Note: This post has been edited since publishing, and I apologize that I had to slap unsightly watermarks over most of the before and after photos. It was brought to my attention that my personal photos were being used by others on websites with fake stories and names promoting weight loss products I absolutely don’t use.
Oddly enough, considering I open up a certain portion of my life to millions of people on the internet on a regular basis, I’m actually a very private person. It’s an interesting dynamic when your job requires you to stretch those boundaries. Kate and I are both very hesitant to steer away from our comfort-zone of comfort-food because 1. There are some things we just prefer to keep private, and 2. We’ve found that the internet can be a cruel place, where good intentions are often skewed and hate loves to hide behind the anonymity of a screen name. But sometimes we do go out on a limb and get personal. And we’re always nervous about it. We worried when we wrote about our tender feelings of motherhood, and the heartbreaking experiences we’ve both had with our own Mothers. I know one of the hardest things Kate has done was share the horrific experience of coming moments away from losing a child in a near-drowning we both witnessed. And then just last week I published something I’ve been working up the courage to write about for over a year now.
We’re always a little nervous to put stuff “out there,” but the more we do the more we realize one very important thing: everyone has a story. Those 3 posts I just mentioned are 3 of the most highest-trafficked posts on our site. Every one of them was flooded with comments and personal emails and we never know how therapeutic/inspiring/relatable they are until they are in fact “out there.” When I started focusing on my own personal health and fitness a couple of years ago, I did it very quietly. I’m not the type of person to post workout announcements on Facebook or shout from the rooftops that I lost ten pounds. I did it for me. And I did it privately. Then just a couple of months ago I posted a photo on Instagram. It was just a little peek at an object lesson I was using to teach my kids about goal-setting and New Year’s Resolutions. It was this picture:
The response to that photo was overwhelming. I’d never had (or had since) a bigger response to a photo on Instagram. You asked for more of this story, so I tested the waters with my recent post on fitness. Again, I was amazed at the response and I loved hearing all of your stories. So many of you have emailed me, and left comments, and communicated via social media, and one thing is clear. My story is not unique! So many of you can relate! SO many of you communicated that you felt inspired and that alone was my goal. There is so much false inspiration in the media when it comes to health and fitness. You’ve probably all seen those before and after pictures taken by trainers on the very same day to demonstrate how easy it is to embellish those types of results. So here’s what I want to say: This is real life. I’m a real person. I’m probably a lot like you. I’m going to tell you my story in hopes that many of you can relate and if anything- can be inspired that if I can do this, so can you. Because one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is gaining control of something that has controlled you.
It all started in August of 2011. I went on a family vacation and when I got home and unloaded the photos from my camera I was very concerned. About my camera. Surely there was something wrong. Some sort of lens malfunction. I was shocked to see myself. Somehow it didn’t seem that bad when I looked in a mirror, but seeing photos, it really hit me. I had gotten way off track. (Every before photo in this post is from that trip. While going through my photos I found many recent photos that seemed to mirror the poses in older photos so I grouped those together and I’ll scatter them in this post.)
I’d like to say it was baby weight- I had a one year old at the time. But the truth is, I did a really good job getting a good chunk of that baby weight off in the first few months after having him. Something had happened in the months since and I let things go. I gained it all back and then some. The moment I got home from that trip, I vowed to change things, and I did. I joined a gym. I started eating better. Over the next few months I lost a little weight and was feeling much better but I had such a long way to go, and the thought was overwhelming. I was running like crazy every day, but not really seeing any big changes so it just all felt like a waste of time and that was frustrating. I was so sick of always being consumed with my weight. I didn’t want that to be something I stressed about day in and day out. I’m a very type A kind of person (just ask my husband or my business partner). I like to be in control of things. I’m a very driven person and I’ve found success in almost every area of my life- except this one. It drove me crazy that this owned me, and I wanted to change it but I had failed so many times that I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself.
