80ish pounds between these two pictures. The difference in my face is staggering. Even my fingers are skinnier.

The last couple days I have really been thinking about my weight loss journey andwhyI’ve started this journey and why I’ve continued this journey.

Initially, it probably was a little vain. I was honestly embarrassed to be seen in public because I thought that there was something wrong with me for being so fat. That there was something wrong with being fat.

Since then I have learned that there is nothing wrong with being fat, I understand there can be health concerns, but like me, there are people who can be obese, maybe even morbidly obese and still be healthy. I think in large part it’s others feeling uncomfortable looking at people who don’t fit the mold (literally?).

Anyway. After I realized that being embarrassed was useless and learning to accept and love my body, everything changed.

It was no longer a fit or really even a struggle to stay on track. Maybe I have more willpower then most people, but I think it really was because I stopped concentrating on what I “couldn’t”have, but realizing what all that junk was doing to my body. (Like rat poison.) Even realizing what my ex-ED eating habits and thoughts were doing to my body and my mind.

Since those many light bulbs have gone off, like I said, this journey completely changed. It was a life style change, not something I was forcing on myself.

Do Ioccasionallycrave junk? Sure. But more or less that doesn’t happen. Eating whole and a majority of unprocessed foods has changed my cravings.

It’s really a tremendous difference. Not just my appearance, but everything.

Yes, my before and after is staggering, but so is my mindset (bye bye ED mindset) and my energy and my overall happiness.

Basically, don’t do this journey because you don’t like what you seen in the mirror (you should get beyond that too though). Don’t do this journey because you want a boyfriend or to make your boyfriend/husband/girlfriend happy. Don’t do this journey for your family. For me, the only acceptable reason that will keep this journey sane and keep you going is doing this for yourself.

Wow, ok, I think that’s enough of a morning rant/progress picture.

I blame the endorphins from my morning walk.