One Hundred Pounds

I am breaking from my entries about my pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago to write about another journey that I have been on for quite some time now. I have been on a journey to get healthy and lose weight and I chose to write today because I have hit a major milestone along this journey:

I have lost 100 pounds since January 2014.

I remember being overweight for my entire life. There was never a point I look back on and think, Well, I was thin then. What happened? I won't go into details on how it started mainly because I don't know how it started. All I know is that I was never able to keep my weight in check.

I had always thought of myself as an active person. I played soccer and loved hiking and backpacking with my family. But it wasn't until undergrad that I decided to actively turn things around. Junior year, my roommate and I helped each other (this is a severe understatement because I would not have altered the path I was on without her support and guidance) get healthy and lose weight and by graduation we were well on our way to our goals. Then, life got in the way.

After graduation, we each moved home and experienced a period of unemployment. Then four and a half years of stress in the workplace and in my personal life had led to me gaining all that weight back and then some. In 2013, I knew that something drastic needed to happen. I tried weight loss plans, I tried simple diet and exercise, I even trained for and completed TWO half marathons without losing an appropriate amount of weight. I realized that I need to completely change my lifestyle if I was to make any progress again.

In November of 2013, I made the decision to undergo bariatric surgery. By January of 2014 I had started in the program which consisted of classes on pre- and post-op nutrition, exercise expectations, as well as time with a psychologist. My surgery was in March of 2014 and it was the best decision I ever made.

The picture on the left was the day before my surgery, the picture on the right was taken today.

I made some big sacrifices along the way to make my journey a success and I continue to make little ones each and every day. The outpouring of love and support I have received from family (especially my mom) and friends along my journey has been incredible. I feel stronger, healthier and happier than I have ever been. And while I have still not reached my goal weight, it is no longer an unattainable pipe dream. I know I will hit it, it is just a matter of when.

I have kept this part of my life quiet from most people so if any friends have questions about the surgery I underwent or about anything really, please feel free to reach out to me.