Two Years of Weight Loss

Hi everyone,

Today I am celebrating two years of being on this journey. I remember the first weekend that I started this weight loss journey. I was in a friend's wedding. It was hard because I had to plan my meals around the day and figure how to eat properly when I didn't know what food was being served. In the end, I think that probably was a gift from God.

If I could plan my food that weekend, I could plan it anytime.

I remember when I weighed at my heaviest (102 lbs more than I do now:) and I would read "success" stories. These success stories would discuss how people would take years to get off the weight. I always said it wouldn't take me that long.

Little did I know how long it takes to make real and lasting changes.

Two years later I'm still not at goal but I am 102 lbs down. Losing weight this slowly has truly made it a part of my life and no matter how many slip ups I have, I know that I'll never go back to where I was before. I was cleaning out my garage the other day and found this picture.

Not only do I look fat in this picture, but I just don't look like I took care of myself very well (and seriously, why didn't anyone tell me that this hair was NOT a good look for me)

Now I look like this

So even though I still have a ways to go to hit goal weight, I'll take present Cassie over past Cassie any day. Even just for the better hair:)

I eat healthier than I ever have, workout more than ever before, and have removed most (but not all unfortunately) of my binge days...and that's ok, it takes time to change your life. But every part of the journey has been worth it. 

I thought I'd list some "non-scale" victories that have happened during this journey.

1. I do weight training now. This actually took me about two years but has changed my body in about one month which is crazy. I even enjoy it. 

2. My home office is upstairs in my house and I don't think twice about going up and down the stairs to get things to work on.

3. I started running with a group of people and even though I'm not as fast as them, I don't feel bad about myself..I know I'll get there. 

4. I have arm muscles

5. I have gone down 4 pants sizes just since I started weight training

6. A binge sends me into a 3 day bad eating pattern rather than a 3 week bad eating pattern. This may seem minor but is actually HUGE for me. 

7. I eat a spinach salad most days for lunch, not because I LOVE spinach but because I know that salad will keep me alert for an all day work day.

8. I workout on 13 hour work days. I didn't even do this last year. 

9. I'm looking at a possible "goal size" (8) rather than "goal weight" because who cares about the number?

10. My hair is pretty awesome..I know this has nothing to do with weight loss but I really can't get over how bad it was:)

Here's to being a goal size in two more years (although I'm actually hoping for one)