Time Frame

The number one reason I failed in every other attempt I made to lose weight? Not seeing/feeling results and feeling as though I was working too hard to not have immediate change.  But does it really make sense to lose weight quickly?  Did an extra 30 lbs add to my frame after my first frat party in college?  Weight doesn't add to our bodies immediately, so we can't expect that it will shed immediately.

Here are some before and after photos that I made when some friends had asked me to show the changes.

Before: July 2011 at my best friend's wedding - easily one of the best celebrations EVER!  

After:  February 7th, 2012 - 21.4 lbs from goal weight (total weight lost: 38.6 lbs) 

Before: November 2010 at Cowboys Dance Hall with our friends from Michigan -- they spent the Thanksgiving holiday with us here in Dallas!   

After:  February 7th, 2012 - 21.4 lbs from goal weight (total weight lost: 38.6 lbs) 

 Before: The best day of my life!  September 17, 2011.  

After: February 7th, 2012 - 21.4 lbs from goal weight (total weight lost: 38.6 lbs) 

 Before: November 2011 - one month into Weight Watchers

After:  March 23, 2012 - 10.2 lbs from goal weight (total weight lost: 49.8 lbs)

 Before:  November 2011 - one month into Weight Watchers  

After: March 23, 2012 - 10.2 lbs from goal weight (total weight lost: 49.8 lbs)

I love that in some of these pictures our puppy proofing techniques are visible (yes, our dogs are incapable of being left alone without destroying our furniture...joy).  

After the first month of this adventure, my pants started to fit a little better.  My energy level started climbing.  In month two, running with my husband became more fun, and my distance started improving.  By Thanksgiving, I ran my first 5k (I completed a 5k in July, and another in October, but had walked half of both of them).  By the time we went home to Michigan for Christmas and the New Year, friends and family were seeing the changes.  

Since January, the weight loss has gotten harder, but the proof that it's working is there and it would be silly not to keep it up!  Patience is so important.  If I had given up the week when I had only lost half a pound, or gained one (that happens, and it's totally OK!), I can only imagine what I'd be trying next.  

So stick to it -- we owe it to ourselves.