So, I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time.
But I guess I was afraid about what you’d think.
What you’d think of me.
I don’t really post pictures of myself that often on here,
and if I do they are usually from the neck up.
I am ashamed of the way that I look.
I am ashamed that I let myself get so out of control.
The past few weeks I’ve been making an effort to change.
I’ve been watching what I eat,
I’ve been trying to exercise every day,
and I’ve been getting outside more, and sitting on the couch less.
I’ve given up soda – which was probably the hardest thing I’ve done so far.
Because diet Pepsi and I, well we had a special connection.
I got tired of looking in the mirror and not liking what was looking back.
I got tired of letting food be my comfort – letting it be the thing that made me feel better.
I noticed my eating habits shift as soon as my pain got worse.
and food became something that gave me happiness,
something that momentarily blocked out the depression I was feeling.
I’m going to tell you something.
Something that is extremely embarrassing.
But as long as I’m putting this out there.
As long as I am sharing this part of myself with you-
I’m going to share it all.
xo.
You are beautiful in both pictures Kendall! I know exactly what you mean about using food for things other than hunger. I’m a bored eater. It’s a habit that is really hard to break. I will encourage you in whatever way that I can! We can support each other ๐
Katie, thank you so much! You are such an amazing person and I am so happy that we’ve connected over blog world. I am a bored eater too – I’ve just prepared fruits and veggies and put them in the fridge so now when I need a snack I reach for them. Trying to keep it as easy as possible! I’m totally on board for supporting each other! xo.
Congrats on bearing it all!!! It is a hard thing to do!!! I blogged about my weight, and let it all out, you never know what some women are thinking and judging!!! As for your weight I would love to weigh that!!! I am 5’9″ and am also considered obese. I should weigh 125-135, no where near that. I have been doing a couples biggest loser with my brothers, and sister in laws. I have been struggling with my emotional eating, I have no control. Working on it, but not there!! Good luck, rooting for you to succeed!!!
Thanks Alicia, I feel like putting it out there will keep me accountable for losing the weight. And I am so excited for the pounds to start coming off. Please let me know how the Biggest Loser goes – I have one of the dvds that I am going to bust out! Thank you so much for your support and please keep me updated on your progress too! xo.
Hi, sweet lady!
First of all, way to go on putting this out there! I’m sure that was VERY difficult! But do know that you are absolutely beautiful! And what you have decided to do for yourself is one of the best things you could do…not only for you but for your family! It’s not about looking a certain way but about being healthy and feeling good!
I’m not sure if you have heard of it, but here is a link to a website that I use to help keep count of calories, water, exercise, measurements, and SO, SO much more! I absolutely love it! It plays a HUGE role in keeping my weight where I want it. It’s also meant to help people lose weight! And it’s FREE!
https://www.sparkpeople.com
I encourage you to read about Spark People and their mission and if you stick with it, I’m confident this will help you along your journey!!
Good luck, friend! I can’t wait to see your success!! I believe in you ๐
xxo – lianne
a content housewife
Lianne, thank you. That is so sweet of you to say. I completely agree with you – it’s about being healthy – and for me setting a good example for my son. I want him to learn good eating habits as well. Thanks for the website recommendation – I’ve also downloaded my fitness pal to my phone and I’m loving it! xo.
Hi Sweet Mama,
I must agree with all the ladies here, you look beautiful in both photos and I commend you for putting yourself out there!
If you have any nutrition or diet questions please don’t hesitate to email me, I’d love to help!
[email protected]
Best,
Carris
Carris, you are always just so sweet. I would love to hear any of your suggestions – I am really committed to making a change. My goal is 2 lbs a week – but I’m completely okay if it takes a bit longer to achieve my goal. I’m just excited to make these healthy changes for me and my family. Thank you so much for ALWAYS supporting me. xo.
Good luck, losing weight is NOT easy – in fact it’s hard, awful & most of the time can be painful(physically & mentally) – but it’s WORTH it. You can do it, and I think you’re gorgeous in both photos, looks don’t make a person, the “inside you” does. Stay strong & stick with it!
Xo.
Lindsay, oh brother. It sure isn’t! But I agree – it will be totally worth it when I can squeeze into the “skinny” jeans in my closet. A pair that I bought and almost… fit into. I agree with you about a person’s inside- my husband and I are making changes to our everyday life too. I am ready to make the changes. I am ready to live a better life. xo.
I think you are beautiful! I do wish you the best of luck, tho – I do understand – I have been trying to get myself motivated – and thought this summer it would be easy – but so far – still looking for that motivation! I will be watching you – maybe you will jumpstart me!
Awe, thank you so much Pamela! It’s definitely hard to keep motivated, especially with the heat. Like today, it was 100 degrees – so instead of my night time run – we went to the pool! I never knew what a work-out that could be! Come on and join me already! Let’s lose some pounds! xo.
hey girl!
i admire you so so much for putting it all there. lord knows you are braver than me.
and on top of that, you are doing something to change the way you feel. just remember that though- it’s all about the way you FEEL–NOT what the scale says. my hubby specializes in weight management and healthy living. if you ever need tips, advice, ANYTHING, please email me!!
