Re: Newbie to the Challenge--Liz

[Guest guest]

Liz,

Wow! Your first Challenge results are amazing...very

inspirational...can you maybe speak about how you adjusted to such a

size and lifestyle change? Do you have photos up?

> > > > >

> > > > > Hi Everyone!

> > > > > I am Sara - a 39 yr old mother of 4. I am so excited about

> > > > starting

> > > > > the challenge! I look foward to reading posts for info. Have

> a

> > > great

> > > > > day!

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

[Guest guest]

I didn't take the official photos for the challenge, as I didn't

have much faith in myself in the beginning, and thought I wouldn't

have a chance at winning anyway. Before I started the challenge, I

had TERRIBLY low self esteem. I really regret not taking them

now......but hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

As far as adjusting to the lifestyle change, I have to say, it was

initially a shock to my system. I was always the really skinny girl

in school. I graduated high school a slight 95 lbs. In those days,

I could eat anything I wanted, and not gain an ounce.

That was pretty much the way it was for me until I got pregnant with

my son. I ate fairly healthy while I was pregnant (no caffeine,

minimal sweets, all organic meat and dairy, etc). But my doc put me

on whole milk, and I was drinking ALOT of it. I also snacked alot.

Even though it wasn't toally unhealthy food, lots of snacks means

more calories....and evidently, I took in more calories than both I

and the baby needed, cause I stored all the extra. I gained

76lbs during my pregnancy. I only lost 30 after having him.

As I mentioned before, I didn't really realize how much weight I had

gained till about a year later. I had gotten back into drinking

soda, and eating lots of sweets, and junk foods, and frozen

dinners. A typical evening meal for me was a box of those friday's

chicken wings, and a huge bowl of mashed potatoes with a 1/2 a stick

of butter to make it creamy. Oh, and you can't forget the snickers

Ice cream bars for desert. I would eat one or 2..sometimes 3 of

those in a sitting. But I was really only eating one big meal a

day, and snacking the rest of the day.

Well, a year of that took it's toll. I gained more weight instead

of losing it...obviously.

Well, when I realized how much weight I had lost, I began

desperately searching for an easy way to lose weight. I tried

everything. I was miserable with everything.

Then an aquaintance of mine told me she had lost alot of weight

doing BFL, and that it was pretty easy. So I gave it a shot. Well,

it wasn't easy...LOL!...but it was satisfying. And with all the

food we get to eat (SIX times a day!!) I was never hungry.

The hardest part forme, has been giving up the junk food during the

week. I am a stay at home mom, so it is just so tempting to snack

all day. I finally had to tell my hubby that if he wanted junk

food, he would have to keep it in his office at work, because there

was going to be NO unauthorized food in our house. NONE!

And that's what happened. I got rid of ALL our unauthorized food.

ALL of it. That took away my temptation. I still craved it, but I

wasn't going to go to the story to buy junk...wheras is if it was

still in my house, I would have been likely to eat it.

I would say that was the single most important change I made. Just

getting rid of the temptation of unauthorized food made the

transition so much easier!

Now, I must say that I did go back to many of my old habits over the

past couple of years. And each time I wasn't able to complete a

challenge after the first one, it was because I didn't get rid of

all the unauthorized food, and once I cheated a little, I would

binge.

This Challenge, I got rid of all the junk food again. I am so very

optimistic that I will have similar results as my first challenge.

I still have all my " skinny clothes " , and I just can't wait to get

back into them!!

Liz

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Hi Everyone!

> > > > > > I am Sara - a 39 yr old mother of 4. I am so excited

about

> > > > > starting

> > > > > > the challenge! I look foward to reading posts for info.

Have

> > a

> > > > great

> > > > > > day!

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >