It’s hard to believe it’s been seven hundred and thirty days already.
I honestly didn’t think I’d last seven days, let alone seven hundred and thirty. When I finally got below 200 lbs, I was scared to death that I wouldn’t be able to keep myself there. Even when I wrote this post about the first 365 days, I still doubted my ability to carry this on for another year.
When I was at Jenny Craig this weekend, my Jenny Counselor Amalia and I ran across some pictures from two years ago that I wanted to share with you. Sometimes all it takes is a picture to make us realize how far we’ve come. If you are on a weight loss journey, I HIGHLY recommend that you take full-length pictures of yourself along the way. You’ll treasure them later, I promise.
November 1, 2010
I remember the day they took these pictures. I couldn’t believe that I was having to pose for them. That smile above was COMPLETELY fake. I wasn’t happy, and I didn’t want a picture taken, let alone a full length pic. I wanted to run out of that Jenny Craig center and never come back.
Then my original JCC Sherrie told me to turn to the side, I couldn’t even believe it. You can sort of see the stun on my face. I refused to even look at the pictures on the camera when Sherrie asked if I wanted to look at them. I didn’t care. I couldn’t stand the sight of myself. I didn’t want to see the truth.
November 1, 2010
I sent these pics to a few friends on Saturday. They didn’t recognize this girl either. One of my friends said I looked tired… like it was hard to carry around all that extra weight. Little does she know how true that statement was….
I also asked Amalia to take new pictures of me for this post. Please keep in mind, I stopped wearing makeup to Jenny back in 2010… it’s just how I roll. Maybe I’m lighter without makeup?? 
October 27, 2012
October 27, 2012
HOLY CRAP, I DID THAT!?
That’s what I think when I look at these pictures. What seemed SO INCREDIBLY far away and impossible, I did.
Often times, I have people ask me how I did it… and I tell them about Jenny, I tell them about how I’ve incorporated healthy cooking and exercise into my life, but mostly I tell them I WANTED IT SO BAD THAT I FINALLY MADE IT HAPPEN.
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you think about it every day?
Does your weight keep you from chasing after your dreams?
Are you unkind to yourself because you have extra weight on your body?
For me, my answer was an EMPHATIC YES!
While I knew the answer to those questions, these were a little more complicated:
Why don’t you do something about it?
Why don’t you choose change?
What do you have to lose?
I held back. I half-heartedly tried to do it many, many times, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I finally CHOSE CHANGE.
To this day, I still don’t know what took me so long, but I do know that if I could reach that girl 7 years ago when the weight started to creep up again I would have loved to have been able to convince her to do this sooner. Honestly though, she wouldn’t have listened. She didn’t believe it was possible. She unfortunately wasn’t ready.
For so many years, that same girl had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to be overweight for the rest of her life. She believed that she didn’t deserve much more than that, so why not have that third slice of bread at dinner… it just didn’t matter.
Then seven hundred thirty days ago, she chose change…
After two years of healthy living, I want to ask you to do two things: 1) Answer the 1st set of questions I list above. If you answer yes to at least one of the questions, move onto the second set. Try your hardest not to get distracted. Find the answers… and consider how you can choose change.
When I finally started to do something about the weight and put my heart and soul into driving the change, the weight started to melt away. It didn’t stand a chance next to my strong will….
When I finally made the decision to choose change, my life started to change. I stopped letting food control my life and the outside of my body slowly transformed to match how I felt on the inside.
When I realized I had nothing to lose, that’s exactly when I lost all of those things that meant nothing to me (the extra pounds, unhealthy habits, etc) and gained so much more.
I recognize how easy I make it sound… and in no way am I intending to simplify what can seem to be an amazingly daunting task. What I’m hoping to do is show you that it can be done.
I promise you. You can do it, too.
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
Thanks Kelly for this post. It was done at the perfect time for me. I have been on Jenny Craig about a year and a half now and wondering how much longer I can take. I thought I would be at goal months ago. So, when I saw your 730 days later post it brought me back to reality. It takes time and I have had several weeks off jenny (vacations, traveling, etc) and I need to just keep on going. You look FABULOUS and are a testament to hanging in there. Love the blog and love your attitude!
Thanks, Nancy. I don’t think that it always takes people two years…. but for me, I had a lot to lose (still have a few!) and, like you, I’ve lived along the way! That being said, it’s happening at just the right pace, and I suspect for you it’s moving exactly as it should as well. Stick to it, girl… you’re going to get there!
xoxo
Great post. Simply stated. Powerful message.
Thanks, Melanie! xoxo
Beautiful post!! Congratulations on everything you’ve achieved. You are absolutely amazing!
