My Weight Battle

     Being overweight has been a issue for me most of my life.  After high school I started slimming down and thought I looked ok.  When Craig and I were engaged that was my "skinny" days.  After I had my children as they were growing, I was growing too (in weight).  I tried to stay active by playing with the kids, taking them to the park, riding bikes, going on walks but I still seem to be "growing".  I have tried to alot of weight loss programs, medicines, tricks, and diets but nothing seemed to last any length of time.  I would lose weight only to gain it back and then some. 
     I didn't realize how big I was getting until we went on vacation.  Craig was deployed in California and the kids and I went to spend some time with him. We had plans to visit zoos, museums, and parks. While on the plane ride out there I injuried my knee.  We still went everywhere we planned to its just I was slow at walking because of a injuried knee.  One day at the San Diego Zoo we were walking around and I found myself several feet behind the rest of my family.  Then I thought this is embarrassing for not only me but for my family too.  I can't even keep up with them.  My family has always been positive and never negative about my weight. So, when I returned home and after knee surgery my weight loss journey began.
     After 6 months I lost 30 lbs and thought to myself why haven't I done this sooner.  The key this time was that I was determined and dedicated along with I stopped drinking sodas and going out to eat.  After the first 6 months it was a roller coaster ride for me not only with my weight but my confidence also.  Over the next year I tried counting calories, carbs, fat grams, you name it I probably counted it.  Tried weight watchers, slim fast, different medicines, remedies and other programs.  I even join a weight loss center, which I never went too, and I joined a gym, which I quit after a few months.  Purchased a lot of workout videos, weight machine, and treadmill in which I seen some results but something was still missing.  During my second year of weight lose I started walking, tried the Insanity and P90X program, seen good results but still missing something.  For the past 7 months I have been working with a trainer.  Not only am I working out, but I am also learning that nutrition is the key of weight lose.  I can have all the weight programs, videos, medicines I want but if my eating habits haven't changed I will not see the results that I want.  Is it hard?  YES! Is it worth it? YES!   I haven't mastered the whole weight lose thing or nutrition but I'm learning and working hard.  

     The first picture was taken a couple of years ago, the middle last summer a week before I started training and the last one is recent.  When I first looked at the pictures I thought "Holy Cow I was fat".  I'm still big but I'm proud of myself at where I am today.  Over the past 3 years I have lost 62 pounds and a lot of inches.  Surprisingly, I enjoy working out whether its in a gym or at home.  I still have a ways to go but I know I will get there and I will have learned along the way on how to stay where I want to be.