Losing weight and getting healthy

As some of you may have noticed, Jeff and I have lost a bit of weight this past year. Here's our story...well, mostly it's my story since I am the one telling it:

When we got married I weighed about 145, which was actually the highest I had ever been. Then, in typical married fashion, I slowly began gaining weight. By the time I got pregnant three years later I weighed 180. I had tried losing weight before I got pregnant but nothing seemed to work. I had even tried Weight Watchers, but with no success. We kind of think it may have been due to the kind of birth control pill I was on, but who knows. Weighing 180 lbs when I got pregnant kind of worried me because I had heard that it was even harder to lose weight after you have had kids. So I figured that I would be okay if I kept my weight below 200 lbs. Ha! 50 pounds later I weighed in at 230 right before Porter was born! Holy crap, I thought I was doomed. But people kept reassuring me that breast feeding would help me lose the baby weight quickly. Ha to that too!! Well, by the time Porter was 4 months old I still weighed over 200 lbs. I just couldn't break the 200 mark and it was really starting to affect me physically and emotionally. I was not a happy camper.

While I was pregnant I noticed a woman in my ward who lost a ton of weight so I asked her how she did it. She told me it was by eating low glycemic. She read the book Releasing Fat by Dr. Ray D. Strand and followed that. I had even bought it but hadn't read it yet. When I realized I wasn't going to be able to break the 200 mark on my own I decided to finally read the book. It was wonderful!! It explained how everything I was eating was causing my inability to lose weight. He suggests that to help kick start your body and cleanse it of your carb addiction you do the RESET by Usana. It lasts for five days and consists of having three shakes a day, two bars and one serving of fruits and veggies a day. All of it is low glycemic. It was a little hard but way worth it. I had used Usana vitamins in high school so I was familiar with their products and believed in them. I had just stopped using them in the past because they were expensive. Jeff and I were in a position where we needed to take control of our weight for our health so we felt that, even though I wasn't working and Jeff was a student, we needed to spend this money - it was an investment in our health.

During those five days I lost almost seven pounds, and it wasn't just water weight because I never gained it back. Then I followed the strict eating plan from the book and just kept losing weight. My body was seriously releasing fat! Low glycemic is all about eating foods that don't spike your blood sugar. So I am still able to eat yummy and fabulous foods, just the healthier versions. Which means I had to become more of a cook. I make basically everything that we eat. If you want to know more about eating low glycemic you can just ask me how I did it or Google it. Anyway, four months after I began I had easily lost 40 pounds, and without even exercising yet. It was easier at the beginning because I had a ton of weight to lose. When my weight gain slowed I had to incorporate working out, which I should have really been doing from the beginning anyway. So here I am now and I weigh 142 pounds. My ultimate goal weight is 135 and I am almost there! Jeff started out a year ago weighing in at 355 pounds. Now he weighs 270!! Jeff and I have tried many "diets" in the past, but nothing has worked. It is about a lifestyle change - eating healthy for life - not just a fad diet that you stop doing after you reach your goal. It may seem hard when you are beginning because it is a new way of eating, but then it just becomes a way of life and you'll feel great, I promise. Seriously, if we can do it anyone can do it. It just takes a little determination and commitment.

For those of you who had forgotten how I looked a year ago here's a little reminder. In this picture I am definitely over 200 lbs, just not sure of the exact number. A little scary, eh?

This was Jeff at his biggest a year ago.

This is just a close up so you can see the extra weight in our faces

This was me today.

I just like how I look in this pic :)

Hello...can we say HOT!!!

I'm thinking we look way good, if I do say so myself. Hey, after looking at how we looked a year ago I think I am allowed to be a little proud of the success we have had!