" 
• Waist - 34" (+4")
• Bust - 40"
• Arm - 13" (+1.75")

January 4th, 2013 (lost since 6/7/13)

• Weight - 154 (-9)
• Calf - 13.75" (-0.5)
• Knee - 15.25" (-0.75)
• Thigh - 24.25" (-1.25)
• Hips/Butt - 41.75" (-1.75)
• Belly - 39.5" (-1)
• Waist - 31.5" (-2.5)
• Bust - 38" (-2)
• Arms - 12.25" (-0.75)

June 7th, 2013 (lost since 6/7/13)

• Weight - 147 (-16)
• Calf - 13.5" (-0.75)
• Knee - 15.25" (-0.75)
• Thigh - 23.75" (-1.75)
• Hips/Butt - 40.75" (-2.75)
• Belly - 38.5" (-2)
• Waist - 30" (-4)
• Bust - 36" (-4)
• Arms - 11.5" (-1.5)

Since January I've lost 7 pounds and 7 inches. In the last year I've lost 16 pounds and 17.5 inches. While in this world of get-thin-quick schemes, 16 pounds in a year doesn't seem like much or even all that impressive. Sure, I could have been really strict and probably lose 20 pounds in a few months, but I know from experience that that doesn't work for me in the long run. I'd rather lose the weight slowly and effectively keep it off. I've found it much easier to maintain the general loss give or take a few pounds over this time where even the periods in January and April where I wasn't working out much and wasn't eating carefully didn't set me back more than a couple pounds. 

I'm happy with my results so far. I'm a little bit leaner, I'm stronger, and I'm more fit. I no longer get winded walking up the stairs. I often find myself bounding up the stairs of our three story condo. I see muscle definition and feel more comfortable waving my arms in a tank top. Wearing shorts is still another hurdle... but if I may get cheesy for a moment, fitness is a journey not a destination. I'm not finished and I intend to keep going. Let's see what happens next.