It's never a question of can you, but WILL YOU?

Before...

6 weeks later!

Bottom half

YES...I know!  I was DISGUSTING!!!  I had NO neck.  You couldn't see my awesome eyes because my cheeks were so chubby.  I can try justifying why I let myself go but it all just comes down to not caring.  I was hurting inside and I didn't care about myself, after all a part of me just wanted to die anyways.  I had no clue it was so obvious though!  It makes me sad looking at the 1st picture.  Because I knew the pain...but now looking at the 2nd and 3rd picture it makes me so PROUD of my determination!  It would of been so easy to give up after a week, 3 weeks, 5 weeks but I DIDN'T!!!  I'm on my 7th week now and down 27.8 pounds!  In 6 weeks, I lost an average of 4.6 pounds.  WOW!!!  Some of you may think...well that isn't healthy, she'll just gain it all back.  But I can assure you, EVERYTHING i've been doing is healthy.  

I was so tired of going to bed feeling guilty.  I would ALWAYS say "Tomorrow I will!" But we all know that never works out.  Did you know Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week?  Yup we all do it.  But I decided to change it!  So that's exactly what I did.  

I set a starting date, researched, found the right tools, and set goals.  My start date I set was for January 9th.  I made Ashlie aware that there was NO backing down and putting it off for tomorrow!  I got myself as ready as I could be to start this new journey.  I researched all sorts of different products and diets.  The best one I found was the simplest...calories in, calories out!  I keep track of EVERYTHING I eat and even though I don't know exactly how many calories I burn a day...I do keep track of what I do at the gym.  You have to set goals!  Goals are the most important thing you can do.  If you don't set goals then you won't push yourself.  PUSH YOURSELF!!  It makes you stronger, more determined, and successful!  

Something that would always get me down is how much weight I needed to lose.  My ultimate goal is to lose 73.8 pounds.  Wow!!  That is A LOT!!  I would start to feel over whelmed and just give up.  I didn't think it was possible because it was sooo much!  So I broke it down into 4 phases.  1st phase lose 33.8 pounds.  2nd phase lose 20 pounds.  3rd phase lose 20 pounds.  4th phase maintain the weight!  

33.8 pounds still seemed like a lot of weight to lose but it sure as heck seemed better than 73.8 pounds.  So mentally it made me think different.  Instead of looking at 73.8 pounds and thinking "wow, really?  I don't think I can do that!  There is just no way!"  I look at 33.8 pounds and say "Bring it!  I can do that!"  And then of course 20 pounds are nothing after 33.8 pounds.  

I didn't set my self a time frame because I want this to last.  I NEVER expected to lose this much weight so fast!  I'm almost done with Phase 1 and its only been 6 weeks.  I need to lose 6 more pounds to complete phase 1.  So see 6 more pounds seems so easy!  

NEVER GIVE UP!!  I might be making it sound so easy but its been hard!  For example, I hate running with a passion.  But it drops the weight you hate.  So I suck it up and jump on the treadmill and just start running.  I'm not sure why people enjoy running because for me it is so boring.  Even if I was outside, I find it boring.  Its like "what are you running from?"  I would just much rather take my time, enjoy my surroundings, and save myself a couple of breaths.  I do it because I know it will pay off.  But dang, I'll tell you sometimes its the last thing I want to do!  When I don't want to do it anymore, I watch an episode of the biggest loser.  Jillian scares me!  But she motivates me at the same time!  

So with a plan and goals set, I reached out to my parents because they are my biggest fans.  They support me 110%.  I appreciate them sooooo much!  They provide everything I need to succeed.

I got shape ups for work and tone ups for the gym.  YES they work!!  But when I go to work, i'm on my feet for 6-8 hours a day.  I'm not sure if I would have the same results as I do now, if I used them less than 4 hours a day.  But for me they work!  I got both pairs of shoes for $60.  COUPONS!!!  

    

Since I've had an iPhone, I've had the app called .  But I started using it!  Its GREAT!  It helps you keep track of you goals, calories, and exercises.  I love it! PLUS its free!  Also, I forgot to mention my mom is doing a GREAT job as well.  She is down 30 pounds and is almost at her ideal weight.  With both of us doing it, we added each other as friends on Lose It and keep each other motivated.  We are able to see what the other has done for the day or week.  You can control what the other sees.  So its completely private as well.  Add me...sistergordon@gmail.com!  

Bountiful Baskets is how I get all my fruits and Veggies.  It costs $15 for a basket full of fruits and a basket full of veggies.  It is a food co-op so its pure volunteer work.  In Utah, they have locations mostly everywhere.  You order your basket on Monday or Tuesday then pick it up on Saturday.  You never know what you'll get until you pick it up.  They have organic baskets and tons of add ons.    But check them out...bountifulbaskets.org.  My mom paid $60 for all this!  We added on a couple of things.  But there is NO WAY we could of gone to the store for all of this and went out the door with the same price!  It's fun and changes up your food for the week.    

My mom told me she would buy the for me this week.  I'm SO EXCITED!! The Fitbit Ultra tracks your full day's steps, distance, and calories, allowing you to see how active you are and inspiring you to walk more and do more.  It automatically syncs up with Lose It.  So then I can finally keep track of calories out, not just what I do at the gym.  I'm super excited for this tool!!  

So this isn't a diet i'm on...but a lifestyle change.  I know it sounds so cliche!  But its the truth.  I finally broke all my bad habits and i'm going to keep going!  With all the right tools and the mind set, I'm ready to succeed!!  

In a Nut Shell, Track everything you eat, Exercise, and drink LOTS of water!  
 

Now everybody is different...we all have different body types, strengths, and weaknesses.  You are the ONLY person that can determine whats right for you.  But this is what i'm doing, and its working!!  

DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING FAT, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!