Nikki's Weight Loss Journey

April Measurements (1 Year Gymiversary Comparisons)

2014-04-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

Arms

Last month (11/16/2013) - 9.75 inches each
This month (4/13/2014) - 9.5 inches each
Last year (4/13/2013) - 11.5 inches each

Hips

Last month (1/18/2014) - 38.5 inches
This month (4/13/2014) - 38.25 inches
Last year (4/13/2013) - 47 inches

Waist

Last month (1/18/2014) - 28.5 inches
This month (4/13/2014) - 28.25 inches
Last year (4/13/2013) - 36 inches

Bust

Last month (1/18/2014) - 35.25 inches
This month (4/13/2014) - 35 inches
Last year (4/13/2013) - 40 inches

Thighs

Last month (1/18/2014) - 19.5 inches each

This month (4/13/2014) - 19.25 inches each
Last year (4/13/2013) - 24.5 inches each

It's been one year since I stepped into the gym for the first time after having Izzie. I have never gone more than two months in a row being consistent with going to the gym before now. I've spent a whole year being faithful to working out and am beyond pleased with the results!

In one year, I've gone from 179.4lbs to 142.8lbs, a net loss of 36.6lbs. That number alone is so great, but when combined with the number of inches lost really blows my mind and you know I am easily my hardest critic. 2 inches from each arm, 8.75 inches from my hips, 7.75 inches from my waist, 5 inches from my bust, and 5.25 inches from each thigh, bring the total to 36 inches lost! That's almost an inch per pound which is insane to me. I went from a size 16 pants to a size 8 and a size 14 dress to a size 6. In terms of general sizing, I've gone from XL to mainly M with some S mixed in here and there (usually in women's sizes not juniors).

I am beyond excited about buying all new summer clothes. I am so glad I could do this before my kids no any better so as not to give them body image complexes. I don't put myself down in front of them (not that I put myself down too much in my head anymore) and when we go to the gym, Brady knows I'm there to exercise, which is something he likes to do too in his own way. There's no connotation about it being to lose weight. He knows we eat good food so that we can grow healthy and strong.

Here is the ultimate comparison over the course of the last year. The top pics are from the first day back in the gym when Izzie was 6 weeks old. Second set was 10 weeks later at 16 weeks old, the third 10 weeks later at 6 months old, and the final set was after a whole year working out. I still can't believe how much of a change I've made, especially when I don't see it until put like this.

Weigh-in for 4/12/2014

2014-04-12T14:25:00.000-04:00

Last weigh-in (3/22/2014) : 142.4 lb

This weigh-in (4/12/2014) : 142.8 lb

Change : 0.4 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 57.6 lb

It's been about three weeks since my last weigh-in and some weeks have been better than others in that time. We've been to a record five birthday parties in the last eight weeks and another two weekends in there were my kids' birthdays. It's hard to say no to cake every single week. I didn't every time, but when you are tempted week after week, you give in. The kids got sick . . . again, taking me out of the gym for a week, which never helps. Even though my number seems to be hovering between 142-145lbs, my body fat percentage has decreased from 26.2% to 25.2% so at least some of the weight has become muscle rather than fat and I am happy enough with that.

I plan to do measurements to commemorate my one year gymiversary this weekend and I'm sure there will be changes there as well. I can tell because the clothes sizes are going down in number. I wore my size 8 bermudas the other day and they were super comfy and had me thinking I could get into a size 6, but they might be a bit restricting. I bought a few new dresses for summer in general, a wedding, and my brother's college graduation. I had been in the department stores and not seen anything I liked, so I looked online and saw one that might be nice, but I debated on which size to buy. I settled on a size 10 because I really had never worn a dress in a size smaller than that. A few days later, I saw the same dress in the store, in a size 8 and $20 cheaper. I tried it on and it was perfect!

It's definitely not my normal style which is something that has a more flowing skirt to hide my hips, but I have been feeling more confident in how I look and decided to try something new.

I was heading out of the changing room when another dress caught my eye. It was also on sale, but when I looked at the ones in stock, there was a size 6 and a size 10. I figured the size 10 would be too big since I'd just gotten comfortably into a size 8. I grabbed the 6 and headed back into the changing room, but not really expecting anything.

This is more my typical style, with a band right under the bust and flowing skirt. To my complete surprise, the size 6 fit perfectly! A size 6 has been the magic number in my head since I started losing weight almost eight years ago. I still can't believe I did it!

There's still plenty of work to be done, in terms of body shape, even if the weight and clothing sizes stay relatively the same. My goal is to have my ultimate body by the time I turn 30 (which is now 23 months away). I plan to have another baby in that time, but now see that as an aid rather than an impediment to my weight loss. I just have to keep working hard and keeping up a positive attitude. I know now to appreciate what I have now instead of being down on myself for not being better.

