Weight Loss Journey

Well here I am about to do something very scary! I have never shared my struggles of losing weight with anyone...So many people have asked, "Ashley, how did you do it?" "How do you not give up? " The truth is I have given up before. But somehow I always find my way back to where I need to be. So here goes nothin...

I was raised in a family where obesity was the norm. When I found out I was pregnant in August of 2008, I knew I had to make a change and break the cycle of obesity that ran in my family. I wanted to be able to run with my daughter and I didn’t want her to have a fat mom. In August of 2009 I weighed in at 250 pounds and was wearing a size 22 comfortably and 20 if I sucked in. I broke down and knew I had to do something. I went to the store and started out doin what a lot of people do who start trying to lose weight..I bought lean cuisines, weight watcher meals, and 100 calorie packaged foods. At the time I didn’t know anything else. I had seen other people have success with it so surely I could. I joined a gym and started working out. The weight started to come off, but it wasn’t long before I hit a point where I gave up and turned back to food for my comfort.

 I started Medical Assisting School in October of 2009. Shortly after I started school my world hit rock bottom. My parents told me they were splitting up and getting a divorce. As if working full time, going to school full time, and being a single mom to an infant wasn’t stressful enough, now I had to deal with my parents getting a divorce! I immediately fell back into my old ways and turned to food for comfort. I was eating McDonald’s chicken biscuits and sweet tea for breakfast, lean cuisines and diet mt dew for lunch, and whatever fast food was in the area around my school for dinner. The weight was no longer coming off. I needed an intervention and fast!

I began talking with my mentor and now personal trainer. I needed help and knew she could help me. She gave me advice and introduced me to clean eating.  I started cooking all of my food and quit eating out. Got rid of the sweet teas, diet mt dews, 100 calorie snacks, and lean cuisines. I began working out on my dinner breaks from school and even went after school sometimes. The weight loss had really kicked back into gear and I was finally on the right path. I was doing things the right way and the weight was gonna stay off this time! Don’t get me wrong, even with the help of a friend and clean eating I still struggled. Through all the stress I was going through, I wanted to turn to ice cream and cheesecake (my weaknesses) But I turned to working out and rewarded myself with a treat here and there.

When I started MA school, I wore a size 2XL. When I graduated in June of 2010, I wore a size L/XL. I didn’t have to shop in the plus size section for my work uniforms. This was the first time since middle school I didn’t have to shop in the plus size section. Growing up I was always the fat girl in my group of friends. Now I get called skinny!!!  I actually had a friend that told me I was too skinny to hang out with her! She was joking of course, but that felt so good to hear! I am now proud to say that I wear a size Medium and have dropped to a size 12 and sometimes size 10 pants! I still haven’t reached my goal weight, but I have come so far from where I was! I can run, do sit ups and have endurance for exercise like never before! My journey has been hard, and there are still struggles every day..but I am on the right track and am not given up until I reach my goal