I forgot how skinny felt. There is a quote I’ve seen around, probably on Pinterest, that says, “Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels”. That never really made any sense to me. Maybe because I’ve been blessed with height and weight just doesn’t look the same on me as it might look on other people. This week, however, in the final week of my Oxygen Magazine I finally got that quote.
* * *
Month 3 introduced carb cycling which I had heard about but never quite understood before this challenge. Luckily for me it was laid out and I didn’t even have to think about it. Problem is, I found out, carb cycling makes my cravings go crazy! One day of carb cycling I can handle, two back to back well that’s another story. Two days before my after pictures I decided to gain the best results by carb cycling. It worked wonders. The night before I took the pictures I had dreams of eating bad foods and it was fun! I had all of the hamburgers, french fries, cheese, salad dressings, pizza, desserts I could handle and I woke up happy and hungry. FINALLY, I could eat whatever I wanted WHENEVER I wanted! This was the best day EVER!
After I took the pictures and wondered what treats I could dive into when the slumber finally shook off of me. It wasn’t that NOW I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever, I could have done that the entire challenge. The thing I realized when I took a look at my after pictures and visually saw all of the changes my hard work had made is that I signed up for a lifestyle change. The past 3 months have transitioned me to this new way and did I really want to go back to being uncomfortable in a bathing suit? Did I want to be uncomfortable in my skinny pair of jeans? Really, why did I get up at 5:30, squeeze in workouts and eat clean if I wanted to go back to how I was?
After hashing it out in my brain I decided I’m not going back. I feel so much better and I’m proud of my hard work. Will I be as strict as I was on this round? Maybe, maybe not. I’m a mom that’s on the go and busy, meal planning and prepping isn’t always available BUT there are healthy options everywhere.
I submitted my after pictures this morning. But before I submitted, I looked at my starting pictures and my posture wasn’t the best, the smile was fake, unhappiness screamed from me. My after pictures I’m standing tall, with a radiant smile (even at 5am) and a look I can only describe as grateful.
* * *
The last time I felt skinny was when my husband and I started dating. I worked out a few times a week and ate whatever I wanted. It made me uneasy when he pinched the little belly fat I had. As our relationship progressed with many dates, all of which included eating and drinking, our weight also progressed. After a marriage, and two kids, I sat about 10 pounds more that my original comfort zone. All together not THAT bad, right? I stayed at that weight for years. Last year I gained an additional 10 during a particularly bad time in my life.
Through the challenge I lost all of the weight I’ve gained and actually weigh less than I did when my husband and I started dating. I. feel. incredible.
I may not win the challenge, but I feel like I’ve already won.
Much Love,
Jes xoxo