[email protected]
best of luck!
jessica
p.s. those pictures are beautiful!
Hey! Thank you so much! I am so excited for these changes to happen and I’m looking forward to living a healthier lifestyle. I completely agree with you – I feel like if I were healthier, I would have more energy during the day and not feel so sluggish. Thank you so much for your support! I will definitely take any tips you have girl! thank you! xo.
You are really beautiful~ But I completely understand how you feel. I am 5’4 and my pre-pregnancy weight was 199…. Now it’s well over… but when I am not pregnant anymore I will be doing something similar to get myself back on track. I’m already trying to exercise and eat better and I think that has helped me not gain a ton of weight. You know? No eating an entire bag of Doritos because I’m “craving it”! I wish you luck as you embark on this journey and I hope you get the outcome you desire! ((Pinterest has so many different weight loss tips, and exercises, and I have a fitness board started for when I dive into exercise!))
Kate, thank you. Oh man, I was the same way. I would just sit down and eat, and eat, and eat. Whatever I wanted. Chips were really hard for me to let go – I could eat a whole thing of salt & vinegar pringles in one sitting. I have already started a board on my pinterest to collect all the goodies for weight loss – if you have any recommendations I’d love to see them! xo.
You’re beautiful, and praise God He’s opened your eyes to see you where you are right now. Dieting is HARD, probably one of the toughest things to do, especially when we have an unhealthy relationship with food. My relationship with food has been AWFUL my whole life, until I got diagnosed with something a month or so ago, and now I’m off all sugar and processed things. Maybe try that, because the sugar and processed foods are the things that ADD fat. Lots of fat. Be encouraged, because YOU WILL MAKE IT!
Cara, thank you so much. I agree – it is so hard. And the relationship that I have with food is definitely unhealthy. I am ready for this change. I have heard giving up sugar is a great way to jump start weight loss. I am going to start that ASAP. I’m so sorry to hear of your diagnosis, I hope that you find lots of yummy sugar free snacks (if you do share them please!). Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. And for your support. xo.
It is all about what you eat! I used to exercise twice a day but that didn’t matter because I was not eating good at all. I decided to change my eating lifestyle and was able to lose 40lbs about 6 years ago and kept it off, and lost all the weight and more after after having baby. You can do it!
Whitney, I am definitely keeping a close eye on what is on my plate. Good for you on the weight loss! That’s great! I hope I can achieve my goals and look back 6 years from now having still kept off the weight! Thank you SO much for your support! It means so much. xo.
You are so brave! Good for you on the soda – that did wonders for my husband when he started changing his diet. He did weight watchers for quite awhile and loved it, but just switched to my fitness pal – a phone/computer app. Check that out ๐
Gretchen, thanks girl! The soda is completely out. My husband doesn’t even have any in the fridge for fear it might tempt me. I LOVE the fitness pal ap. It’s so great! Thanks for showing some love! xo.
I totally understand what you are going through!
I recently posted a healthy living post on my blog, that might help!
https://jamie-brooke.blogspot.com/2012/06/healthy-time.html
I am dealing with this struggle as well!
I think it’s smart to put it out there, because now you also have a support system from other people.
I think it’s important to make your goals set in stone where everyone can see, because the pressure is a little higher. It helps me if I know people are waiting to see my own weight goals and accomplishments!
Good luck on your journey, and if you ever need any support or help, let me know!
xoxo,
jamie brooke
Jamie Brooke, I am definitely going to check out your blog! I would love to have a buddy through this! I completely agree – I feel like putting this out there will help keep me to the plan. I would love to speak more with you about weight loss – shoot me an e-mail anytime @ [email protected]. xo.
Sweet Kendall! This post makes me sad and happy for you at the same time. Sad because I hate that negative feeling when looking in the mirror. You truly are SO beautiful- I hope you know that, regardless of what the scale says. But I also am so excited for you on this new adventure! It’s just good to be healthy. Go get em’ girl! You can do it!!! Wish we were neighbors so we could be walking buddies- I need the accountability. ๐
I’ll be praying for strength and perseverance! You can do ALL things through Christ!
Amy, thank you so much friend. You are so sweet. I am very excited for this new adventure as well – it’s been a long time coming. I wish we could walk together too! I’m really pushing myself to exercise everyday – even if it’s going for a run by myself in the evening – it’s actually really nice to clear my head that way. ๐ Thank you for always supporting me and showing me so much love! xo.
First, you are beautiful. Your weight is a number. It’s all about how you feel.
Second, I totally understand where you’re coming from. While I haven’t been able to experience the wonderful act of becoming a mom yet, I let my weight get out of control in college and the few months following. It’s been months since I decided to change that. Giving up soda was the best thing.
Third, remember the 4-8-12 rule. It’ll take you 4 weeks to really notice a change in your body when you look in the mirror. It’ll take loved ones and friends 8 weeks and acquaintances 12. Even if you can’t see results, you’ll feel them. Keep working hard.
Fourth, I am proud of you. I am praying hard for you because I know you can do this. Just remember Psalm 139:14. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, my dear. You got this!!
