Progress

     Weight loss is a difficult thing. I decided a while ago that it was time to change my life. For the last year and a half or so, I have been doing what I can to lose weight, feel better about myself, and change my lifestyle to something I can be proud of. I am not finished with my weight loss, but I hope to complete all of my goals by the end of this year.
     Two years ago, I was starting my freshmen year of college. I weighed 220 pounds and I was unhappy with very little confidence in myself. Although I was social and definitely made a splash in the university world, I felt like I was holding back because of my weight. People can say that it is what on the inside that matters most, but if your insides are clogged arteries and excess fat, no one takes the time to see what your heart looks like. I lived my life up until that point, getting passed up for opportunities due to the prejudice that absolutely exists, even if people like to pretend like it doesn't.
     After a year of being in college and starting to feel the consequences of my weight, I knew it was time for a change. So, September of 2012, I started to change. Not just my body, but I changed my mindset and my desires in life. I was too embarrassed to go to the gym, so I started at home. Every night, I did an exercise routine and I made sure to eat healthier and eliminate unhealthy foods. The longer I went without junk food, the less I craved it. I let myself cheat once in a while, but it became so much easier to say no to the foods that had gotten me in the position that I was in, in the first place.
     A semester went by, and I saw results right away. I had lost about 40 pounds by the time I went home for winter break, and I was not about to give up. At the new year, I made specific weight loss goals and challenged myself in new ways. I started to go to the gym twice a day, working on cardio and endurance. I created this blog to post recipes of clean eating and vegetarian options. Currently, I have limited my gym attendance and now I just go once a day, six days a week. However, I have increased the intensity of these workouts and if I am not sore every day, I make my workouts harder so that I can build muscle and burn calories. At this point, I am very close to my goal weight of 150 and I am SO happy.
     Not only has my body changed, but I feel more confident than ever. I am so grateful for the motivation I have been blessed with and I am excited to continue a fit life, even after I hit my weight loss goal!

Same event, three years, different person on the inside.

Top row: 2011

Bottom row: 2013