Weigh-in for 3/22/2014

2014-03-22T09:05:00.001-04:00

Last weigh-in (2/28/2014) : 144.2 lb

This weigh-in (3/22/2014) : 142.4 lb

Change : 1.8 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 58 lb

I've finally done what I've said I was going to do at the start of the month - gotten back on track. In less than a calendar month, we have Valentine's Day, both kids' birthdays, their parties, and then my birthday. That's a lot of chocolate, cake, and eating out. It gets me every year, and now that the last party (of ours at least) is over, I am gearing up to drop the few pounds I've gained and get back into fighting shape for summer!

This week is when I finally buckled down. Seeing the number on the scale get up to 145.4lbs a week ago scared me and gave me anxiety, thinking back to Germany. Granted, this time I gained 5lbs in a two month period, whereas I was gaining 5lbs a month in Germany. I am down to one nursing session with Izzie now, so my daily points target is back to the lowest that anyone can have at 26. It took careful planning and tracking to hit that each day, but I chose more filling options, making me less inclined to go looking for a little something sweet after I'd already eaten a meal.

We are down to 8 weeks until California and the day we get back home is the first weekend of the pool being open, so this is the home stretch before "summer." I say it like that because there's still snow on the ground and below freezing temps, so who knows when of if summer will get here this year. My goal was to be under 140lbs by then and I am confident that I can do that now that my mind is in the right place. I would need less than 0.5lb per week to reach that goal. I've been stocking up on clothes for the kids and Andy for the trip and am dying to dive in and splurge on new clothes for me since I have almost none for me at this size and the ones I do still have tags on them. Summer is by far my favorite for clothes and I'm going to have a blast! I finally look like I always thought I did in my head and I'm going to enjoy it :)

Weigh-in for 2/28/2014 ~ Starting a Household Challenge

2014-02-28T16:18:00.001-05:00

Last weigh-in (2/1/2014) : 141.0 lb

This weigh-in (2/28/2014) : 144.2 lb

Change : 3.2 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 56.2 lb

It's been a rough month. Historically, February is a rough month for me and weight loss. There has only been one of the eight Februarys I've been on Weight Watchers that I've lost instead of gained. I don't know what it is, maybe that winter starts to get to me at that point, combined with Valentine's Day and the past four years, Brady's birthday. The only February I lost weight, we were living in South Carolina and it was so warm I was sunbathing daily, so there seems to be a correlation with weather and weight loss (something I've noticed from past patterns as well). It is harder for me to maintain or lose in February than it over Christmas.

This February, I had gym access, but of course, Izzie has had a runny nose for three straight weeks and can't go to the day care like that. That means I only make it on the weekends, so in addition to the eating which hasn't been the greatest, I didn't have the workouts to help battle it and keep it in check a little more than I did. I tend to get to a point once I'm off track, where I let go and start eating things I normally wouldn't because I know I won't eat them when I get back on track. That only makes it worse. We had Brady's party, Valentine's Day, and a trip out of town in the span of two weeks and the eating out got to me as well as the cake.

In terms of upswings, it's not that bad. 4lbs gained in the course of 6 weeks. I've had upswings that have lasted several months and been as much as 15-20lbs. I am choosing to kick myself out of it immediately. Even if I can't go to the gym during the day, I will make myself go when Andy gets home from work. I have to start tracking religiously again (something I haven't done in months, maybe before Thanksgiving). This will become very important now that I'm weaning Izzie and will be completely done breastfeeding by the end of March.

Andy and I are both unhappy, so we decided to buckle down together. Andy is in a wedding in early May, and we leave for our 11 day California vacation in mid-May. We want to look and feel good when we get there. We have committed to weekly weigh-ins (going into WW for me every week to keep me honest and on track, rather than once a month). We have 11 weeks until Cali and have set goals. Andy wants to lose 20lbs (putting him at 200lbs) and I want to get under 140lbs (4.4lbs away). We have both laid out rewards for if we reach our goals and I think we'll have to consider a punishment if we don't so we have even more incentive. Wish us luck!

Weigh-in for 2/1/2014

2014-02-01T18:59:00.001-05:00

Last weigh-in (1/18/2014) : 140.2 lb

This weigh-in (2/1/2014) : 141.0 lb

Change : 0.8 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 59.4 lb

We've certainly had a lot going on in the last two weeks, including being stuck inside again for extreme temps. That certainly makes it hard for me to avoid eating all day long. I don't have junk food in my house, but even eating too much healthy food isn't good for you. All in all, 0.8 lbs in two weeks isn't so bad. I've maintained my workout schedule and as long as the inches come off or continue to maintain, the number on the scale isn't going to bother me fluxuating a few pounds here and there.