About that same time I re-connected with an old friend on Facebook. I grew up with Paige, and vividly remembered her infectious smile. This is the Paige I remembered, but I hadn’t seen her in over 10 years.
The Paige I found on Facebook wasn’t the same person. In fact, I double checked the name. Was it really her? What the heck happened? Did she have surgery? Go on some sort of juice diet?
I clicked over to her blog, and was instantly drawn to her story because I could see from her photos that she didn’t just lose weight. She was an athlete. She was strong, she was toned, and she did it all the good ol’ fashioned way. That was inspiring. I read a post about her trainer and instantly recognized him. He trained at my gym. I saw him nearly every day. After reading about Paige’s experiences, and how instrumental her trainer was, I decided to talk to him one day. What I kind of assumed would be a quick chat, and maybe turn into a few sessions where he gave me some pointers, turned into something much, much bigger.
I spent over and hour talking to Jacob that first time and realized that my problems were deeper than just the simple fact that I liked to bake cookies (and eat them.) I needed to make some big changes. Some big life changes. I needed to get away from the idea of crash dieting and really learn how to manage my health for the long term. I have been on a million diets. I’ve done everything under the sun and I always end up right back where I started. Every. Time. I’ll find something that works for the short-term and once I lose a little bit of weight I get comfortable and let go again and then before I know it, I’m starting over. I wanted this time to be different. I didn’t want to quit. But it also seemed like a really big goal. We calculated numbers and got a realistic picture of what it would take and inside I wondered if I had it in me. Sensing my hesitation, Jacob said very matter-of-factly, “Extraordinary things are only extraordinary because not very many people do them. Just be one of the people that does it. Finish it.” When I left that meeting, I wrote down two words on a post-it note. My goal. He asked me what the one thing was that was most important to me; what did I really want to accomplish?
I wanted to finish it for once. Do it all the way. Not do it a little bit and get comfy. Go big or go home. That was the moment it clicked in my head. I was actually going to do this, no matter what it took. I wasn’t just going to lose a little weight; I was going to get fit. Get strong. Now I sit here writing this post, one month away from my 35th birthday. A thirty-something mother of 3 who cooks food for a living, and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t all that hard either. It took a lot of dedication, focus, and hard work. If you want to see big changes, you have to be willing to put in big effort.
I’m not saying I’m perfect. I still have work to do, and I’m constantly trying to push myself to get rid of the many, many things that jiggle (and shouldn’t). I’d still like to lose a few more pounds and push down my body fat percentage by a little bit, but I’m here. I’m doing it. I didn’t quit, I didn’t give up, and I’ve kept off the weight, and truly changed my lifestyle, which has made all the difference. I’m going to share a few of the most important things I’ve learned along the way, in hopes of inspiring someone else out there. If you’re reading thinking you wish you could do this too- YOU CAN! I may have had a trainer, but there was no top-secret diet, so never-before-seen workout program. Everything I did, you can do too. I promise.
Even if you’re a private person like me, if you’re going to take on a big goal, and make big changes, you need the support of the people around you. If no one else, your spouse or significant other. The people closest to you can be your biggest support, or your greatest challenge. I’ve seen enough weight-loss reality TV to know that when your spouse isn’t on board, it can be detrimental. It doesn’t mean they have to completely change their lives like you’re changing yours. At some point you have to be strong enough to make decisions for you, even if everyone around you is tempting you to do otherwise, but let them know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Let them know you need their support and encouragement. My husband is without a doubt the most supportive, encouraging, motivating person in my life. 
He arranges his schedule so I can make sure to get my exercising in. He passes up things he knows will tempt me when I’m trying to avoid them, and he tells me often how proud he is of my accomplishments. I couldn’t have done this without him cheering me on, and making sacrifices to help me succeed. The fun side-effect is that we’re now a much more active couple. We still love to go out to eat and watch movies on dates, but now we also go hiking together, work out together, ski, snowshoe, backpack together. We have so many active hobbies now and that has been awesome.
