How I lost a couple small children....

As of last week, I have lost 80 lbs.

That is crazy right? 80 lbs? I was carrying around 80 lbs of extra something on me! That's a member of Big Time Rush. That's a Backstreet Boy. That is the weight of two of the baby dude!

Sixteen years ago, I was a nice, skinny, high school senior.

Soon after, enter oldest dude. I gained 60lbs during my pregnancy. (Sorry no pics, I can't seem to find one. It's quite possible I burned them all they were lost in the move) Fine, all I craved was McDonald's, and mac n' cheese. But still. Oldest dude could have been born a teenager with all of that weight. I think I just thought my skinny teenage body would bounce back on it's own, but it doesn't work like that. And anyone who has a child knows that when they finally, finally, FINALLY go to sleep, the last thing you're doing is hitting the treadmill. Maybe in my dreams I was, but I was hitting the bed first!

I did lose some of the weight eight pounds. But I was no where near my skinny high school self above.

And then over a couple years, I gained more back. I can bake your socks off, and of course I was gonna try everything that I baked. And I hate cooking, so sure, let's go out to dinner! And oh, let's have popcorn and M&M combo mix at 10pm at night!

Enter baby dude. When I got pregnant, I was already 25lbs heavier then I was in high school. Strangely, during this pregnancy, I craved nothing but fruit, veggies, and yogurt. But I weighed the same when #2 was born as when #1 was born, because I started out much higher with #2.

And the cycle repeated itself. Dream treadmill, baking...until one day I woke up and saw:

Was that me? Where the heck was my neck? Why did my husband not tell me I had no neck!? Why did he not tell me every time I asked him if this shirt made me look fat did he not say, yo, eat an apple?? What the heck happened????

Don't get me wrong, I knew I had gained weight. But I didn't really see myself looking like that. I thought I carried my weight well.

So I decide to change things. I wanted my skinny high school body back. I wanted to show my kids that you can be healthy, and that you can do anything that you put your mind to. I wanted to shop in a section that didn't have a plus in its title.

One year later, thru Weight Watchers, Zumba, and running, I'm 80 lbs down, and 10 pant sizes smaller:

When I first started Weight Watchers, learning about portion sizes was hard. Not eating everything in sight was hard. It's easy to gain weight, it takes more effort to lose it. But weight watchers worked for me where no other diet before did. And believe me, I tried them all, Atkins, grapefruit, etc. On WW, if I wanted a slice of pizza, I could have it. If I wanted a piece of chocolate, I could. It wasn't just about portion control, and healthier habits, it was learning about moderation. But once I started shedding the pounds, it motivated me to keep going. It forced me to get creative, to cook, to get out there and move instead of sitting on the couch.

A little over a year ago, I added Zumba into the mix. I started doing it at home. Hubby dude bought me Zumba for Wii. I am clumsy, clutzy, and have absolutely no rhythm, so it was perfect for me. There was no one to embarrass myself in front of. I could do it from the comfort of my own home! I loved it. I loved everything about it, the music, the moves, the sweaty mess I became after. I loved it so much I ventured outside of my comfort zone, and took a class at a gym. And then I took another. And another. By that third time, I had a gym membership.

Running comes into play soon, I promise, just not in this post. I know, I'm a tease.

Fitting into a size 8 for the first time, I cried tears. Like loud, messy, hysterical tears. Like to the point that I think I scared the dressing room attendant. It had been so long since I'd seen me, I forgot what that was like. It had taken me so long to find myself again. WW helped me succeed where I had continually failed before.

I'm not done yet. I keep changing my goal, because I have exceeded my original goal beyond my wildest dreams. But I did it. Weight Watcher's helped me. Zumba helped me. Running has helped me. Not wanting to be the 600lb woman helped me. WW saved my life, and gave me ME again. It's been a battle the whole way, because some days I just want to sit on the couch and eat Doritos. But that's how I got to my before. 

If I can do it, anyone can. And if you need a cheerleader, I'll be there! I know what it's like.

Me

I am new to this blogging thing. I sort of feel like that doofus person who throws a party. "What if no one shows up?" In my case, "what if I write and no one reads?" I'll start by telling you a bit about myself, and then I guess we'll see where this goes?

My name is Vanessa. I'm from Buffalo, NY. I have three dudes in the house:

Oldest Dude: He is 14 going on 30. Interested in girls, Xbox, and bike rides. Extremely forgetful. Oldest dude has always been super independent, so he is quite content to wander by himself. Helpful, patient, and snarky all at the same time.

Baby Dude: Yes, I know he is not a baby. But I called oldest dude my baby until he was ten! (I will never be ready for how fast my babies grow.) He is the ultimate snuggle bug. He is shy, but he is creative, and imaginative, and oh so loving. His best friend is oldest dude, which I love. (Oldest dude does too!)

Hubby Dude: We have been together for 16 years, and married for almost 7 now. We met when I threw peanuts at him at the restaurant that we used to work at. Two kids, and so many years later, and he is still my best friend. Well, unless he leaves the toilet seat up. Then it's war.

Spazzy, shaggy puppy: Enjoys stalking and killing all forms of stuffies, begging for food, and peeing on mommy's brand new pair of boots. Oh, and terrorizing any and all groomers. Seriously, do not come at him with a brush....or comb....or scissors...or clippers...... Beyond freaking terrified Scared of garbage bags.

And then there's me:

I'm a Disney stalker fan. Seriously. I want to live there. I fully believe I missed my calling as a princess. I like tattoos and books (and when I say books, I mean real books. There is something so satisfying about cracking the spine of a brand new book.) I'm probably the most rebellious book nerd you'll ever meet. I have turned into that crazy running friend who can only talk about mileage, tapering, or carb loading. (More on that later.) I am a silly, goofy, kid at heart, even with the odd grays popping up every once in a while. I'm an instagram fiend who still can't figure out twitter. Oh, and I bake. Like a lot. Fridays at work have become known as diabeetus Friday's.

If you're not snoring yet, hey hey, I'm on the right path! Hopefully I'll see you soon!