Thanks, Ash! It’s kind of a special day for me today… thanks for stopping by and for INSPIRING ME to keep going! xoxo
Awesome!
Kelly – I read your blog everyday, and I love it. Today’s, however, was so inspiring and touching – it gave me chills. It gave me movitation to continue to eat healthy and exercise – when I question it daily. Thank you – thank you for sharing of yourself – so happy for you and how good you feel about YOU!!! Love and AOT! Brownbeth
Awww… Brownbeth! I love when you pop in and say hello! So glad to hear from you… We’re both inspiring people to get healthy now, lady! xoxo
What an inspiring post! I do believe the mind has so much to do with successfully losing weight. Congratulations that’s an awesome change.
I definitely believe it’s one of the most critical tools we have to getting this done… with the right attitude, you can do anything! Thanks for stopping by.
Good job, Kelly! Your transformation is even more awe inspiring in person. Thank you for the lovely post.
Awww… Thanks, Alecia! We should get together soon, ok?
Congratulations on all your success, you look fantastic! I’ve been taking pictures along the way and it’s so surprising looking back at pictures because at the time I didn’t “feel” that big.. it’s amazing how your mind tricks you into thinking certain ways. I was definitely in denial. My weight loss has been slow this past year, but your post is a great reminder that it doesn’t have to happen quickly. I’m much happier where I am today than I was last year at this time and that’s all that matters
Hi Bailey – - I totally never felt that big either… but gosh, I was. Those pics don’t lie. Take your time and enjoy the journey. Learn from every bit of it, so it’s permanent! Those fast solutions are the ones that don’t stick…
You GO, girl! You look amazing & should be so very proud of yourself!
Kelly-Looking back I can not believe that that is actually you in those pictures. Your progress and perseverance over the last 730 days has yielded outstanding and impressive results. I know that not every day is easy for you, or anyone else for that matter, and to see how you have hit bumps, had bad days and still stuck with it is truly inspirational to me… especially today. I decided that since I am turning 35 this month, my gift to myself would be to quit smoking… 20 years is ENOUGH! I set my quit date for November 1st to start the month off right. I find it cosmically strange, yet not at all, that unknowing to me we will now share a special date.
Hmmmm, maybe we should incorporate 11-1 into our special activity we have planned. At any rate, you have been an inspiration to me over the past 17 years in so many ways. Now you will be my inspiration to stay on the wagon and off the nicotine. You know how competitive I am and you already have a 730 day head start on me. I love you friend and congratulations!
Oh, I am SO happy for you! Every day won’t be easy (much like my journey), my dear… but you’ve got this! I love LOVE that we are going to share an anniversary together! I also agree that our super-double-secret special plans should take place perhaps on 11/01/13 in celebration of your first and my third year. GENIUS! Love you long time! xoxo
I actually needed this today. I have slowly started picking up bad eating habits from being on the road and traveling so much. I’ve skipped the gym many days and to be honest, it’s just not who I am. I’m addicted to great energy and the feeling of accomplishment and just like choosing to change in a positive way, I have also been choosing to change in a negative way with the poor eating and laziness. I’m so glad that you shared this Kelly – THANK YOU! I am choosing to get back on track!
Janet – - As someone who so often inspires ME, I’m touched that you stopped by to leave a comment. Get back to the gym, girl! I want to see some sweaty pics!!! xoxo
Great post. Congratulations! You look amazing and so tiny! Your hair is adorable in that side pic.
It feels so good to be able to get up the stairs or walk in the sand or wear cute shoes! I imagine that I will be on this plan at least a year. I joined the lifetime membership awhile ago, so it doesn’t really matter how long it takes. I am on this journey and it’s all downhill from here and that feels really good!
I am 6 months on Jenny today. 31 pounds down. I am wearing a 12 — and I seem to be happy at this weight. Anything beyond this will just be icing on the cake
A funky little ponytail, eh? I am a 12 too… I actually hoped to be a 12 when I started this journey because I thought it would be just about right for me, and I was right! I love it!
This is so incredible and inspiring!!! Congrats for MAKING that change!
WOW! These words had impacted home today. Kelly you did it, and you couldn’t had said better. “In order to experience change, you have to choose change…” thanks so much for being such an inspiration and support system to so many of us. Congrats you had work so hard on this and you are just living the consequences of believing on you, and giving you the push to make the change! Hugs, Mely
Mely – Thanks for being there with me every step of the way!!! xoxo
Halloween has got me off track… Love when I read your blog and it makes me want to get back on track! Congratulations my friend, I’m so very proud of you. You look amazing!!!!!!
You look amazing as well, my dear! xoxo
Kel, you look amazing & I’m so proud of you! Congrats!!
Awwww… thanks, Alex! xoxo