144.8

That right up there? That's my current weight.

144.8 lbs

Before you judge, let's just get it all out there.

I'm 5'2"

I'm 27 years old

I've had one pregnancy, and my child is now 18 months old

I weigh 144.8 pounds

I'm not saying that 144.8 is an outrageous weight for me to be. I know it could be a lot worse.

But, my BMI is not looking too good, and I'm just downright uncomfortable in my own skin.

I've had issues with my weight most of my life. I'm short, and I feel like I should be "small". So even a five pound weight gain makes me feel (and look) terrible.

I guess this all started right before I got pregnant.

My weight went from a comfortable 125 on my wedding day, to a shocking 150 less than a year later.

I began working out every day in an attempt to shed the weight, and adjusted my eating habits, but nothing was really working. I even went to the doctor to have my thyroid checked, and everything came back "normal". I was beyond frustrated.

And then I got pregnant. I stopped working out because for some reason, I thought that it would hurt the baby. So I stopped working out. And I ate like I thought a pregnant woman should eat! I gave in to almost all of my cravings, which included chocolate milk (and lots of it!), grape juice, coke slurpees, and cereal with milk (right before bed). I pretty much just lost control, and even when I grew out of size after size of pants, I claimed that I just couldn't do anything about it because I was pregnant.

Then came the post-partum. No one really ever told me how beat up and changed my body would be.

I guess it was to be expected after having a baby.

Especially after I started out overweight, and then proceeded to put on 30+ pounds over the next 9 months (I technically don't know exactly how much I truly gained because I stopped weighing myself after I hit about 180). My body was in shambles, and my pre-pregnancy jeans wouldn't fit past my shins! I was devastated. I had never successfully lost weight before, and I had no clue how to exercise while caring for a baby, our home,  and working.

When Elliott was seven months old I finally got my butt in gear. I had been telling myself "nine months on, nine months off"......and on Ellie's seven-month mark I realized that I only had two months left and I was still sitting at 160 pounds!! The way that I took control (and the only way that seems to work for me) was to count my calories. It didn't seem to matter if I exercised or not, so I didn't. I stuck to a strict 1,200 calories a day. Before I knew it, 30 pounds were gone! I seemed stable at 130 pounds and I was over the moon!

Now, I sit here wondering how I ever let the pounds creep back onto my body?! I guess I didn't savor how good it felt.

I enjoy food. A LOT. I know what I have to do, and it's tough.

Having self-control, when it comes to food, is hard for me. But, I'm finally at the bottom. There's no excuse for this anymore, and I'm finally motivated enough to put in the hard work to take the weight off......again.

I know that it's not fun. But this time, I'm challenging myself to make it a lifestyle change. I'm going to (slowly) add in work-outs......I plan on starting with walks outside (maybe even a little jogging), try out a few Jillian Michaels DVD's, and not be too hard-nosed about a work-out schedule.

I started the Slim Fast 3-2-1 plan, and I'm confident that it's right for me (I know it won't be right for everyone, but look into it......maybe it'll work for you, too)!

I'm sure there will be a day where I can wean myself off of the plan, but for now I need the structure and convenience of Slim Fast. I'll be supplementing my Slim Fast diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, and well-balanced meals.

I am also going to be giving myself "cheat" days. I don't know how often.....maybe once a week, once every two weeks?! I just think that I need to have days "off" from counting calories, so that I don't just give up completely (like I've obviously done in the past).

So that's the plan!

I'm going to be posting about my journey

every Wednesday.....we'll call it Weigh-in Wednesday! (clever, right?)

And I want you all to join in, too!

You don't necessarily have to weigh in on your scale.......I'll explain more on Wednesday when I kick this thing off, but for now, be thinking about how you would like to "weigh-in"......whether it be on the scale, or sharing your secrets to living a healthier lifestyle.

Here's a summary of my weight struggles (and I'm hoping these last few years will seem like nothing later on down the road of life.......I'm shooting for long-term, healthy living here!)

2008 - Just married, 125 lbs - HAPPY

2009 - Married and working, 150 lbs - FRUSTRATED

2009 - Married, Pregnant, and working, 180-200 lbs - HAPPY (to be carrying a baby) and FRUSTRATED (with my "uncontrollable" weight gain) 

(??? remember, I stopped weighing myself after 18.....but dare I say I might have reached 200??)

2010 - Postpartum, 160 lbs - FEELING FAT

2011 - Getting a grip on motherhood, 130 lbs - YAY!

2011 (present) - Fell off the wagon, I guess, 144.8 lbs - FEELING LIKE I'M BACK WHERE I STARTED!

My goal for all of this?!

1. To live a happy and healthy life, setting a good example for my daughter and being my spunky, energetic self!

2. To keep up with my daughter, and to keep physically active. Run a few 5k's each year, and enjoy training for them.

3. To weigh 125 lbs.

Come back on Wednesday for the first installment of Weigh-in Wednesday, and I'll give you the skinny (get it?!) on my daily food intake, and how I've started working out. I'll post some pictures throughout this entire process, and I can't wait for the day where I can share some pretty spectacular before-and-after photos! Let's start with the before pictures (you've been warned, they're not pretty! It's not too late, you can still look away!!)

Oy, so those are not too pretty, but you get the idea.
I look forward to making some positive changes, and I hope some of you will join me in this! I have a good feeling that with the right motivation and some accountability, I'll be well on my way to a skinnier and healthier me!