I started these daily blogs about Shift Shop as a way to keep me accountable to myself. I made a promise to myself that
I would do two work outs a day prior to my trip to Jamaica to make sure I looked like someone I could recognize when we went there. I took the recommendation of a friend to start the program and it was perfect because I only had 4 weeks until my trip and the program was for 3 weeks. It would be great to workout hard and have a week of just once daily workouts prior to the trip.
I started this journey at 168 pounds. I am 5’2, so at 168 pounds, I look like Humpty Dumpty. I really disliked my body. I didn’t recognize this girl. I decided enough was enough and I needed to do something about my weight when I realized that I am the heaviest I’ve ever been without being pregnant or just giving birth. The last time I weighed this much was 4 years ago when I walked out of the hospital with my son. Now, isn’t that something. I knew I had been gaining weight, I just didn’t realize how much. And my husband never made me feel like I was beginning to become unattractive. In fact, it felt like he made it his duty to make me feel beautiful, even with the extra weight. He never pushed me to lose weight, to stop eating, or anything. He loved me through, and for that I am grateful. When I told him I had had enough of the emotional eating, he was right there and supportive of me getting back into the swing of things. When I have fallen off of the wagon, he has been there to put me back on. I really appreciate him for that.
Now, this is what I looked like 1 week ago when I started the program. My beginning measurements were: weight: 168; chest – 36; waist (around my belly button) – 37.25; lower waist (around the fattest part of my kangaroo pouch) – 38; hips – 41.5; arms – 10.5 for both arms; thigh – 23 (both); neck – 13.
And after 1 week of working doing my normal morning workout along with Shift Shop, this is what I look like.
Here is a side by side comparison of the before and the 1 week later. My current measurements are weight: 164; chest – 36; waist – 36.25; lower waist – 38.5; hips – 31.25; arms – 10; thigh – 22.25 (R) 23.75 (L); neck – 13.5.
That means, I have lost 4 pounds; my chest stayed the same; 1″ gone from my waist; my lower waist increased by .5″; my arms stayed the same; I lost .75″ from my R thigh, while I gained .75″ on my L thigh – I am still confused by that; and I added .5″ to my neck. I included my neck in my measurements because I was read somewhere that you can tell whether you’re losing body fat by whether your neck size decreases. I’m not sure what growing in neck size means, but I don’t like it!!!
I know these changes aren’t much, but this lets me know that I am moving even though the scale is moving slowly. What this transformation also does is show you a real person with real body image issues moving through the program and giving a realistic expectation of loss, rather than looking at a fit person get fitter. If you are a little fluffier, like myself, then join me as I change myself.
Until next time, journey on!
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