New Year {NEW ME!}

It's that time of year again, the time we all reflect on our goals for the coming year. When the majority of us resolve to finally take control and shed those 10, 20, or 30+ pounds. If, year after year, you promise to better your health and lose that weight, but it falls by the wayside, make this your year! Stop making excuses and just do it!! Exercise makes you sharper, happier, and healthier.

Do you know how many times that I told myself tomorrow is the day I will start and tomorrow came and was gone, but the fat was still hangin' around? There were too many tomorrows that lead to too many regrets. So, for all of you who are contemplating this for the coming year....DO IT! Today, now and DON'T QUIT! It is a long and sometimes frustrating process, but worth every bit of effort. I think for me, it was time for some "me" time. I had to make time for myself. It was time for no more excuses and for me to take control! I made myself this way and it was up to me to change it, to feel better about myself and to be a better Mom for my kids and wife for my husband. I wanted to be healthy for them and I wanted to feel comfortable in my skin because for the longest time I hadn't.

A year ago today I began a journey, that to be very honest, I thought was the impossible. I, year after year made the resolution to get myself in shape and drop the weight. Like I said at the beginning of all of this, there was never a day that passed that I did not think about it in some way, shape or form. I suppose that has not completely changed other than the fact that I think of it in a whole new light. Before it was such a literal "load" that I was carrying. I resolved to make 2008 MY year and I feel I did!

I wanted so badly to achieve my goal of a 70 pound loss this year and I did, almost two weeks ago. Then my "bloat" week turned into 10 days of bloatiness (a word?-I don't know) and Christmas rolled around with food and treats galore and then yesterday I ate terrible and sat in the truck for 14 hours as we traveled to and from El Paso. So, what I am getting at is my weigh in this morning was not exactly what I really wanted as an end result, but I am thrilled to say that I have lost....

68 pounds in 2008!

I have been told that I look like a different person. I know I feel like one. I look back at pictures and I really can't believe it and since I avoided the camera like the plague there are very few pictures of me. Here are a couple I could find and some after shots:

Family pictures December 2004
(Not a clue what my weight was, but holy double chin!)

Birth of Reagan Reese on 02/02/06

(Now, 110 pounds lighter! It is no wonder that I was completely miserable!)

Beginning of February 2008 (at a 10 pound loss)

BEFORE


AFTER


Trying on my "before" jeans




I am down 5 sizes! I had to resize my ring a complete size smaller and I wear 1/2 size smaller in shoes. It was too cool to get my Good Housekeeping magazine in the mail about people who dropped 5 sizes and think that I could be in there.



Trying on my fat jeans was a surreal moment. I always knew I was big, but when I put on those jeans I could not believe that I actually fit into those at one time. That was THE moment that made this all so worthwhile.

Christmas was pure torture on me! The treats darn near killed me. Check out this fun apron that my friend Marla made me. She said she couldn't bring me treats this year for Christmas.

And...what makeover would be complete without a cut and color!

I took the plunge and whacked my frumpy hair!

I still would like to loose a bit more weight. I do not know if I should fore go the weigh ins from now on or not. Accountability has been key. Knowing I needed to weigh in every week kept me in check and I worry that I will not have that anymore. Maybe I will set a new goal and check in occasionally. Any thoughts?

Thank you everyone for cheering me on through all of this. Your sweet comments and compliments helped me more than you know.

TO EVERYONE,

HERE IS TO A {HAPPY} AND {HEALTHY} NEW YEAR!