Weight has always been something I struggled with. I was never very active and loved to eat. Starches and carbs are my downfall. I could eat potatoes all day long. Combine that with my ice cream addiction and it was a lethal combination.

I would say from high school up until now I’ve had a moderately active lifestyle, and even when I did make healthy food choices I still wouldn’t see any progress in weight loss.  In November of 2008 my husband and I decided to start trying to have a baby, we struggled with that for 7 months and finally went to the doctor to see if there was a problem. As it turns out I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It accounted for the infertility as well as moodiness, fatigue and inability to lose weight. So I started taking medicine and was excited to start losing weight. 2 weeks after starting the medicine we conceived our beautiful daughter, so weight loss was off the table for the next 9 months. When I got pregnant I was 207 lbs and wore size 18 jeans. I gained 43 lbs during my pregnancy. On February 16th, 2010 we welcomed Payton Elizabeth Norman into the world. She is the most beautiful girl.

Chris, Payton and I just minutes after her birth.

While I had tried to lose weight so many times before, something about knowing that I had to set a good example for my baby girl made this time so much different. I officially began my quest to lose my baby weight (and pre-baby weight) in April of 2010. I weighed in at 233lbs.

4/4/10

Even as I began this journey two years ago, I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. I had so many misconstrued ideas about what it meant to really be healthy. Ultimately my goal when I started this journey to health was to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes… which I did sometime in July of 2010. I think I was around 210 here.

It was around this time I started running more regularly. I began toying with the idea of running some races for extra motivation to keep running. I continued tracking calories, going on walk/run’s, and the (very) occasional group class. I went up and down 10 lbs or so, with my lowest being 199.5 (for a day… February 2011). I was very scale focused for the whole first year. I tried the HCG diet for a week and hated it, so I stuck to running and trying to “eat well”. I was still pretty clueless though.

My journey took its next big step in June 2011 when I decided to register for the 2012 Disney Marathon. I focused more on training than weight loss, so my weight pretty much stayed in the 200-210 range throughout those six months I trained. I did, however, notice a change in the way my body was shaped.

Marathon day came and went. Then it was over. I learned a lot about myself during those six months. My goals and desires changed. I no longer wanted to just fit into my old clothes or be skinny. That is when I really started wanting to be strong, healthy and fit. Shortly after the marathon I began training for a half-marathon with Team Living Water. After nearly a year of long run training, I admit I was burned out. There were a few weeks I really struggled with the idea of this journey. It had then been 2 years since I started my journey and I really had to fight negative self-talk about how far I had (or hadn’t) come. I mean, 2 years later and I’m still hovering around 207. I had a pity party and stopped caring for a little bit. I needed a reminder of how far I’d come. Visuals are the most impactful reminders for me. I have to admit it’s hard to put this up, but I am proud of my progress.

It may not look like a huge change to you, but I can see a noticeable difference.

I started playing with the idea of more intense strength training sessions for my cross training. I began with the Body Sculpting Bible for Women, moved on to New Rules of Lifting for women and was really liking it. I still felt like I was wondering when it came to focus and motivation. It was just a few weeks ago now that I started CrossFit as a part of a 60 day fat loss challenge. And now I’m in love.

Remember, it’s not always just about a “before” and “after.” It is about the journey in between.