Prior to the beginning of my weight loss journey, there was one picture that shocked me into action. The picture was taken during Christmas break in 2007, and when I saw it in January of 2008, I was disgusted. I couldn’t believe I had let myself get to that point, and I was depressed when I realized how much I had neglected my health.

Today, I put on the same outfit to compare then to now. Notice how in the first picture, I couldn’t even button the sweater fully. Look at it now! I realize I still look very large, but there’s definitely a difference.

Here’s a side view to illustrate how big the pants are now. (I made a concerted effort not to suck in my stomach.)

Sometimes I feel like I haven’t lost that much weight, and I wonder if anyone can even tell I’ve lost weight, but then I look at pictures like this, and I know I’ve done it. And I will keep going, no matter how long it takes. People have asked me what I’m doing to lose weight, and it’s not a big secret: I’m eating less and exercising more. Simple as that. No pills, no fad diets, no easy fixes, just healthy living and hard work. I am not going to be discouraged about it taking me longer than I’d like, and I’m not going to compare my progress or my fitness plan to anyone else’s. I’m going to listen to my body, seek the Lord, work my hardest, and leave the rest up to Him. How can I NOT succeed if I do that?

If you’re thinking about losing weight or wishing you could, start TODAY. It is never too late. You can change your life, one day at a time. Determine that the first day you’ll exercise for 15 minutes, and then do more each day after that. Record what you eat and note which foods you eat too much of (sweets with no nutritional value) and what you don’t get enough of (fruits and veggies), and make gradual changes to your eating. Allow yourself no excuses. Be consistent. Make a plan and stick to it. If I can do it, anyone can. ANYONE. Thus concludes my weight loss inspirational moment of the day. 😉