Getting to know the new me

Ever since I can remember, I have always been the "chubby" kid. As a teenager I got told I had thunder thighs.. not what you want to hear at that age. I became the girl that was nice but the fat one..I always felt like I was just the fat friend and that's what I was known for.
In my early 20s I got asked multiple times if I was pregnant or when I was due, even my nieces used to say it to me all the time. You try to laugh that sort of thing off..but in reality, it cuts deep. 

Thinking about those times made me realise that so much of who I am has been defined by me being overweight, my unhealthy relationship with food/dieting and my body. Now that I am well on my way to having the body of my dreams, I am realising that I don't actually really know who I am...and I'm going through a bit of an identity crisis.

Almost there!

Hello and Happy Easter :)

Hope you have all had a nice Easter break.
I've had an amazing last few weeks. I'm well and truly into my new exercise routine and even better is that my weightloss has started again, and I've done a massive wardrobe clearout - got rid of all my big clothes..ended up getting rid of about 3/4 of my wardrobe! Now I just have to go shopping..YAY!

This weekend I reached my next 5kg milestone, and I'm down 25kg in total.
It's pretty much exactly 5 months since I was at my halfway point (read about it here), and now there is only 5kg to go till my 30kg goal!!!

Here is the difference between my face in those 5 months :)

Onwards and downwards

Finally! The scales have started moving downwards again :)
Last week I had the biggest loss I've had in about 8 weeks... 800 grams to be exact. That's the equivalent of a block and a half butter worth of fat.. when I think about it that way, it's a great amount and makes me feel better about those slower weeks as well. Any movement is progress, and that little bit closer to my goal.

Interestingly I found out over the weekend that the last time I was 75kg (my goal weight), was in 2004, exactly 10 years ago. From then on it just crept upward and upward. To think it will have taken me 10 years to come full circle is so strange. I wish someone had told me back then what I was going to have to go through to get back to that point.. silly me. Hindsight is wonderful isn't it? Maybe going through this experience will make me appreciate it more, and help me keep to my new lifestyle because I've worked so hard for it.

In terms of the changes I've made, the biggest apart from the increase in food (which I am enjoying), is adding weights to my exercise routine, and consciously getting 1 or 2 rest days per week. I am trying to listen to my body, I trust it enough to know it will tell me when it's enough or not enough.

Doing weights has been amazing.. I am only doing basic exercises, and I haven't physically noticed much difference so far, but its a great change of pace, while still working hard. It also makes me feel powerful and amazed at what my body is capable of. My fave exercise so far is the leg press..and I can manage 50kgs! Go legs! In general, I just loooove working out. I love that I can get through anything. So awesome.

Recently I've also been going out for some larger walks. Over the weekend we did a 4hr walk which included ups and downs and some slightly more challenging tracks at Rimutaka Forrest Park. It was a great experience and I'm really enjoying getting out there, seeing more of beautiful New Zealand, and doing something a little different.

We will be doing Tongariro Crossing later this year, hopefully in October. The fact that I WANT to do it, is a huge step for me, because the last time I did it was when I was 17, back in high school and it was an awful experience I vowed to never repeat again and just wanted to wipe from my memory. I was unfit, at the back of the slow group, no breaks because I was in the slow group..it was 8hrs of torture basically. I don't even remember the nice things up there!
Now is the time to make new and positive memories, which is why I so badly want to do it again. I can't wait!!

This week I am also getting back into more serious running. I managed 6.5kms at round the bays.. that was 6 weeks ago. Since then I've done some treadmill running at the gym, and sprints, but nothing long distance..and not outside. It should be very interesting, and no doubt I would have lost some of my fitness... but I am really looking forward to building the distance week by week! I want to enter the half marathon run at round the bays next year, and I'm confident I can achieve it.

Hope to have a couple more progress photos in the coming weeks :)

Keep going everyone! Stay positive!
If anyone ever has questions for me about anything ... hit me up! :)