Past, Present, and Future

Yesterday I decided that I would start a blog, something I've been wanting to do for quite a while now. I've had the name picked out for years now, but I never could decide what to write about. My day-to-day life is pretty boring and I was never thrilled with doing a fashion blog for various reasons, including the reason I decided to write.

My weight.

I have struggled with my weight and body image for about three years now. I know, I know some of you are going to say that I look fine, I don't need to lose any weight, and things of the like. But the truth is I am overweight and I do need to lose weight to get healthy. This struggle with my weight is one that I know many people can relate to, no matter what size they are; so I decided to start a blog about my personal journey. This journey will include postings about my past, present, and hopeful future.

First I want to tell everyone about how I got where I am today. 

Three years ago I was 18, a senior in high school and in fairly good health, but not in good shape.

Senior Picture April 2010, weight: approximately 140lbs

I decided that it was in my best interest to try and get into shape, so I went to the gym at Southeastern and started walking and lifting weights. I got more in shape and felt better about myself. Graduation came, I took a desk job at a call center and that is where it started. At first the pounds only slowly added on, but quickly it became a weight gain of about 15lbs.

October 2010, weight: approximately 165lbs 

Throughout my freshman semester at SE I gained more and more, until I was about 185lbs. For a while I joked about it and said my "freshman 15" turned into the "freshman 40" because, honestly it did and more. I never showed anyone that I was upset about my changing figure and rapid weight gain. I developed stretch marks everywhere and developed an unhealthy opinion about my body. 

May 2011, weight: approximately 185lbs

In fall of 2011 I moved back to my dads and started attending Grayson County College. After seeing my doctor and her showing concern about my weight and (high) cholesterol levels I decided I had to start eating healthier and lose some weight, and I started working out at the GCC gym. By March of 2012 I had lost 20 or 25lbs and was loving exercising, how I looked, and how I felt. 

February 2012, weight: approximately 165lbs

I was enjoying the path I was on, and I even got another job, this time actually doing some labor. So I figured that I could skip the gym more and more since I did work so hard. Well it turns out working at a frozen yogurt place and getting free yogurt when you worked doesn't help you keep weight off. I know guys, frozen yogurt is supposed to be healthy, but not when you eat a gallon of the stuff, or more, a week. Throughout the time I worked there and through the summer when I didn't have access to a gym and it was too hot for me to make myself go walking outside I gained about 25lbs. I had gotten up to around 190lbs, the highest I have ever been. I started trying to lose weight by the end of the summer and started going back to the gym when school started up. Over those few months I had developed good eating habits and a great workout routine and lost 15bs. Then on September 22, 2012 I had a serious car accident and I broke my left tibia and fibula.

September/October 2012, weight: approximately 175lbs

Over the first few months after my accident I was wheelchair bound, but amazingly didn't gain any weight. Once I was allowed to start physical therapy and walking in a walking boot the pounds started coming back. They kept adding up, I knew some of them were from regaining muscle mass in my leg that had severely deteriorated during the three months I wasn't allowed to put any weight on it. But the rest was because of poor eating habits while still being physically restricted. Today I weigh 200lbs, my official all time high.

February 2013, weight: approximately 195lbs