January 2014 Measurements

2014-01-19T10:36:00.000-05:00

Hips

Last month (11/16/2013) - 38.75 inches
This month (1/18/2014) - 38.5 inches

Waist

Last month (11/16/2013) - 28.5 inches
This month (1/18/2014) - 28.5 inches

Bust

Last month (11/16/2013) - 36 inches
This month (1/18/2014) - 35.25 inches

Thighs

Last month (11/16/2013) - 20 inches each
This month (1/18/2014) - 19.5 inches each

I didn't take measurements last month because due to holidays, travel, illness, and bad weather, in the last two months I've only made it to the gym an equivalent of what I would normally do in four weeks. I didn't expect the change to be much in one month and as you can see, in two months there wasn't much change either. There is a slight change in some areas and none in others, but anything staying the same or going down is good in my book, especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming between the two sets of measurements.

Weigh-in for 1/18/2014

2014-01-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

Last weigh-in (1/11/2014) : 142.0 lb

This weigh-in (1/18/2014) : 140.2 lb

Change : 1.8 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 60.2 lbs

Well it was certainly back to business this week. Brady was back in school all week, we were all over our sickness from the week prior, I was able to go to a full week in the gym (first time since before Christmas), and I was eating most of my meals at home. The grocery stores are now stocked full again after the people going crazy trying to stock up for major snowfalls and the roads are clear to get to the store without worrying about endangering your life.

The gyms are still packed, but I'm hoping that will ease up a bit in the next two months. We joined last year in April and it was pretty dead during the daytime when I normally go. My Christmas candy was almost gone this week and I started having a bit of withdrawal, so I got some bargain Valentine's candy. Nothing major, just some Dove dark chocolate mini hearts. One or two a day is enough to make me feel not deprived and doesn't impact my weight loss. Next week I hope to break into the 130s!

Weigh-in for 1/11/2014

2014-01-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

Last weigh-in (12/13/2013) : 142.2 lb

This weigh-in (1/11/2014) : 142.0 lb

Change : 0.2 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 58.4 lbs

Well, we are back from all our traveling from Christmas and back into our routine. I think I can count the number of home cook meals we had on one hand. We were constantly running places and meeting people for meals, so it was not the healthiest of eating. Add in the countless cookies, candy, and big holiday meals and I didn't even want to think about the damage.

I treat the first week back from a trip like that as a kind of detox. It's a shock to your system to go from glutinous eating to clean eating, so you shock your system into dropping some weight fast. That's why people starting a diet lose the most that first week or so. It's a great way to jump start and also a good way to get back on track. We were snowed in almost all week since being back and I was in the house with only a small amount of food and a lot of leftover candy. I really had to control myself since it wasn't an option to leave the house to hit the gym to balance things out. We also all got sick earlier this week, so that curbed my appetite quite a bit. I was happy to step on the scale for the first time in a month and see a slight loss. I would've understood a gain and probably would've seen one if I wasn't still part-time breastfeeding.

Meeting rooms and gyms are packed with people this time of year and by March they will be back to normal with the regulars still holding down the fort. I can't tell you how many meetings I have sat in where people complain about how hard it is to lose weight during the summer and they'll be back in the fall. I completely disagree and feel like I lose way more weight in the summer versus the winter. In the summer, there is an unlimited variety of fresh fruit in grocery stores. The weather is beautiful, making you want to be outside. You have grill-outs. In the winter, the weather is cold so you don't want to leave your house. There's snow which makes the roads dangerous, and you don't want to risk your kids' lives just to get to the gym. Hitting the gym won't matter if you kill yourself getting there. The food selection isn't that great in stores and you want to hibernate eating higher calorie options. I'm more than ready for warmer weather.

2013 Year-End Stats

2013-12-31T21:08:00.000-05:00

Starting weight : 189.0 lb

Ending weight : 142.2 lb

Change : 46.8 lb lost (average 3.9 lb lost per month)

Going from the start of 2013 to the end with weight doesn't accurately reflect the loss for the year, since I was still pregnant at the start and the numbers went up for the first two months of the year, up to 200.4lbs. The total loss when looking at the weight that was shed would be 58.2lbs and that was all lost in the last 10 months of the year, which made the monthly average when it came to weight lost 5.82lbs lost per month.

