Medium Kind of Day

It certainly is a medium kind of day but in a good way!! That is because this week I am fitting into size medium dresses! You read that right, I am beyond stoked! I have been in sort of a funk the past two weeks because I have not been noticing much change in the mirror which has been bothering me and I feel like I am getting heavier and not thinner. I know that it is my mind playing tricks on me which is why I went upstairs and started trying on my "save these dresses until I can fit in them one day". That day came today and let me tell you I was floored! There are a number of dresses that I never thought I could get in to and while they showed a few rolls, they were still very flattering on me. 

Here is a picture to show you what i look like from the start and then now at 57 lbs lost!

Sometimes I think we look in the mirror and see who we once were. It is important to remember that what YOU see in the mirror is not always what you look like to OTHERS. I have learned to ignore what you see in the mirror because it messes with your head and can put you in a place that you do not want to be. 

I am keeping this short and sweet but stay tuned, because I will have a big announcement coming soon that you will want to read. It is something I never dreamed would happen to me in a million years but it is going to come true with will power and self control.

☺Ashley☺

Going for a win

Cinnamon

I absolutely love spring break. It is such a nice time to just take a breather and meditate on all the good things that are going on in your life. I am especially blessed and fortunate to be doing it at a house where there is no one except two dogs. They have become my walking buddies and they absolutely love going out for nice walks with me. Cinnamon especially because she is the type of dog that loves to be out and about and is just so full of energy. After our walk this morning, she is now sleeping peacefully in her cage. I am sure that I wore her out which is better than it being the other way around!In the meantime I am also helping Stevie with her move to another gym location and also trying to figure out what my plans are for my near future. I have been presented with such a wonderful opportunity and am in the process of making my pro and con list to see what I should do but also what God wants me to do with this. I will keep you updated on what my decision is when I have made it.

Since I am going for a win this week and have had many of them I am totally stoked to share them all. First off, I am down 55 lbs! Look at those two pictures above, aren't they just amazing! I cannot believe what I looked like in the beginning and to see what I look like now is totally a shocker! It is a great visual representation of the hard work I have done and seeing it come to life in the pictures. I was never into people taking pictures of me and would always shy away. There is just something about not wanting to remember the way in which you used to look. I rather see pictures of myself now but I really need to remember this process of losing weight and all that it has provided for me. Especially higher self esteem and a greater respect for myself and my body.

I am the ever shrinking woman, I have a hard time holding on to clothing because the weight comes off so quickly and the clothing does not fit after a while. I have gotten rid of at least 12 bags of clothing without doing too much replacing with my wardrobe. When Hurricane Sandy hit the state, I went in to help the local fire house send items out to the shore. I was fortunate to pick up some clothing items that had been donated and which are now sitting in my "I will fit in these" under the bed box. I am not slim enough to fit in them but I rather have them sitting there waiting for me than to not have any clothing. I have also found that going out to big stores for clothing is not my cup of tea. With the turnover that I do with clothing it does not make sense for me to buy so much clothing because I end up donating it and getting no money back from the expenses I made. 

Pretty clothing!

I have found a fascination with thrift stores. I am new in the area and have been told there are lots of thrift stores, I decided to go and take a look. I was astounded at how big the store is and how nice the selection is to chose from. I am always hesitant to go clothing shopping because I am always overwhelmed but decided to give it a go this time around. I went through and picked out the blue dress first and then I saw it. A dress that I have always wanted to buy but never at the price they want. It is the dress to the left of the blue dress with the floral on the bottom. I see all the girls wearing this dress and have always wanted it. Well, I saw a lady pick it up and I crossed my fingers and held my breath she would not take it. Then I darted over there and picked it up. I was in Heaven. Then my line of purchases continued to be excellent! I also picked up a skirt, so we will see how that works on my body.

I definitely had some major wins this week and feel so fortunate and blessed for all of them. My journey with weight loss is not over yet, I still have a long ways to go but I am looking forward to every minute of it. Have you taken a moment to stand back and see all the amazing things you have done in your journey thus far?

 ☺Ashley☺

Hoppy April

Running the Lighthouse Nature Trail

March is gone and April is finally here! I am hoping that this means it will get warm soon because I am unsure of how much longer I can stand being cold. I spent the Easter Triduum down at the beach and wore  lighter clothing hoping mother nature would get the hint. She did not unfortunately and by Saturday I was wearing long sleeves and long pants.

I met a lot of wonderful people down there, and there was a lot of good food. I am glad my friends were the cooks because they cook healthy and I would have had a hard time with eating had they not been there to help me and keep me focused. I was able to take a walk and do some running as well on the nature trail down the the Cape. I was going for the 2 mile run but a section is closed down for endangered species who are mating. It is nice that they close it down for those three birds so that we may continue to experience the beauty of the piping plover and two other birds. The wind the second morning was outrageous and there was a lot of resistance since it was pushing you back.

But on wards and up wards. Here is a look of lasts months goals:

1. Eat 5 fruits/veggies a day Did well
2. Exercise everyday Did not happen
3. Lose 4.5 lbs Down 6.2 lbs this month
4. 2 weeks of eating beans at one meal Did happen

Overall it was a very successful month for me and I am very proud of everything I was able to accomplish. I also had some NSV's at the end of the month:

1. Size medium shirt
2. Size 16 pants

I decided that for April I would not make any outrageous goals. There are a few but they are minor (hopefully). This month I really want to take in the experience of losing weight and try to treasure it. I have been so focused lately on the end goal and not taking the time to see my body as it is changing. I have noticed my energy level increase which is great but this experience can be even better for me if I take the time to stop and smell the roses sort of speak.

April Goals:

1. Lose 4.5 lbs
2. Participate in Shred Program
3. Lose 10 inches
4. Find 2 NSV's during the month

It is going to warm up quickly in April. Are you ready to bring out the shorts and short sleeve shirts? I am working on it, are you?

☺Ashley☺