Tip of the Day

                                      One thing I'm glad I did:

My birthday, 08/2011, -35 pounds

The moment I began calorie counting, I made the decision that I wouldn't let myself get too carried away. I knew that if I threw myself into this with both guns blazing, I would eventually fizzle out. The main decision I made (that I couldn't be more glad for) is that I didn't restrict myself from anything. I knew that if I told myself I couldn't have such and such, I would want that thing even more. I knew that at every glance of it, my knowing it was off limits would put me one step closer to indulging myself in it. So instead of cutting myself off, I allowed myself to have it when I wanted it; this forced me to learn how to eat around that item (i.e. if I want ice cream, I have a salad for dinner). I have gotten to the point where there are many things I find that I want less, because I know it isn't sustaining. I have gone from making meat my main portion, to vegetables as my main portion.

                          One thing I wish I did:

Today, -70+ lbs

05/2010, -0 lbs

When I started, I was really ashamed of my body, and to be honest, not 100% on how well I would stick to my journey. Most of me didn't believe I would actually achieve as much as I have, so when I thought about taking "before" pictures, I shuddered and blew it off, and the idea of taking measurements wasn't much of a thought. Being where I am now, I kick myself for that. I shuffle through my photos from before, trying to get a good one of me, full body, to see how much I really have changed, but fall short of finding many that work. Before I started my journey, I more or less refused to have my picture taken from the neck down (it's true...if we're friends on facebook, look at my catalog of profile pictures). In fact, I would often refuse a picture in general, being afraid that the photographer would capture anything more than my face. How did I live like that? It seems much sadder in retrospect than it felt at the time.
That being said: Take real before pictures! Take pictures of your progress along the way! Take your measurements! You'll regret it later if you don't. Probably.