This year has been absolutely phenomenal when it comes to weight loss. I really had no idea that I could lose almost 60lbs in 10 months while caring for two young children. In the 10 months following Brady being born, I only lost 44.2lbs and weighed almost 30lbs more than I do today. I am at my lowest ever on program and also the lowest I've been since middle school. I'm in clothes sizes I would've never dreamed of being in. I look better than I did the day I graduated high school and also the day I got married. Sometimes I really can't believe how far I've come in the last 7.5 years on Weight Watchers, it's truly changed my life. I know my kids will be healthier because I'm healthier and that's more than I could ever ask for.

This year was huge in terms of weight loss and obviously I'm at a point where there's not much left to reach my ultimate goal. I have 12.2lbs I still want to lose before I'm ready to stop with weight loss (but the journey to maintain is just as hard). I would like to do that before my 10-year high school reunion in July, but would be happy to see it before we ring in 2015. That's an average of 1lb per month, which I can see being totally achievable. My biggest benchmarks will now be seeing the inches go down rather than the pounds. I'm at a very healthy weight, so if that doesn't change and the inches still come off, I won't obsess about the number on the scale. Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!

Weigh-in for 12/13/2013

2013-12-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

Last weigh-in (11/24/2013) : 143.2 lb

This weigh-in (12/13/2013) : 142.2 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 58.2 lbs

It's Friday the 13th and while I am superstitious to an extent, I believe you make your own "luck" when it comes to weight loss, so I wasn't too afraid of getting on the scale this morning. There was some apprehension as I had spent two whole weeks out of the gym due to the kids getting sick, and then giving it to me. Also, in addition to a Thanksgiving weekend full of food, the week after wasn't easy either. There were only two or three days in the last two weeks where I ate both meals at home. My mental visualization of eating badly is that I balloon up. I think that my clothes will stop fitting and while it may happen in the course of a month or more, a week here or there wouldn't do that (unless you were carrying some serious water weight or had a thyroid problem).

Christmas for my kids is tomorrow, hence the Friday weigh-in. Tonight will involve baking cookies and hanging stocking to be filled with candy and other treats. I will weigh-in next Friday before heading out of town for two weeks, but I allow myself some treats here and there. Especially since this coming week means making dozens of cookies. How could I resist tasting a few? I'll just make sure I make the most of my last week in the gym before the new year and finish out strong.

Weigh-in for 11/24/2013

2013-11-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

Last weigh-in (11/16/2013) : 144.8 lb

This weigh-in (11/24/2013) : 143.2 lb

Change : 1.6 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 57.2 lbs

I said I was going to buckle down this week and I kept that promise. I'm happy that I could get a good loss under my belt before Thanksgiving when everyone overeats to some extent. My family comes to us and we have a full weekend planned of eating our hearts out. I'd be crazy to weigh-in next weekend in the middle of that, so the next weigh-in will be after I've had a week of damage control. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

November 2013 Measurements

2013-11-21T17:19:00.000-05:00

Hips

Last month (10/19/2013) - 39.25 inches
This month (11/16/2013) - 38.75 inches

Waist

Last month (10/19/2013) - 29.5 inches
This month (11/16/2013) - 28.5 inches

Bust

Last month (10/19/2013) - 36.5 inches
This month (11/16/2013) - 36 inches

Thighs

Last month (10/19/2013) - 20.5 inches each
This month (11/16/2013) - 20 inches each

Arms

Last month (10/19/2013) - 10 inches each
This month (11/16/2013) - 9.75 inches each

The last month hasn't yielded too much lost on the scale (less than 2lbs), but the inches are still coming off and that's what matters when it comes to clothes fitting better and seeing changes in yourself. While I've set a weight goal for myself, as long as the physical changes are still happening, I won't stress too much if the weight comes off more slowly from this point forward. I probably won't post arms or bust unless there's a major change from this point as well as they are getting to the point where there isn't much more to lose in those areas.

Izzie started taking swim lessons a few weeks ago and that meant I was back into my bathing suits (and more specifically my bikinis) for the first time since August. I had taken a selfie the first time I wore it during the summer, which was in the middle of July at 163lbs. Since then, I've had to tighten the straps on the top and moved to a smaller bottom size, in addition to being down about 20lbs, so I decided to take another shot to compare the difference. It's hard for me to notice other than clothing sizes changing, so this was pretty shocking even for me to see. I'm not super model skinny, but man have I made a difference. Four months saw 20lbs gone, in addition to 2.75 inches from each thigh, 3 inches from my bust, 3.5 inches from my waist, and a whopping 4.5 inches from my hips. I am currently at my lowest hip and waist measurements since starting Weight Watchers 7.5 years ago (and who knows how long before that). I hope to make even greater changes before the summer!

