My Weight Loss Story: The Middle..

Oh helloooo,

Let's see where I left off. Ah yes, college graduation.

That dress was mighty snug, and I didn't even really want to wear it. But it was pretty much the only dressy thing I owned that still fit. womp womp. (Me and Mama Bear)

Back to the story. I graduated a semester early, said my goodbyes to my sorority sisters and friends, packed my shit and moved back home to Northern VA. Le sigh.. Now came the time for job interviews galore and following house rules again.. *side eye*. I went shopping with my mom to get some dress pants for said interviews and then came my moment of rock bottom clarity. I was in the dressing room trying on size 16 pants, a size that I'd pretty much gotten used to. Pulled those suckers up, and they didn't fit. I was literally breaking a sweat trying on clothes, which is absurd, and the little fuckers didn't even fit. Had to be a mistake, right? Wrong. I tried on 4 different size 16 pants, and none fit. I was on the verge of tears when I walked in, but now I was in full on bawling my eyes out mode. Mom brought me a size 18, and whadda ya know, the little bitch fit like a glove.

I was ashamed, I was embarrassed, and most of all I was in shock. How the FUCK did I let myself get that big? And when did it happen?! And why were my precious 16s not fitting?! I felt safe in a size 16. I had worn it for a year, and hadn't had to go up, so in my delusional mind, I was ok. NOT OK. At the end of the day I still needed pants, so we bought the size 18s. I cried the whole time in the line, like a toddler, while my mom hugged me. I'm sure I looked like a hot ass mess.

I woke up the next day and decided that I didn't ever want to feel like that again, and I never wanted to cry in a fitting room again, so I was going to make some changes. Simple as that. You know on that show about drug addiction, Intervention, when they say the addict has to hit rock bottom to want to change? Well my shopping experience was my rock bottom.

I downloaded both the C25K app and Myfitnesspal (skinnycrystal73 - add me!) from Apple, and got my ass outside. Now, let me tell ya, I had NO DESIRE to run. At all. Ever. The only thing that got me to do it was that I figured running would help me lose weight the fastest. That's it. I got my butt outside 4 days a week, doing whatever my phone told me to do for distances/times. I changed my diet completely and cut out all overly processed food and recorded every single thing I ate into Myfitnesspal. That thing is a lifesaver and is so so easy to use. My diet has changed a lot in regards to how much I eat, but in terms of what I eat, it's about the same. I stick to steamed/sauteed vegetables, whole grain carbs, some fats, and lean protein. That about sums it up food wise.

I promised myself that if I could stick to it and lose 30 pounds on my own, then I would buy myself a gym membership. I kept that promise. In April 2013 I bought my own gym membership, 3 months after beginning my journey. I signed up for my first 5k with my sorority sisters to make sure I had a goal to work towards, and just kept truckin along. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing in the gym, so I stuck to the classes offered. I dabbled in zumba, kickboxing, body pump (my absolute FAVORITE), spin, and bootcamp, before settling into a nice routine alternating between all of them. These classes, along with 5k training helped me to lose another 20 pounds over the next 5 months..

This was when I had lost around 50ish pounds. The weight in my legs was taking FOREVERRR to lose, so I was pumped when my size 16 shorts were finally too big.

I think that's all for now. Next time we'll get into closer to where I am now, weight lifting, and future goals.
I'd forgotten how much I love to write... puttin that English degree to good use!

Adios Bitchachos.
-Crystal