If you’re starting from zero, don’t try to drastically change everything all at once. I was notorious for this. Out of the blue, I’d make a huge goal, “I’m gonna lose 30 lbs by my vacation in 8 weeks!” “I’m going to workout for 2 hours every day!” “And eat no sugar! And only salad!” Sheesh. No wonder that never lasted more than about 7 days. When I first started training, my only responsibility was to exercise every day and eat about 1500 calories, keeping track of my food. That made it easy. I could manage that alone. After a few weeks, when those things were habit, we added more. Increasing the intensity of my workouts, focusing more on what I was eating, etc. If you want long-term success, I suggest starting with a few basic things that you know you can manage. It will help you develop good habits that you can actually stick with and make you feel successful.
When I had my first meeting with my trainer, I expected long list of certain foods I was to eat and not eat. Surely there was some top-secret miracle trainer diet that I would finally get to see. Nope. My only responsibility: log my food. When it comes to nutrition people make it so much harder than it needs to be. The math is simple. Every day you burn a certain amount of calories, an you intake a certain number of calories. If you eat about the same amount that you burn, you maintain your wait. If you eat more than you burn, you gain weight. If you eat less than you burn, you lose weight. 3500 calories = 1 pound. If you want to lose 1 pound each week, you need to have a deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day. Keep track of what you eat, religiously. I use MyFitnessPal. It makes it ridiculously easy to know where you stand. You might feel frustrated that you don’t have a lot of time to exercise, or you don’t have a gym membership, or you simply don’t have the energy to work out as you’d like to. The one thing you have 100% complete control over, is what you put into your body. You control what you eat. You can manage that.
End the mindless eating. If you’re going to snack, don’t stick your hand in the bag of crackers and munch away. Look at the serving size, count them out, and write it down. Invest in a Food Scale. Be aware of portion sizes and know exactly what you’re putting into your body. It takes effort sometimes to calculate the calories in a recipe and figure out the serving size, but take the time if you’re serious about weight loss. You can still enjoy good, indulgent foods, if you can learn to do it in moderation. My birthday last year was during a time where I was trying hard to lose weight. Instead of a big cake and ice cream binge, I made mini Somoa Cheesecakes. With all the good stuff: real butter, full-fat cream cheese, whipped cream, and creamy ganache. They were perfectly delicious, fit into my daily calorie needs, and I invited over some friends so I wouldn’t have leftovers; it was perfect.
Avoid Extremes. I would say that any diet that completely eliminates any food group is one to stay away from. Trust me: you don’t need to go crazy. You don’t need to go on a no-sugar no-carb low calorie blitz or any other weird thing that promises you’ll lose 10 pounds that week. Sure you might lose weight, but at what cost? (Including your sanity). Focus on things that are long-lasting. That’s why I finally, after all of these years, I feel like I have my nutrition in check. Is it perfect? No way. I do stupid things and eat way too much all the time. Just last Friday night I went out to an awesome restaurant and demolished a 16oz ribeye. 16 ounces. Do you know how big that is?? (It tasted like heaven. Amazing cow heaven.) But I correct it. I do better the next day. I find that if I make good choices 80% of the time, and live actively, then that allows plenty of wiggle room to still eat things I love (like dessert.) I’m going to dive further into nutrition on my post tomorrow on The Scoop (okay, not tomorrow because we’re having a technical issue with The Scoop- but soon!), so if you’re interested in this topic, check that out.
I talked about this in my Fitness post, so I won’t repeat too much. Dieting and cardio will only get you so far. You will absolutely lose weight that way, but chances are good that you’ll end up in that state people lovingly refer to as “Skinny Fat”. If you want to be fit, strong, and lean, you need to build muscle. You’ll lose weight and inches faster, and burn more calories while you’re doing nothing! The minute I started weight training, the weight melted off.
