Transformation

The picture on  the left was taken on July 11th, 2013. The picture on the right was taken September 11, 2013.

In two months I have lost a total of 14 pounds. I now currently weigh 4 pounds less than I did before my beautiful baby boy blew my body up like a balloon. Mommy still loves you, Conner. Ü

It is crazy to look at the picture on the left and realize how foreign my body was to me. All I wanted to do was hide the fact that I was overweight by about 22 pounds. Growing up, I was always thin and could eat whatever I wanted aka my metabolism loved me and worked super fast to burn off. Now, your average Quesadilla (or cheesy pie as Conner calls them) would put 5 pounds on me before I even thought about taking my first bite.

I could go on forever about why our society is overweight by the thousands of marketed foods that are essentially processed, packaged lard. Sugar, bad fat, preservatives and simple carbs that have turned our bodies into complicated digestion machines. I like to think of it has placing bad gas into a car - it'll still run but it leaves behind a plethora of problems in the long term.

Eating clean. I am in love with eating clean. Don't get me wrong, you're not living if you never eat a cookie or any other tasty favorite treat. But look at all the natural goodness that mother earth provides for us. This was the first year ever that I decided that I was going to harvest a garden, damnit. I can't even explain how much better fresh, homegrown, organic vegetables taste. And the cheapskate in me absolutely loves the fact that I can go pick a squash or cucumber without a penny.

My purpose of showing this picture isn't to show-off. It's to make people realize what our eating does to our bodies and that anyone who puts forth clean eating habits can make a change in their life. I'm finally getting my body back and it feels so good! Before I had Conner, I could run for days. With the extra 15 pounds of flubber packed onto my body, running was tiring, breathing was difficult and my heart rate couldn't keep a steady pace of beating. For the first time in almost 3 years, I was able to run 6 miles in 1.5 hours without stopping. I felt like I could run from here to Florida. It is freeing to shed that unwanted weight!

I do have to make a shout out to my very, very wonderful friend Katie for telling me my skepticism was stupid and to just try the 24 day challenge from Advocare. I truly believe this was my eye opening stepping stone to learning to live a healthy lifestyle and to help me lose those first 10 pounds. She has been there for me through every text, every tear, every pound lost and or gained. She is an amazing coach, mentor and motivator herself. To see someone else close to you who has been successful at losing 22 pounds on this program is motivation in and of itself. I still purchase my favorite products that are a miracle in my life and will continue to do so because they have worked out so well for me.

I'm just happy that I decided to finally make a change. I feel like me again. And if I can do it, ANYONE can do it!