A Journey Toward a Happier Me

I have not posted on this blog in over two years...that's awkward. I have been pretty active on my other blog though (Iridescent Glow) if you maybe want to check that out.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about. Today I wanted to talk about something that I've been working really hard at for the past couple of months: fitness. I started my freshman year of college at a trim, muscular 145 lbs. I was confident, happy, and most importantly healthy. Fast forward three years and I'm sitting at 190 lbs and am a depressed, unhealthy, sulking mess. I've struggled with depression on and off my entire life and from my sophomore to junior year of college let it consume me and my eating habits. I put on nearly 50 lbs because I'd eat when I got depressed and then lay around and be depressed because I was gaining weight...so I'd eat some more.

It wasn't until spring of my junior year of college that I caught a glimpse in some photos of me at the beach of what I really had become: while my family was out laughing and flipping and playing in the water I was sitting on the beach covering up in clothes because I was uncomfortable in my swimsuit.
I decided right then that it was time to make a change.

It's now September, and my fitness journey has been going strong. I promised myself that instead of crash dieting I would make sustainable life style changes that I can use for the rest of my life. I don't deprive myself of anything I just make a more conscious effort to eat smaller portions and be more active in my daily life. The results have come slower than if I had crash dieted but they're definitely coming.

In the picture below I am wearing a pair of pants that I bought in the spring of this year. When I first bought them I couldn't pull them up over my thighs...it's now September and I can comfortably button them for the first time ever. Words cannot describe how excited I was this morning when I tried them on!

Now, I'm not writing this to brag about my accomplishments or show you how awesome I am. I'm writing this because this time last year I was so uncomfortable in my own skin and now, even if I'm not quite to my goal weight yet, I feel confident and happy and I want you all to know that you can do the same! I feel like we sometimes forget just how capable of making change we are. I know that through my fitness journey I've had my fair share of disappointments and discouraging days and sometimes I wondered to myself "what's the point?". But after several months of effort and one pair of well-fitting pants later I see how far I've come and am so excited for where I'm headed.