This was a big turning point for me, and I’d say it was key to why I had been unsuccessful with my weight loss and fitness so many times before, and why this time was different. My trainer taught me to work out differently. He taught me to be comfortable in the weight room. To lift heavy. As I did, I saw my body transform. I saw definition in places I had never seen without flab (like that arm and shoulder below).
When I first saw this picture (below, upper) from that infamous trip a few years ago, my first thought was, “Sheesh. I guess I don’t ever look at my back. Does it seriously look like that??”
And then I had the exact same reaction when I saw the photos below it, snapped just a few days ago. “I guess I don’t ever look at my back. Does it seriously look like that?? Are those muscles?”
I can’t emphasize this enough. The real key to my success when it comes to fitness is that I stopped exercising like a girl. Don’t be scared of the weight room. Get in there and lift. If you can do 12-15 reps and not struggle by the last one, you can probably try something heavier. Keep going until it’s really hard at the end. Stay at that weight until you conquer it and then slowly increase. Cardio is still important, and your diet is important. It’s finding the balance of all 3 of those things that will give you the magic combination.
I have such a love-hate relationship with my scale. My trainer, on more than one occasion, has instructed me to hide it on the top shelf of my closet for a few weeks. DO weigh yourself. That’s important. One of the reasons I got so far off track a few years ago was because I literally refused to weight myself. I had absolutely no clue how much I weighed because I didn’t want to know! Weighing yourself regularly will help you keep things in check. That being said, DON’T be a slave to the scale. It’s not the only indication of what’s going on.
(That’s a Special K Scale, I admit I kind of like those cheesy commercials.)
Just because the numbers aren’t moving, doesn’t mean that that you aren’t making progress. One of the many reasons a trainer has been helpful to me is that I don’t just stand on a scale. Every 3 weeks we do measurements, where we measure with a tape measure pinch the fat, etc. Those numbers don’t lie! Combined with the number on the scale, you can see exactly what’s happening, like last December, when I was depressed I only lost 1 pound all month, but after measurements I could see that I gained 3 pounds of solid muscle. That explained why my weight didn’t change much, but my clothes fit better and I felt so great. Try weighing yourself once a week, on the same day and stick to that. And don’t freak out if you worked really hard and the scale doesn’t show it. Over time, if you’re doing the right things, it will reflect that.
Without a doubt, the key to my success being long-lasting this time, is that I figured out a way to simply live a balanced life. People are constantly asking how I stay fit when I’m obviously cooking lots of treats and indulging in good food often. The key is balance and moderation.
When you live actively, there’s room in life for good food. I love food. I always have and always will. I don’t live life on a constant diet anymore. I eat normal food, I just eat reasonable amounts of it. And I live actively. My entire family is more active now. We love exploring the world around us, and getting in exercise while having fun together.
I have so much more energy for my kids now, and I enjoy opportunities to have fun while also being healthy.
I’ve taken up so many new hobbies with my stronger body. My husband I love to ski, hike, play sports, backpack, and snow shoe. The best exercise is the kind disguised as a hobby!
Don’t quit. Don’t make excuses. No if’s, and’s or but’s about it.
See what I did there? And yes, I did just post a close up of my butt on the internet. There’s a first for everything. Seriously though. If you make a goal, follow through, but don’t let a bad day (or two, or three, or 10) make you quit. If you feel lost right now, find yourself. Out of control? Get in control. My entire journey has been 2 steps forward, one step back; the point is that you continue to move in the right direction. I think that’s normal. It’s impossible to be perfect, so don’t expect it of yourself. If you get off track, get back on track. You’re stronger than you think and you CAN do it! Getting fit and learning to better live a healthy lifestyle has changed my life for the better, and not just in a physical sense. Yes it’s nice to feel comfortable in my own skin, but it’s also very mentally and emotionally empowering to master something that’s been haunting you. If you want to change, do it. Be extraordinary. Finish it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below- I’ll do my best to keep on top of them and answer them all. I also love hearing YOUR stories! If you have any tips and advice of your own, please leave a comment and share. There’s lots of people out there looking for inspiration!
