100 Reasons To Celebrate

Happy Tuesday, friends.
I've decided that I'd like to take my blog down a 'healthier' road this week and share a few different things with you all. I will probably do 2 or 3 health/fitness posts this week, so consider yourself warned. Ha!
Also, this post is SERIOUSLY going to be all over the place. I have so many thoughts running through my head and so many things that I want to say... so this post is going to be a whole lot of word vomit and a whole lot of thoughts just going all over the place.

A lot of people have asked me to do a weight-loss update, and show my progress as of lately, so that's what I'd like to share with you all today. Lets just say, I've got 100 reasons to celebrate.



As some of you may, or may not, know - from September 1st to November 30th, my roommate Amanda and I completed a 90-day challenge. We 'upped' the intensity of our daily workouts, stuck to clean eating, agreed to workout 5-6x a week, and cut alcohol. I'm not going to lie, the 'no alcohol' thing was really hard because most of our friends simply didn't understand. Amanda and I definitely indulged in a few 'cheat' nights of drinking with friends because we had a few big evens that we didn't want to miss out on... but we stuck to this challenge pretty damn well - and I'm proud of our hard work.

Everyone wants to know the results, so here they are:
*I'm still not comfortable sharing what my currently numbers are, so I'm just going to share the numbers lost*

Weight: 21.2 lbs lost
Waist: 3 inches lost
Bust: 0.5 inches lost
Thighs: 2 inches lost (1 inch on each)
Arms: 2 inches lost (1 inch on each)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with what I was able to achieve in 90 days. I think I definitely could've done better, and I know that I didn't give it my ALL in the month of November. I took a week off from working out due to being sick, and I had a hard time getting back into the groove. Near the end of the month, I got back on my grind and I've been trying to stick with it.

This whole process has been interesting. I started my weight-loss journey earlier this year. Let me just tell you, the past few months have been a WHIRLWIND. Everything about me has changed, for the better. My physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being have improved greatly.

This year I've gone from blogging about why I will never run to blogging about running situations I've gotten into. I love running, I absolutely love it. I wouldn't, by any means, call myself 'a runner' compared to people who actually go out running. I still get out of breath quickly, and can't go far - but I do interval running about 5x a week and it is amazing. It clears my brain, allows me to get out any aggression I have, and has helped to eliminate my insomnia problems that I had been battling for a few years.

My instagram has gone from endless mirror selfies (#OOTD anyone?), pictures of food, alcohol, or my dog to being non-stop fitness related posts. I'm now sharing daily workouts, inspirational quotes, before and after photos (and hey, I still share far too many selfies, pictures of food, alcohol, and my dog... but it's mainly fitness-related posts).

I wanted to share this quick video to show you where I've come from vs. where I am now. My heaviest weight was in 2011 and my guess (I refused to step on a scale) was that I was around 325lbs. I'm happy to share that I officially hit 100lbs lost this past week. That BLOWS MY MIND. I still think I'm that girl, I still feel like that girl some days and I literally have to look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that I am NOT her, nor will I ever be her again.



I happened to find this video in September when I was looking through some old files on my computer, and I honestly didn't remember making it. Watching this video for the first time was a completely surreal experience. Who was this girl? How had she allowed herself to become so unhappy, so unhealthy, and so unmotivated to do anything with her life? I want to reach out to her, hug her, tell her that everything was going to be okay, and help her to make the changes that she needed to make...

The funny/ironic thing is that I had the resources at my finger tips the entire time. My best friend, and my brother had both dropped a lot of weight (the healthy way) and were living healthy, active lifestyles, but I wouldn't take their advice or their help... because I didn't want it. I wasn't ready for it. I needed to come to the realization that I needed to change, all on my own. From 2011-2013 I lost about 30lbs from walking more (instead of driving everywhere), and not eating fast food or diet coke every day. Basic changes. I was still eating 'unhealthy' but the changes were enough to help me to drop some weight. It wasn't until earlier this year that I finally had enough and admitted to myself - and the world - that I was sick of being "fat". I officially changed my lifestyle, which lead to 70lbs of weight-loss in 6-7 months.

The changes that I've implemented in my life have made me happier, healthier, and have helped to show me that there's more to life than what I previously knew. Change can be scary, change can be intimidating, but change can also be a wonderful thing. Don't be afraid of change... embrace it.

100 lbs. One Hundred freakin' pounds.
I have 100 reasons to celebrate today, friends.

I have come so far in such a short period of time, and I can't wait to see where I'll go from here. I think that the keys to success with this kind of journey is to NEVER give up, allow this process to run its course, take it day by day, and never, ever ever ever, forget where you came from.

Like I said, don't be afraid of change.

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Obviously I still have to share a Christmas joke and picture today since the advent still counts...



What do gingerbread men put on their bed?
Cookie sheets