Weigh-in for 11/16/2013

2013-11-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last weigh-in (11/2/2013) : 144.4 lb

This weigh-in (11/16/2013) : 144.8 lb

Change : 0.4 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 55.6 lbs

Well, I'm certainly human and the last two weeks I've kinda enjoyed myself eating wise. I've not had a full week in the gym either week, but went which is the important part. There was Halloween candy in the house and while I was good leading up to Halloween, you can only walk by it so many times without having some. We had a trip home and there was lots of eating out. I usually make good choices at restaurants, but not so much these times. All I can do is shrug it off and work hard this week so I can have some loss before Thanksgiving week when I know I'll be enjoying some good food.

Weigh-in for 11/2/2013

2013-11-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

Last weigh-in (10/26/2013) : 145.2 lb

This weigh-in (11/2/2013) : 144.4 lb

Change : 0.8 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 56 lbs

The Weight Watchers scale was kind to me this morning, as my own scale didn't have me down so much. I'll probably pay for it next week, but right now I don't care. That's a decent loss for a week where I only made it to the gym twice and of course, it was also Halloween week. I definitely implored my will power this week, as I only allowed myself three pieces of candy in the last two days. We also went over to a friend's house after Trick-or-Treat and they had pizza. We had already eaten before the kids went out, so I just enjoyed the company and didn't eat anything. There were plenty of times in the past where I'd say, "Screw it," and eat the pizza anyway. That shows how far I've come in the last seven and a half years. There are certainly times when I allow myself to overindulge, but I have to pick and choose. I can't do it every time that I might want to. If I didn't allow myself some things that aren't so great for me, I'd never be able to stay on program and this is something I have to maintain for the rest of my life, so I have to make concessions sometimes.

October 2013 Stats & November Goals

2013-10-31T19:54:00.000-04:00

Starting weight : 149.8 lb

Ending weight : 145.2 lb

Change : 4.6 lb lost (average 1.05lb lost per week)

This time last year : 178 lb (21 weeks pregnant)

My goal for October was to get to pre-Germany weight (148.2lbs) and I certainly achieved that and more. I write weight changes on my calendar hanging in the kitchen and Andy saw the start and end weight for the month and couldn't believe how much I'd lost in a month, especially being in a healthy weight range already. I know that it's not going to keep up like this and the weekly numbers most week have tapered off.

I have 15.2 lbs to go before I reach my ultimate goal of 130 lbs. I know I set that for early July, but we head to California in mid-May and I'd love to be there by the time we head out there. That's six and a half months away and that means I need to average about 2.3lbs per month to get there. There will be four weigh-ins this month, so I will shoot for an average of 0.6lb per week and a total of 2.4lbs. I'd love to be at the 140lb mark by Christmas and that will get me halfway there.

Weigh-in for 10/26/2013

2013-10-26T10:43:00.001-04:00

Last weigh-in (10/19/2013) : 146.2 lb

This weigh-in (10/26/2013) : 145.2 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 55.2 lbs

At this point in my journey (only partially breastfeeding and getting closer to my goal), 1lb is really great. There are so many people who quit Weight Watchers because they're only losing about 1lb per week. ONLY?!?!?! If they knew how hard it was for some people to put a pound per week, and how much harder it is to do alone, they might stick with the program. They say it must not be working if they're losing so little. It's not like we're on the Biggest Loser and expected to put up 8-10lbs or more per week. We are normal people who don't spend 8 hours each day in the gym. Most of us have jobs or children, along with many other responsibilities. In the real world, 0.5-2lbs per week is an amazing weekly average, as there will be weeks when you maintain or gain even. I've been doing this for almost exactly seven and a half years and I've come to the point where I don't take a single tenth of a pound lost for granted. It's way too easy to put it back on so any small number is hard won.

This week I noticed something when I got on the scale. I normally only look at the big number (usually holding my breath while waiting for it to pop up), but we have a fairly nice scale that tells you other things as well. One of those things is body fat percentage. I guess the reason I don't tend to look at that number is that I have always seen it over 30%. That doesn't surprise me anymore, but in high school, we took fat percentage in health class. I remember how shocked and embarrassed I was when mine came out to 33%. Women of course have more than men, but that was a very high number (considered obese, but looking back that doesn't surprise me). The number I saw today was 27.3%! Not just slightly below 30%, but almost a full 3% lower. Compared to the other times I've lost large amounts of weight, I'm working out much more and therefore am replacing the fat with much leaner muscle mass. The average body fat percentage level for women is 25-31% (18-24% for men) and the fat percentage at the fitness level is 21-24% for women (14-17% for men). I have confidence that I can reach that fitness level by the time I get to my ultimate goal. As it is, at the dentist, they took my resting heart rate and were shocked at how low it was - 58 bpm. They then asked if I'm an athlete (which I almost snorted in laughter over) or I exercise. I said I do exercise and that put them at ease. Later, Andy was telling me about his resting heart rate and when I told him mine, he said that's at the level of athletes. I guess all my working out is helping me in many more areas than just dropping pounds.

