Hi, Hello, and Hey

I’m Mary and I’m a fibromyalgia and pulmonary embolism warrior. I’m also an EX-yo-yo’er.

I used to have an eating disorder in college and was underweight. I was obsessive about calories and abused my body in the quest to be skinny. When I started meds for an unrelated illness, my weight shot up to 180. I then became pregnant and, with pre-eclampsia (hello, water retention!), I hit an all-new high. Within one week of giving birth, I had lost over 40 pounds, but over the course of the next couple years, I gained it all back and then some. I hit my new high: 275. I lost some weight after that, but did it in an unsustainable way so I gained some of it back. 250. Then I broke my ankle while hiking and ended up with pulmonary emboli (blood clots in my lungs) that almost took my life. In addition to the injury and my family history, being overweight is a risk factor for clots. Somehow that didn’t hit home and I gained another 30 pounds while I was laid up. A daily serving (or two) of brownies and inactivity will do that to you!

I was 280 in the spring of 2016 and I was miserable. My chronic pain was worse than ever, I was winded doing regular activities. In 2016, I vowed it was my recovery year and I hiked 376 miles and climbed 47,000 feet in elevation gain. But I didn’t change my diet, wouldn’t change my diet, and after I had lost 30 pounds (250 at this point), I stalled for over a year. Junk food? Check. Desserts? Check. As they say, “abs are made in the kitchen,” and I refused to change that critical piece of the puzzle: my eating habits.

In early August 2017, kidney stones landed me in the hospital. What is a risk factor for stones? You guessed it: being overweight. It was the worst pain of my life - worse than childbirth. On August 19, I went to Good Will to buy clothes and out of 24 items of clothing I tried on, almost nothing fit. I left in tears, took a photo of my body that day, and that was IT. I had had ENOUGH. On August 21, my husband started a new job and I don’t drive so I began walking everywhere. I kept track of all my walking miles. I felt a new sense of independence.

Soon I bought a stationary bike and started keeping track of my biking miles. I hiked with my family on weekends and took them to all of my favorite walking haunts. I also - first time in years - started eating sensibly. I was - and am - eating clean. Real food, real ingredients, simple meals. As time went on, I added online exercise videos. With this combination, I saw the scale moving pound by pound! I took progress photos of my body every week to two weeks and saw a difference! Soon my friends and family saw the difference - even my doctor saw a difference! This past summer, I (-drumroll please-) wore a swimsuit for the first time in my adult life - AND IT WAS A BIKINI! As I’m becoming leaner and stronger, I’m gaining self-confidence. No longer do I want to hide myself underneath mountains of clothing - I want to show off my new body. 

Am I sometimes self-conscious even now? Sure. But on those low days, I compare myself to where I was just a year ago and it gives me a surge of pride. 

Not only that, but my health has done a 180. I've managed to kick two blood pressure meds to the curb. My blood sugar is stable whereas it used to bounce up and down all day long, leaving me shaking and sweating on the floor (and no, I am not kidding - I truly believe I was on the path to diabetes). And nowadays, I leave my husband Jon and 8 year old son Liam in the dust when we hike mountains. Just 14 short months ago, I was huffing, puffing, and wheezing my way uphill and now my fitness level has vastly improved. I still struggle with my chronic pain (worsened by the cold weather we've been having), but even that has gotten a bit better. 

As of today, I’ve lost 111 pounds total since spring 2016 (81 of that since August 2017 when I got serious). I have just a few pounds left to lose and then it's time to tone up / put on lean muscle! I’m thankful and proud to be on this journey for life and lose the weight for GOOD with new habits. Motivation gets you started, habits are what keep you on the path for the long haul. 

Last August (not my heaviest - I was already 30 lb down)

vs. a month ago (dress from Good Will) 

Please don't mind the belly bruises on the left - Lovenox injections suck!

Side view.

I just love this dress and now it's already a bit big since I took this photo!

I'm NOT complaining though! But that's why I buy secondhand, so I don't pay full price when they're progress clothes and not final destination clothes. Plus I'm a cheapskate.

At my heaviest (2016) vs. a month and a half ago.

Stay tuned for fitness/health tips, musings, and more on my journey!

Mary