Jordan, thank you so much! I too think that giving soda up is a great thing – and to be honest, it’s not even that hard anymore. I think about it sometimes but my new love is gatorade, lol. I have never heard of the 4-8-12 rule before! That is so neat! I appreciate the prayers and the support, you are so sweet. Thank you for taking the time to write this comment – it is helping me remember why I love blogging in the first place. The amazing relationships that are built, there is so much love out there. Thank you for showing some to me today. xo.
As a thick girl with severe thyroid disease, I totally feel your pain.
But I want to tell you something. You are beautiful.
I am all about supporting someone that wants to lose weight, BUT…. they psychology student in me is reading a lot more in to it, and I pray that you will find inner peace and when you look in the mirror, your beauty, both inside and out, will be overflowing and you’ll smile and know that you are one of God’s beautiful creations, and He doesn’t make junk. Your weight is a number. Size is irrelevant. When you look in the mirror, you should smile and hold your head up high because you are beautiful.
Now, with that being said – for me personally, when I need to drop some weight quick, I lay off of sodas, sugars, pork, and beef, and have carbs in moderation. I typically can lose 10lbs in 2 weeks just by doing those things. I never “diet” because that’ll make you go crazy at counting calories and all that jazz…. so just keep things in moderation and you’ll do great ๐
Anna, thank you so much! I agree with you – weight is just a number. I just feel myself getting more sluggish and having less energy. I want to be able to chase around my little wyatt when he starts running and not be out of breath. I am so excited to get healthier – it’s going to be a long journey but one that will be so fulfilling. Thank you for the weight loss tips – I am working on giving up sugar too. Diets are totally crazy. I shouldn’t say I’m on a diet- I’m just making healthier choices and really watching (and tracking) what I eat! I feel like this will make a world of difference! xo.
hey beautiful girl! I am so thankful for your honesty in this journey – because it is most definitely a JOURNEY! I have been doing Weight Watchers for a few months now (with my mom) and have lost 13 pounds ๐ 10-15 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight…it’s SO HARD! I am excited to hear about your triumphs & struggles – I hope you continue to share them with us! Do you follow Shelley at House of Smiths? Look it up if you don’t – she’s going through some MAJOR weight loss right now, and she’s SO inspirational!! You should totally check her out ๐
Oh Christina. You and I are both going on a new journey – and I’m excited for the future for both of us. I have heard really good things about Weight Watchers – I just really don’t have the extra money to put towards it. Losing weight is extremely difficult but I am ready to finally dedicate myself to it and drop some pounds. I want to accomplish this! I’ve never heard of that blog but I will definitely look it up – thanks for sharing! Love ya girl! xo.
Oh you HAVE to go see her blog – here’s some of the posts with her awesome advice:
https://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2012/05/making-most-of-yourself-weight-loss.html
https://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2012/06/losing-weight-my-exercise-plan-and.html
https://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2012/06/trying-to-see-past-my-weight-loss.html
Let’s go!! We’ll stay motivated together ๐
i am so proud of you for sharing your story – for starting – for being intentional – for noticing how you feel & making an effort. i am in awe of you & excited to see you through this journey.
Aimee, thank you so much! Your words are so sweet – thank you for your support! I hope you’ll stick around and be there as I complete my goals. I just feel like it’s time to stand up and say – “yeah, I’ve made mistakes but I’m ready to get back on track”.
Thanks again! xo.
This is one of the hardest topics to speak (uh…write) about publicly, and you’ve done a beautiful job. Personally, I think you’re beautiful in both photos, but I completely understand the want to feel comfortable in your own skin. The most important tip that I have is to make sure that above all, you are doing this to make you happy–if you’re not doing it for that reason, it’s a lot harder to accomplish! Since I first read “French Women Don’t Get Fat” a few years ago, I’ve stuck with it faithfully. It’s not so much a diet as a lifestyle, one that I find very easy to live (without being crazy expensive!!).
I wish you nothing but luck, and I can’t wait to {digitally} celebrate with you when you reach your goal!!
Oh, you’re telling me. It was so hard to hit the “publish” button! I just want to feel better – to be healthier – and to set a better example for my son. I’ve never heard of that book but I will see if my library has it! Sounds like a good read that could really help me. Thank you so much for your support – I can’t wait to celebrate with you too! xo.
Praying for you!
Sometimes it helps to put it out there.
Accountability really pushes me.
Just wanted to let you know- I hear ya and I am going through the same thing.
Keep on keeping on- it will happen- the weight will come off!
Thank you so much! It definitely helps to put it out there – I feel so inspired – now more than ever – to stick to my plan. Thank you for leaving a comment and sharing how you feel! I am so excited for this journey – so excited to look back and feel so proud that I made this first step! xo.
adding you to my blog list right now. i am right there with you. i posted a blog a few months ago about my weight. i was 226 lbs. so i know exactly where you are. i’ve been dieting/exercising for a few months and got down to 216ish but then went on vacation and now i’m back up to 220. i’m doing weight watchers and just started jillian michaels 30 day shred. let’s be buddies! ๐