October 2013 Measurements

2013-10-20T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hips

Last month (9/15/2013) - 40.25 inches
This month (10/19/2013) - 39.25 inches

Waist

Last month (9/15/2013) - 31 inches
This month (10/19/2013) - 29.5 inches

Bust

Last month (9/15/2013) - 38.5 inches
This month (10/19/2013) - 36.5 inches

Thighs

Last month (9/15/2013) - 21 inches each
This month (10/19/2013) - 20.5 inches each

Arms

Last month (9/15/2013) - 10.25 inches each
This month (10/19/2013) - 10 inches each

The measurements have at last lined up with my lowest weight from December 2011 (148.2lbs), with some being lower. The waist is what I have been waiting for to catch up and it's exactly what it was at it's lowest almost two years ago. The thigh and hip measurements are lower than they've ever been, with the hips coming in at under 40 inches. I have the makings of an hourglass figure, but my hips have always been a problem, making me look more like a pear figure. My ultimate goal when it comes to these measurements is the get the hips and bust at the same size.

I have taken bust measurements since Izzie was born, but they were pretty stagnant because of breastfeeding. This was the first time I'd seen any change, so I decided to include it. I went from a 36D to a 34D within a year of starting weight watchers. After Brady, while nursing I went up to a 40DD and it took months after I stopped to even get into a 38D. I was finally at a 36D when I got back to pre-pregnancy weight after him and stayed there until I got pregnant with Izzie. Because I full-time nursed her, I was still able to get into a 38D when necessary, but mostly wear nursing bras that didn't have cup sizes. I've realized through this journey that I will not be losing the cup size no matter how much I lose (not the case with most people), so the band size is the only thing of which I have control. I sometimes have to go up a shirt size to accommodate my bust size and then the waist is way too big, so if I can lower the band size, it should hopefully open up smaller shirt sizes to me.

I am amazed at how fast my "skinny" clothes are becoming too big for me. My medium pants are almost to the point of falling off, so I've resorted to wearing either my small sized yoga pants, jeans, or my medium leggings. I'm sure soon, I'll have to get some new pants, but I'd like to wait until I'm closer to my ultimate goal (130lbs) before I do so that I don't have to buy even smaller ones when I get there. My rings are getting very loose and I'm also holding off on sizing them down. I imagine sometime after Christmas, if not before, it will become a necessity.

Weigh-in for 10/19/2013

2013-10-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

Last weigh-in (10/12/2013) : 146.8 lb

This weigh-in (10/19/2013) : 146.2 lb

Change : 0.6 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 54.2 lbs

A big week followed by a small week is the way it works and I'm more than happy to see any small loss over a gain. As long as I'm chipping away at the weight to reach that final goal (130lbs), I'm ecstatic about it. This week had only one day in the gym due to illness (both the kids and me) and other scheduled appointments. This coming week has me slated for four days to make up for it. I've got to work hard leading up to Halloween so I can enjoy some candy :)

Setting My Final Goal

2013-10-13T10:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I've made it to pre-Germany weight and have even dipped below it. That was the goal I set for myself to reach before Christmas, so now it's time to set my new, and final, goal for myself. The healthy weight range for my height (5'6") is anywhere between 124lbs and 155lbs. The ultimate number I want to reach is 130lbs, and I would like to reach that by the time I get to my 10 year high school reunion in early July. I want to look so good that people don't even recognize me. I have just under nine months to lose 16.8lbs, which means I need to lose less than half a pound per week in order to reach this final goal.

130lbs has been a number in my head for a long time, since I was a teenager. The last time I was 130lbs was when I was 14 and at that age, I was just over five feet tall, so it wasn't a healthy weight for me at that time. I was huge into Friends and I would read articles about how Jennifer Aniston was having a hard time getting her big break because she was overweight. Even having a father in the business wasn't enough to get her the jobs she wanted. She was 5'6" like I am and weighed 160lbs. She went out and lost 30lbs and then landed her huge gig on Friends.

A 30lb difference from 160lbs to 130lbs (although I'm pretty sure there have been many times when she's gone lower than that).

