Always a Work in Progress...

A work in progress ~ that's what I call myself.  After being on this "fit" journey for three years, it's sometimes hard to see everyday progress.  In the beginning, you drop weight fast and can really see some changes.  The more progress you make, the slower it gets because there is less to lose.  The scale is a funny thing too.  I used to be totally obsessed and weighed myself several times a day.  I would weigh before I went to bed and calculate what I should weigh in the morning.  It was easy to get discouraged because weight can fluctuate for a variety of reasons.  So I started depending on my clothes to tell me what was going on. Sometimes I would lose only a pound or two but still drop a jean size.  Then when I started lifting weights, I even gained a few pounds.  

I was going through some old pictures recently and have decided that the best way to see progress is through pictures.  It was difficult for me to find some at my heaviest because quite frankly I didn't want any pictures taken.  I was able to find a couple and thought I would post them here since this is after all a journal of sorts of me getting healthy.  The first one has the years written below.  The second one is a two year progress (the first picture being March of 2011 and the second one in my TDFA shirt from yesterday).

I look at these pictures and am very surprised.  It makes a huge difference seeing yourself like that.  It's not a mirror where you're critical about everything but almost a WOW! that's really me feeling.  After putting these together, I've decided I will continue doing this every so often so I can see the progress I'm making.  It still blows my mind the changes that have occurred in my body, not only physically but mentally too.  I am so much more confident than really I ever have been and not only do I look better, but I feel better too.

I don't necessarily have a "goal weight" or a "goal size" to be.  As far as I'm concerned, there's always room for improvement in some form or fashion, whether it's to gain more muscle, run faster or longer or be able to lift more weight.  That's not to say I'm not happy where I am.  When I look at that picture of me from yesterday, I am very pleased with where I am.  I almost have to pinch myself because it's hard for me to believe that's really me.  BUT no matter what, I always want to strive to improve myself.  And that is why I will always be a work in progress.  =)