Where have I been?

I feel like my body is asking me where I have been the past two years - like there has been a disconnect between my soul and my body. I have been so neglectful of my body over this time period, and now that I am taking care of it again - I feel like all my muscles are thanking me.

This was me a little more than 2 years ago:

I began working out with friends at a local women's fitness center. My friend and neighbor was the gym owner, and she sat down with me and we mapped out a plan to get me in shape. From March 2009-July 2009 I lost about 23 pounds and gained muscle tone and definitions through body conditioning classes, cardio/core classes, doing high-intensity interval training, etc. I was very dedicated and logged my food in a notebook.

August 2009 life took a turn and it kept on turning for the next 18+ months. I proceeded to gain 45 pounds and be pretty much sedentary for much of that time. I guess I felt so low that I didn't want to take care of myself. During that time, I suffered from depression and it showed on my body. I wouldn't say that I am a compulsive eater, per se, but I didn't really think too much about what I was eating. Add to that being a working mom and we did rely heavily on take-out, fast food, and quick meals that aren't so great nutritionally.

I always knew that I knew how to lose weight and get in shape during this time. I would even say to to people or to myself. . . I just didn't have the will to make it happen.

Once I got my mental issues under control, I began to whole-heartedly seek the fitness level I had in 2009. I love the way it feels to be sore. I have more energy to go about my day knowing that I have done my workout - plus the endorphins help too with mood and energy. All in all, I love challenging myself to work harder and do more than I thought I could.

This is me last summer, 2010 on a trip to Grandfather Mountain. I don't think I was at my heaviest here, but I don't have any other photos of me from the past year that show my full body (no surprises there).

I posted a photo of me yesterday that shows me now. . . I have actively been pursuing weight loss since mid-May I guess. I have lost almost 20 pounds so far and I feel like I am so much further along than that. My mindset is one of caring for my body, fueling my body with food, and working out.

I will write more later about what happens to a fit body when you pack pounds on it and then start losing them again. It's interesting how resilient our bodies really are. . .