Although Jennifer Aniston's story is what got the number in my head, there was a bigger inspiration that lead to the body that I would like to have. I have watched Days of Our Lives since I was Brady's age or even younger. Alison Sweeney has been on the show for over 20 years and I used to watch when she was just a chubby teenager. She went on to lose a ton of weight and eventually landed herself as the host of The Biggest Loser. She's well endowed like myself and has also had two kids.

Just about a month ago, she was on the cover of Shape magazine and my mom brought it to my notice while we were getting our hair done. She looks amazing! She's 36, so nine years older than myself, and I can only hope that I look that good by the time that I'm 36.

My butt has been a huge sticking point in my weight loss and something I've heard criticism about my whole life from multiple sources. Andy decided to catch a shot of me from behind last night and made a point of showing it to me to show me how small he thought it was looking. Of course, it's not small in comparison to most, but it's small for me. It's hard to ever see yourself from behind, so I'm glad Andy was able to show me that my hard work is making a difference. I've already bought my bikini's for next summer on clearance and I have this image in my head of how I'll look in them at my final goal and this is when it's really going to happen.

Weigh-in for 10/12/2013 ~ New Lowest Ever!!!

2013-10-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

Last weigh-in (10/5/2013) : 149.0 lb

This weigh-in (10/12/2013) : 146.8 lb

Change : 2.2 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 53.6 lbs

I finally did it! Exactly 20 months and 3 weeks after I stepped on the plane to Germany, I am back at the weight I was that day! Coming home 20lbs heavier and being pregnant before we got home, watching the weight creep up for another nine months, I despaired that I might never get back here again in those darkest of days. I kicked that attitude in the butt the minute Izzie was born and decided that I would be there before Christmas. Hard work, determination, and sheer willpower are what led me back here and not only did I reach that weight, I blew through it!

It's time to start thinking about a new (and final) goal before I start the long lifetime- journey of maintenance. I'm not done having kids, so there will come times when it becomes necessary to kick it into weight-loss mode once again, but by reaching my ultimate goal before then, I will have less to lose before maintenance become the norm again. So much of my family hasn't seen me in months and I'm excited to blow everyone away when I next see them. My 93 year old grandma sees us maybe once a year (if that) and the last two times she saw me was when Brady was 10 months old (170lbs) and last year when I was seven months pregnant with Izzie (189lbs). She's likely to think I'm sickly because she's never seen me thin.

Weigh-in for 10/5/2013

2013-10-05T10:08:00.002-04:00

Last weigh-in (9/27/2013) : 149.8 lb

This weigh-in (10/5/2013) : 149.0 lb

Change : 0.8 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 19lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 51.4 lbs

Less than 1lb to go before reaching pre-Germany weight! I almost can't believe I'm almost back there. I thought back in April when I set this goal for myself (at that point it required a 1lb per week loss average) that perhaps it was setting my sights a bit too high. I have made it six straight months in the gym without taking more than a week off for travel or unforeseen incidents like the kids getting sick. I've never made it more than two or three consecutive months before now and the results are astounding. My dad always thought he was so smart saying the way to lose weight was "eat less, exercise more" and after all these years, I've finally come to the conclusion that you need both of those things and I'm glad I figured it out sooner rather than later.

September 2013 Stats & October Goals

2013-09-30T09:28:00.000-04:00

Starting weight : 154.8 lb

Ending weight : 149.8 lb

Change : 5 lb lost (average 1.2lb lost per week)

This time last year : 172.5 lb (17 weeks pregnant)

My goal for September was to lose 3lbs and I was more than happy to have lost more than that and break back into the 140s for the first time since December 2011. We took family portraits earlier in the month and it was the lowest weight (154lbs) that I'd ever been when taking them since Brady was born. Not traveling most of the month was very helpful in the weight loss for the month as there was more time for the gym and less time eating bad food.

October is here and I have one goal - to reach my pre-Germany weight of 148.2lbs, which is only 1.6lbs from where I am currently. That would require only 0.4lb loss per week for the full month. I set this goal for myself shortly after Izzie was born and I wanted to reach it by Christmas. The weight has come off much faster (with a lot more hard work this time around) than it did after Brady. I am down 50.6lbs since Izzie was born 7 months ago and that took me 15 months to do after Brady was born. Once I break through that number, I will have to set a new goal for myself as I will be in uncharted territory. I can't wait to get back there in the next few weeks and look forward to a new number. It's only one step closer to getting to a point where I stop trying to lose weight and start to maintain, which has never happened in the over seven years of being on Weight Watchers.

Weigh-in for 9/27/2013 ~ Back in the 140s!!!

