Wooooooooooooooooooooooooot! I can finally post in this forum! And with pictures!

The before picture of me isn't the worst one, I really need to bust that one out and scan it in, I was much bigger then that. I started gaining weight after I quit my job at Petsmart, and took a desk job that had me planted on my butt 9 hours a day. I went from walking every where all day to absolutely static practically overnight, and the lbs started packing on when I continued to eat at the same pace as when I was active.

The worst of it was I was a carb addict, and a junk food addict. I would get an egg mcmuffin BREAKfast meal at McDonalds in the morning, eat some kind of carby sandwich or pasta for lunch, two packs of M&Ms or a snickers bar, for each of my two BREAKs. Then I would get food on the way home, usually taco bell bean burritos or McDonalds or some other horrible fast food dinner. Then there was all the soda.

I went from 155 lbs to 185 lbs in about a year or so. I tried to ignore it, and bought stretchy clothes and generally avoid looking at myself. Finally though I couldn't keep ignoring myself. I caught a glimpse of myself in the upstairs bathroom mirror before my shower, and I could see the reflection of my face in my computer monitor. I was NOT happy with what I saw, and finally I decided to make a change. I had never dieted before (I was a loner, a computer geek, and never entered the dating scene) and I really, really, really didn't want to.

Thankfully though my mother suggested Atkins, as she was using it to lose weight and to regulate her diabetes.

So I started atkins back in 7/16/05, almost two years ago. I dropped the weight quickly at first, from 185 lbs down to 155 lbs, then I sort of stopped worrying about it. I looked semi-skinny at 155, though still pudgy, and that was good enough for me at the time...I wasn't dating and had lost the weight soley for me.

Then I met my future fiance. Suddenly 155 lb felt kinda fat still, and he made an off hand comment that I really took to heart. Now I know he didn't mean it like it sounded, but it was the poke I needed to get out of maintenance (I was holding steady at 155 lbs) and start loosing more weight. It was very slow going near the end. I got frustrated and irritated and annoyed, but I never gave up. I told myself...what I have RIGHT NOW is better then being pudgy and fat. And it's true that if you keep working on it, eventually you will get what you want.

Finally I made it! My goal originally was 135 lbs, it sounded impressive to me when I was 185, and felt impossible. But as I got closer, I wanted more wiggle room, so I changed my goal to 130, so I could bounce between 130-135 lbs due to water weight and being female and not worry about the fluctuations. The scale the last few days has bounced between 129 - 130 lbs!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!

THANK GOD!

Now for the funner part...and the next leg of the adventure. MAINTENANCE! I am told this part can be worse then actually losing weight (we will see!) but I am ready for the challenge!

Anyway, keep at it, if I can do it, anyone can!

Congratulations!!! You look incredible!