Congratulations, Sara!! You look amazing and this is such a GREAT, inspiring post!! I’m on a similar journey, and have lost weight in a similar way. I’ve lost 25 pound since August, but more importantly, have begun exercising regularly for the first time in my life. I ran my 1st 5k the weekend of my 32nd birthday, back in March. I love being fit, and it is so true that diet and exercise are key!! I had lost weight before just by dieting, but it doesn’t last, and I still wasn’t fit. Even with homeschooling my 3 kids (ages 5-9) and a limited budget, I’ve found time (and money) to go to the gym and run. It was just a matter of making it a high enough priority! Keep up the good work, and thanks again for sharing!
Sara! Thank you SO much!!! I have been on this weight roller-coaster for years now. I had lost a lot of weight a couple years ago but shortly after, my BFF moved and I went into a depression that I feel I am finally pulling out of. We were workout buddies and are still supporting each other long distance. It is way harder without her right here though. Since she moved I have had health problems and depression and gained all the weight back. I have been eating healthy but not doing the long workouts that I needed to every day. I have been praying for encouragement and some form of support to kick me in the pants to do what I need to for myself. I really felt something reading your post and I am so happy that you went out on a limb and shared it. I really needed to read it today.
Ever since my pregnancy with my son I have struggled with this topic of losing weight. My water broke 12 weeks early and I was put on bed rest in the hospital unable to sit up or get out of bed at all until I had my son. He was born 8 weeks premie spend 4 weeks in the NICU and here we are over a year later happy, healthy and he is my greatest joy! I knew pregnancy would change my body but I wasnt planning on spending a month in bed and what that would do to my body. And as far as that part of motherhood goes, it has had a lot of low points for me. Thank you for being brave and sharing your success. I have read so much about what diets work and what not to eat and how to exercise that I have just made things wayyyy too complicated. I really identified with this! Thank you again!
I have been following your blog since the beginning as we have some common friends who shared it with me, and this is my first comment. First off, I am a good cook now, thanks to your recipes. Secondly after reading this post for the third time, I finally called up my brother who is a personal trainer and became his newest client! I have never been active my entire life, and although I am the slimmest have been in five years(thanks to tracking my food since Jan.) I decided that isn’t good enough and I am ready to be strong! I am three sessions in and I am ready to finish it! Thanks for being my inspiration!
Yes! Everything you’ve touched upon is EXACTLY my story: looking at photos and wondering “what happened”; every once in a while doing a little something extra to get to a point where I felt comfortable and then falling back into old, bad habits; and FINALLY having it click that changing my lifestyle and the way I approach weight loss is the way to go. Thank you for sharing your story and showing that there’s no “quick fix” to achieving your goals. I love that you stress not giving up, or swearing off, certain foods, and instead to focus on moderation and portion control. I also loved that you took small steps instead of making huge leaps, especially when starting out. This time around I’ve taken the time to prep out my journey: doing my research on food, setting ATTAINABLE fitness goals, and realizing that I’m not going to be perfect (every once in a while you just NEED to have a slice of pizza). This time I’m committed to making life long changes and giving up the quick fix, and I’m ready to take it to the next level to actually see the results that I’ve only dreamed about. Your story is a true inspiration, and I know that if you were able to do it, then so can I. Thank you!
Hey! I loved your post!! I thought it was so inspiring and motivating! I have been using myfitnesspal for about 2 years and I love it! I haven’t really strength trained and I am going to start! I wondered if I could find out more specifics on your eating plan. You said you ate on average 1500 calories for a few weeks and then started adjusting what you ate. What kind of adjustments did you make? And now that you have reached where you want to be, do you stay on average around 1500 calories? Is that I lifetime change for 80% of your week? Thanks so much! I love food and cooking and I love seeing what can happen without having to give up that love!