2013-09-27T09:08:00.000-04:00

Last weigh-in (9/21/2013) : 150.8 lb

This weigh-in (9/27/2013) : 149.8 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 18.2lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 50.6 lbs

I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to get under 150lbs again after all the struggles of the last 18 months. In the back of my mind, I always wonder what would've happened weight wise had we not gone to Germany and it makes me a little sad. I can't dwell on that now, especially since I am so close to getting back to where I was before we stepped on that airplane.

Losing over 50lbs in less than 7 months is something I never thought myself capable of, considering it took me over 5 years from my first day of Weight Watchers to get from where I started to get to lifetime weight (42lbs lost). I have to give a big part of the credit to the work I do in the gym on a weekly basis. In the past, I've tried to lose weight either through exercise or eating better, but never both at the same time until the last few years. Using one or the other either led to no loss, or not enough loss to change much in the way of inches because the fat wasn't getting replaced by much firmer muscle mass.

As an overweight and obese child and teen, I hated recess and gym at school. I was never athletic in sports that required much speed. My main sports were volleyball and swimming, and even in swimming, I was better at endurance than sprints. I'm not proud of this, but there was even a time I pretended to sprain my ankle so I didn't have to go to volleyball practice one day because we were going to have to run. Never would I have thought then that I'd be one of the regulars at the gym. The people at the gym daycare know my kids the minute we walk in and if we miss a day because one of the kids is sick or we're out of town, they tell us that they wondered where we were. There's more to it than just the physical benefits at this point in my life. It's a mental release as well. I get to have someone else watch my kids, while they get to run around and play with other kids and toys they don't have at home. I get some much needed time to myself and I don't seem to mind too much that it's hard work. It'll be weird when I have to shift to maintain mode and I don't go quite as frequently (likely twice a week instead of three times).

Weigh-in for 9/21/2013

2013-09-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

Last weigh-in (9/14/2013) : 151.7 lb

This weigh-in (9/21/2013) : 150.8 lb

Change : 0.9 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 17.2lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 49.6 lbs

Not bad for a week after a huge loss. I'm sure I was eating a bit too much regardless of hitting the gym three times this week. This was Izzie's second week on rice cereal twice a day. The first week, she wouldn't eat the whole bowl and still mainly nursed, so I didn't change my daily target to adjust for her eating solids. It didn't really impact my weight loss last week by not changing the daily target. This week she was eating more, but I still didn't change it. I could tell as the days went on this week that she was nursing less than the prior week. I knew by this coming week when she starts veggies mid-day in addition to the cereal twice a day that I would definitely have to change it. Now I have 33 points plus per day instead of 40. In a way, it will be a welcome relief as there were many days where I plotted out my day in advance and had 20 points or more to blow on things that weren't my three main meals. It will also help mentally prepare me for when she stops nursing altogether and I go back to 26 points plus per day like I was for so long.

September 2013 Measurements

2013-09-15T09:12:00.001-04:00

Hips

Last month (8/17/2013) - 42.5 inches
This month (9/15/2013) - 40.25 inches

Waist

Last month (8/17/2013) - 31.5 inches
This month (9/15/2013) - 31 inches

Thighs

Last month (8/17/2013) - 21.75 inches each
This month (9/15/2013) - 21 inches each

Arms

Last month (8/17/2013) - 10.5 inches each
This month (9/15/2013) - 10.25 inches each

Since the last set of measurements 6.3lbs has come off and the inches seem to have come off equally quickly. Right now, the only measurement that isn't smaller than the last time I was at this weight (151.7lbs) is the waist measurement. That's still the same as about 15lbs up from last time, but that was also much longer after having a baby. As long as the numbers keep going down at the waist, no matter how slowly, I'll be happy. My hips are the smallest they've been since joining weight watchers! That's my biggest problem area and the one I put the most focus on in the gym, so I'm thrilled to see the results.

I broke into my "skinny" clothes bin that had been packed away shortly after returning from Europe. I was so bummed that they had only fit me for a few short months before the carbs and fat got me. I tried on all the pants and some of the tops and almost everything fit comfortably! I did a little happy dance thinking about all of the options I will have this fall.

I spent most of my teen years hiding behind too large clothing. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and didn't want people to see what I really looked liked. I hated to wear jeans and even when I got rid of most of the oversized clothes, I lived in sweats or pajama pants. Even after Brady, if I wore jeans out (which was rare), as soon as I came home, I changed into something more comfortable. Now that I'm becoming more confident and comfortable in my clothes, I think that I'll be dressing a bit better. Of course, if I'm not going out, I'm not going to go all out, but I think it's important for my kids to see their mom not slouching around out and about all the time. A whole new world of possibilities is opening up for me.