Well I can't figure out how to do side by side crops on iphoto and picasa takes too long so you have to compare them like this.
The before photos were taken on June 24 2012. I weighed in at 189. The after photos were taken October 21st 2012. I weighed in at 165.
My neck measures the same, I lost 1/4 an inch on the bust, 1 inch at the waist, 1 1/2 inches on the hips, 3 1/2 inches on my thighs, and 1 inch on my arms. Measurements are from July 24-October 21st. (We didn't get proper measurements in June.)
This picture was at my best friends wedding in May. I was my heaviest at 196.
This picture is more recent, I was feeling cute before work and snapped it to send James. I am about 167 here.
I did this the hard way. I cut out a lot of carbs, pasta, potatoes, bread. I have PCOS which affects insulin levels, so I need to cut out those things. I exercise at least 5 days a week. I walk a lot. I try to go to a spin class twice a week. I recently started working with a trainer for strength training. I eat lots of protein and veggies. I first got started with DDP Yoga. (google it) I don't keep up with the yoga so much anymore, but if its raining outside then I'll do it. Everything I do is low impact. I don't run. I don't kill myself but I really work at it. I sweat my butt off. It's been hard, but it is working. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. :)
During this mornings walk I was thinking about this season in my life, particularly my marriage. I am truly blessed. When James and I got married we were 19 year old kids. Now almost 27 we have come a long way. I can truly say that James is my best friend. I don't think I would have said that just 3 years ago. I never really liked those wedding decorations that say, "Today I will marry my best friend." I think I didn't like them out of jealousy. I wanted James to be my best friend, but he wasn't. We have had to learn each other and grow. Growing is usually pretty hard. It requires work, time, energy, thought.
One of the things that I used to do was nit-pick. Over everything! I can't even imagine what it was like to live with me. I do my best to let small things go now. It's just not worth it. I think the most harming thing that I did those first years of marriage was talking negatively about James to my friends. Again, this was all the time. You would have thought that I hated the man that I married and wondered why we were married. I was toxic to our marriage. Sure he wasn't perfect, the thing is, he never claimed to be. I on the other hand was the one who was really tearing us apart.
One day he made the comment that we were closer to being divorced than we were to being happily married. I was shocked. Looking back I don't know why I was so shocked. I guess just hearing it out loud was enough for me. I decided to go to counseling by myself. At first all I did was bash my husband yet again to someone else, all of our relationship issues were his fault. The counselor pretty much just gave me some communication tools and that was it. It helped for a little while.
I don't think that I really changed my tune until recently. I can't even tell you what the turning point was. I read a couple of books. "His Needs Her Needs" by Willard F. Harley Jr, and "Love and Respect" by Dr. Emerson Eggeriches. They helped some.
I think it comes down to the grace of God. I got tired of being full of unforgiveness, negative thoughts, and resentment. I realized that James is a really great man. He is a man of good character. He has a big heart. We aren't those 19 year old kids anymore.
I complement him all the time now. I have never been more physically attracted to him. I tell him he is a good man, that I respect him. I love to hear what he has to say. I don't speak negatively about him. It is honestly hard for me to think of something bad to say about him. He talks to me, takes me fishing, the way that he looks at me is just amazing. I feel so loved and wanted. It's all I could ever ask for. I am truly blessed and I know it.
This was the song that I was listening to when all these thoughts came into my head.