I love this. This was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Since the beginning of the year, my husband and I joined a gym and started being more active. I started eating better (most days) but he didn’t and the weight came off him like that. By the fourth month, I hadn’t seen much progress and that month the kids were sick and we took a vacation and I couldn’t work out as diligently as I wanted. The next month, we started back again and it was like starting all over again. I was so discouraged! But after reading this and seeing what I can do and agreeing with all your points, I’m kicking out that discouragement and being more positive and focusing on what I can change. I feel like I can reach my goals and do what you did :). Thanks so much for sharing – I’m sure it was hard but look how much you accomplished! Big huge pat on your nice muscle-toned back that you worked so hard to get :).
Ladies if you want to loose weight i recommend that you go to http://hypnosis2change.com/. Dieting is one of the hardest things to do if you are not motivated. Through hypnosis you will learn the skills that you need to be focused on your weight loosing journey. I tried it 6 months ago and it worked fantastically. Definetly give it a go if you are serious about loosing weight. just look at the page and see how hypnosis worked for hundreds of people already.
Goodness, congrats! For being so brave to post your story on the internet to the world. Congrats for making little changes & big ones, and sticking the course. you FINISHED IT!!!! Yay! So motivating. I’m at the beginning of my story & am encouraged. I’ve followed OBB for a few years now & love the food. Came over today to find the recipe for something I’m making for supper. Thanks again for sharing your story Sara!
Great inspiration, doing exercise and meals are keys when you are a full time worker.
If you don’t do cheat meals, what do you do when you go out to eat? Do you save a ton of calories from earlier that day so you can eat more, or do you only eat part of a meal or only go to eat at certain places that have low cal meals?
Thank you for the post I am struggling with my weight right now. Thanks for outlining a plan of attack. I think I can start from there. 🙂
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I was inspired by your “skinny is out, fit is in” quote. You see I’m a small person, it just runs in my genes. So I’ve never needed to lose weight, even after having a baby. The one thing I haven’t been since being a kid, is strong. I have little muscle to carry my babies around and hardly and endurance. I still get winded if I have to run up the stairs too many times. My ab muscles are so weak. I am going to start now to become fit so I can keep up with my little ones. Thank you for your posts and the encouragement to start.
My husband has been on a weight loss journey since about a month after my daughter was born (7-7-12). He has been dieting and exercising and he has lost 110lbs so far. I am very proud of him. At the same time, I am very jealous. I would like to lose weight but I am in the baby making stage of life. I am currently pregnant with my third child. My oldest, Greg, just turned 3 in February. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with him. My goal was to lose it all before getting pregnant again. This was not as easy as it may seem to some people. I breastfed him and I also have hypothyroidism. I can’t cut calories or my breast milk supply diminishes. It was a slow process but I did lose all 50 lbs. just in time to get pregnant again with my second child, Adrienne. I again gained 50 lbs. I lost it all before getting pregnant for a third time. I am due May 13th, 2014 and I am 15 lbs. away from having gained 50 lbs. again! I am trying so hard to not gain those last 15 but the water weight is hitting now. I really want to lose this weight and be healthy again. I want to be able to play with my kids and not feel tired. When this baby comes, I have to find a way to lose the weight I have gained plus more. I need to be healthy for my children. However, I have to do it without cutting too many calories so that I can maintain breastfeeding for the first year. That is something that is very important to me. I guess you could say I feel jealous of my husband because he doesn’t have to do any of this. He gets to focus on himself. At the same time, I am so blessed to be able to be pregnant and have such healthy babies. I was able to get pregnant very easily and I was able to breastfeed my children. They are beautiful, intelligent, wonderful little people. I am just waiting for my turn to take care of myself. This is the last baby we plan to have so I know the time is soon. I am looking forward to it and I will remember your story. Thanks!
