Reflecting on the Sisterhood
One year ago I weighed 157 pounds. My daughter had just turned 1, and I realized I needed to restart my weight loss journey before I had a reply of what happened after my son was born. You see, when I got pregnant with my son (who is 6 now) I was already overweight. After I had him, I thankfully lost all the baby weight and then some while I was breastfeeding. When he turned 1 and I stopped exclusively breastfeeding, I didn’t adjust my intake and my weight slowly started to climb. I ended up gaining almost 30 pounds and tipped the scales at 193 pounds. I joined Weight Watchers in January of 2006 and over course of 9 months lost 45 pounds. Then I took a break, got pregnant, and had my daughter. After she was born, I managed to lose all of my baby weight (and then some) rapidly, but after she hit the one year mark, and my breastfeeding was tapering, the weight started to creep back on. I knew if I didn’t get control, I would spiral.
Last November, Beth, Donya and I were all feeling like our jeans were too tight. We knew we could lose the weight with a support system in place, so the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans was born. We knew right away that we wanted Melissa to join us, and after many late night online brainstorming sessions, we were ready to launch, and come hell or high water, we were going to lose the weight.
Flash forward to today. It’s been exactly one year. An amazing year. A journey. The Sisterhood is so much more than I ever thought it would be. I’ve forged bonds with ladies (and men) that can never be broken. I’ve learned so much, I’ve been shrinking, and it’s been SO MUCH FUN!
Today, I weigh 141 pounds. WOW! That’s 16 pounds less than I did a year ago. Now, 16 pounds over the course of a year doesn’t sound like much, but it is. I could have been PLUS 30 pounds or more if I hadn’t taken control. Not only have I lost 16 pounds, but I’m so much healthier. I am fit, I am strong, and I am HAPPY with myself. My confidence is through the roof, and dare I say I feel HOT? Well, I do.
The crazy thing is that’s it’s not just about you and me. It’s about all the wonderfully amazing women (and men) who have joined us along the way. So many pounds have been lost. So many people have changed their lives for the better, and made the commitment to live a healthier life. We’ve had Sisters hit huge weight loss goals, run for the first time in their live, complete 5Ks AND 1/2 marathons, and we’ve donated countless pounds of food to our local food pantries and now we’re trotting the globe and becoming Active for Life. We’ve made this journey together. We’ve celebrated victories, we’ve supported each other through hard times, we’ve lifted each other up, and kicked each other in the ass when it was needed. Each and every one of us is an important part of the Sisterhood!
All of that makes me so stinkin’ proud. Seriously, I am so PROUD of each and every one of you, and I cannot wait to see what the next year brings for the Sisterhood. I know it’s going to be big. And I know that TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING!
