The Beginning...

I was a young teen mother, married with two children by the time I was nineteen years old. I graduated High School with honors and went on to State College with scholarships. I pursued a career in law enforcement, the field I still work today. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we are blessed with four beautiful children. I became an emotional eater during all of the ups and downs of my life and weight crept up on me. I was always the mom of boys. During my young motherhood we had two sons. They played baseball,soccer, basketball and all those boy things. When my husband and I were a little more stable in life and careers we decided we wanted more children. My boys were 13 and 10 years old at the time of that decision. In 2006my third son arrived and added to the gaggle of boys.

Now I was dealing with teenagers and toddlers and working more than forty hours a week. My home life consisted of swimming in a sea of testosterone boys, boys and more boys. My sons and my husband compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu FULL TIME. You know the UFC fight stuff. They train full time and compete all over the state. I mean really could it get any more manly?? Have you ever heard the expression, Sausage Fest? Yeah, that's my life being in a frigging Sausage Fest. Boys look up to their father. Their father is their example. He is in the best shape ever, keeps a strict diet and exercises and works out religiously. I guess as I became overweight being a bad example didn't cross my mind, I never really thought much about it because my husband was modeling excellent behavior for the boys. Weight continued to be an annoyance and summers were uncomfortable. I hated seeing myself in photos or my reflection in the mirror. My beauty routine consisted of a pony tail and lip gloss. I wear uniforms at work so I never put my thought into clothes or shoes. I was just a Mother of Boys.

We wanted one more child and of course it would be a boy. Why not. I have three sons and all nephews. I had already grieved any thought of ever having a daughter and the special things we could do together. In 2008 my precious little daughter was born. Yes, that's right we broke the mold and a little diva princess was born. And you're right in thinking her room looks like pepto bismol and she has every over the top girly accessory that I could buy and I am loving having a daughter! She is spoiled and precious and just the apple of her Daddy's Eye. She knows how to work her teenage brothers into melting mush and she knows how to keep her 3 year old brother a bay with the swat of her little hand. She is my little sweetheart.

It was at my daughters first birthday I had an epiphany. One year had passed since my gift was born, during that one year I could've accomplished losing weight the monotonous daggering thought that ran through my mind ever single day.

I realized I do not want to be a bad example to my daughter. I do not want to be one of those Moms at the mall who is overweight with her overweight daughter in tow. I don't want her to become an emotional eater or not know how to choose food properly. So this is how my journey began. May 29, 2009 is when my 'new lifestyle' began.

My husband and sons follow a high protein low carb diet. With their help along with my willpower I have began my new way of life. And to date I am 50lbs lighter, in 5 months.

A lot of people ask me how I work out, what I eat and so forth, I wanted to begin this blog to be inspiration and to track my continued progress. I always enjoyed tracking my progress of being pregnant and watching my belly grow. So I did take photos of my weight loss progress. Its like the reverse of belly growth! These are my starting photos taken June 1st 2009.