This was an awesome post that is so needed for so many people! There are way too many fad, quick fix diets out there and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Thanks for the inspirational story! I am just days away from giving birth to my second child and have been motivated by your story to increase my health and fitness! Thanks 🙂
I love this post! And all your posts in this health series! You have motivated me, and after reading about your journey (actually, reading it multiple times), something has clicked and I’ve turned a corner. I actually have this post left open in my safari tabs on my phone so I can refer to it when my will-power is less than stellar. In fact, right this moment (10:30 pm) I want to go raid my pantry, but instead I turned on my phone and started looking at your after photos. Anyhoo, I wanted to let you know that you have inspired me! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! You have great tips & have inspired me to do more strength training!
What an inspiring story. I’m at the beginning of my Finish It journey and you’ve given me some good ideas. I also follow Paige’s blog. Another inspiring journey!
Does Jacob have a website? If he doesn’t, he should. He’s not just a personal trainer. He gets into your emotions and that’s where it all starts.
I know a lady here in Idaho that was also very private about her weight loss journey. What was amazing to me was she was talked into doing the Mrs Idaho pageant and was one of the runner ups. With doing that pageant it gave her a confidence to start sharing her journey. She was on the Dr Oz show and even some covers of magazines. I have been impressed through the years as she has kept up her blog called get up and get moving and I have really found some inspiration and tips. I am now doing a weight loss challenge. I had to wait till I was ready but this lady Jill Knapp long ago was the lady who got me thinking about my health. Sometimes putting yourself out there is a really big help to many many people.
Thank you SOOO much for sharing your story. You have absolutely inspired me to change my life and get fit and lose weight. I am so much more motivated by the goal of getting STRONG than getting skinny. This was exactly the kick in the pants I needed to get started in the right direction. Thank you!!!
Not so long ago I lost 95 pounds and wore size 8. I was so happy! Life and tragedies happened – now I need to lose 60 pounds to get back to happy size 8. YOU INSPIRED ME to begin weight training and diet. Thank you!! ANYONE who would be mean enough to make negative remarks about your personal accomplishments and risk of publishing them must just suffer from anal occulitis and we will just have pity for them!!
Sara, congratulations! This is amazing! You are such an inspiration I am so grateful that you went out on a limb- a scary scary limb- and told us your story. I’m heading to the gym right now 😉 Also, where on earth did you get that adorable white lace dress? I am dying for one like that!
Thank you so much. I really needed this post. I see myself in your before pictures and its nice to have another mom example where you worked hard but kept it realistic (no gimmicks). Thank you for your example. 🙂
I love that in your last fitness post you mentioned wanting to have another baby. I did the body for life program 2 years ago, lost weight and felt great, but never “finished it.” I had a baby 6 months ago and have been giving excuses as to why I haven’t started again yet. I appreciate your honesty in tracking your food and starting fresh the next day. Tomorrow is the start to my journey! Thank you for sharing yours!
Thanks for sharing. Very inspirational. Looking forward to Our Best Bites Lite Cookbook 😉
Thank you for this post. It’s inspiring to read your story and this honestly could not have come at a better time. I’m going through a rough patch on my weight loss journey and reading this is great motivation to just keep going…I’ll get where I want to be in time.
You look amazing and you’re story is inspiring. The only thing I see this leading to at the end and perpetuated in these comments is that what we women achieve isn’t good enough!! More weight loss, lower body fat, etc…we women are so tough on ourselves!! And the term “skinny fat.” Ugh!! Of course a thin woman would be told she’s still fat just because she doesn’t look toned enough!! Crazy world we live in.
Also, not everyone has the time to do a 90 minute workout 5 times a week! I have 6 kids including a baby and I’m still working on weight loss. I get about 30 minutes a day and have to make it count! And that’s ok!
I am 47 and am trying to get back in sharp. Your site is awesome and just what I needed to read at this time. I loved doing The Firm workout videos because of the terrific combination of cardio and weight training. Building muscle is th e key. Thanks again for your inspiring words. You look great and seem very happy. I hope to get there.
Do you have any in-between pictures? Everyone does befores and afters, but I think it’s nice to see some in-between for people who get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results. Thanks!