Monday...

It's been a crazy past couple of days! Its finals week at school, so I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! Finals, reports, papers, presentations... grad school is NO fun!

I have been writing down everything I have been eating and counting my calories... I looked up my usual order at Starbucks... wow!! Lots of calories! I am going to have to switch it up a little bit! I have actually been doing really well! Sometimes it is hard, but I know the end result will be worth it! I am trying to stick to about 1500 calories a day, and of course drinking LOTS of water!! I have stopped drinking pop... which is hard because i LOVE Sprite! But, pop is a lot of empty calories, and I would much rather have baked lays than a Sprite!

I have been doing some running, some weight lifting, and of course the elliptical! I went hiking with my sister... here is a picture!

Our hike was cut short...  my sister saw a snake and it scared the crap out of her! She made me walk in front the rest of the way to  "scare" the snakes away!

Sunday, I participated in the March of Dimes Walk in honor of my niece that passed away... we walked six miles, and I did not plan very well... I did some weight lifting the night before and I was so sore! But it was totally worth it!!

I am still stuck at 13 pounds lost... I really need to hit the gym hard this week!! Good luck to everyone!!!

XOXO,
Lindsay

PS. Happy Birthday to my boyfriend of (almost) 4 years!!

One Last Shot...

One Last Shot...

Okay, after trying to lose weight for almost 3 years, I have finally decided NOW is the time. A little bit about me...

I am 23 years old and I am working on getting my Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I have the most amazing family (immediate and extended!), an incredible boyfriend and the best friends a girl could ask for. I've been referred to as "the girl next door" and I guess that's true?! I was (keyword- WAS) an athlete all my life, do pretty well in school, and have a lot of fun with my friends. I am just your average girl trying to make it to the next chapter of my life.

A little bit about my journey with my weight... this WAS me...

when I was SKINNY!! THIS is me a couple months ago...

And if you are wondering, NO, I am not pregnant. And in case you are curious, this is me as a little baby :)

 I was an 80's baby and mom LOVED the poofy dresses... and usually my hair was about 2 feet high... she must have been sick this day...

Back to weight loss...

Everyone always gives excuses about why they have gained weight... "I didn't have time to workout" "I met a guy and now that I am in a serious relationship, I don't care anymore" etc, etc, etc. I could give excuse after excuse, but where would that get me? NOWHERE. But, I will give you an explanation of how I got into some bad habits...

This is the first time I have ever written this... DUH DUH DUH... When I was I freshman in college, I was a victim of sexual assault. I was drugged by a "friend" and I woke up totally confused and disoriented. Long story short, my world was flipped upside down. And the bad habits began... eating junk food ALLLLL the time, sleeping ALLLLL the time... stopped all physical activity. Now, I am NOT saying my traumatic experience is an excuse, I am just saying that was when the bad habits began, and the pounds were packed on.

Fast forward to now... I have moved on, I have a boyfriend who I love more than anything, and the MOST supportive family and friends! But, seeing myself in the mirror now reminds me of that night... because all I see is the extra weight I didn't have before. After trying (and failing!) multiple times, I have decided that NOW is my time... I have one last shot to change my lifestyle so I can be the girl I used to be.

I started my journey about 5 weeks ago, and so far, I have lost 13 pounds! I am excited about this journey that I am beginning! So here it goes... my ONE LAST SHOT!

PS. Thanks to Mama Laughlin for being such an inspiration, and the reason I have started blogging! :) If you haven't read her blog, you should definitely CHECK IT OUT here!

XOXO,

Lindsay