Totally appropriate, the day before Thanksgiving. Completely.

Hey, remember that time a year and thirteen days ago I started a diet? 

(You love diet talk the day before Thanksgiving, don't you, friends?)

Anyway, a year ago.  Plus thirteen days. 

I had given birth to Marin just a couple months before, and felt ready to hit the hard trail again.  I started Weight Loss Wednesday here, mostly because it worked before, and then a month later I quieted myself about the whole ordeal.  I decided to lose weight without broadcasting my weekly successes and failures to the entire internet this time.  It felt right.

So it took me longer than I thought it would, but I finally hit my pre-pregnancy number again, just this morning!  In the last year and thirteen days, slowly slowly, I lost forty-two pounds, and am now ready again to attack the remaining twenty that I'd never lost the first time around.

Whew!

I've got a very long-standing relationship with food and dieting-- thankfully one that has grown into something more positive than life-threatening over the last four years, but long, long, long-standing nonetheless.

Let us take a quick walk down memory lane, shall we? 

Here are Sant and I, in 2005.  Just about a month before I became pregnant with Jackson.  My loves included giant oatmeal cream pies, flipping channels on television, gossip, complaining and fast food three times a week. 

I don't mean to sound so irreverent about it, but gosh, guys, I don't even know who that person was.

This was my tipping point, not quite one year later and about forty pounds heavier than the picture before.  I was so happy to finally have my baby, but physically and emotionally I was a trainwreck.  I remember being in the hospital after having Jack, talking to my sister about dieting.  I felt, at that time, that if I didn't do something I was going to die.  Not necessarily in a physical way, where I'd up and keel over, but the urge to find myself and pull things together was so strong it was almost tangible for me.  I think back to this time often.

Same mom, same baby.  Eighteen months later.  I did what I had to do, losing ninety-two pounds.  I tackled many of my bad eating habits, dealt with underlying emotions from the past, worked on my self esteem, found myself.  And God I felt better. 

After I reached this point, in the summer of 2007, I let myself coast for six months.  I still had weight to lose, but I desperately needed a break from counting every calorie.  In that time I gained eight pounds--- eight that have haunted me until this day, because just after gaining them I found myself pregnant with Little Missy.

Need to gain a quick fifty pounds?  Crave fruit.  In the most ferocious, maniacal way you can imagine, daily, for nine months. 

After all was said and done last fall, and I had a perfect baby girl, I felt a little defeated.  Who works that hard for that long to lose that much weight, only to do it all over again?

I had two choices, though, to lose it again or stay where I was.  And I didn't want to be where I was.

So here are Sant and I, about a month ago.  Stronger.  On a beach together again, much thinner than our 2005 picture.  Sant had lost her weight forever ago and has successfully kept it off.  I was making my way back.  

This time, my loves are photography, reading, meditating, teaching first grade and preschool in my family room, and most recently, treadmill running.  I enjoy raw vegetables and whole wheat bread, and a Hershey's Kiss every day after lunch.  I embrace my sugar addiction and my ability to lose weight slowly, for as long as it takes until I am not only back to my pre-pregnancy weight (today!) but to twenty pounds down from here, for good.

I also (apparently) enjoy kicking Sant's ass hip,

though I always say I'm sorry and wipe the shoe dirt from her pretty white jacket.

May I not gain forty-two pounds at our (two) Thanksgiving dinners tomorrow, so I can live to see the other side of this denim size.

I think I will.

Damn, that was fun.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.  Among so many things in my life, I am so thankful for you. 

Comments

[Jen L.]

Oh, Molly, you look fantastic! That last picture is one of a woman who's comfortable in her own skin and very content. I'm so glad you've arrived at this point! Have a great Thanksgiving.

[Erica]

Happy Thanksgiving Molly! You look great. Very healthy and very happy! Enjoy the day.

[Nikki]

Happy thanksgiving Molly, you're beautiful xx

[Cheryl]

Way to go!!!!!!!!!

[Alissa]

wahoo! seriously, so stoked.

[crookedeyebrow]

you look amazing!

[BetteJo]

I love how you set a goal and doggone it - you meet it! Way to go!

[Frema]

I love reading about your weight loss journey. It's so inspiring, and the perfect topic to explore around Thanksgiving.

You look fantastic, but even more importantly, you SOUND fantastic, full of dreams with an attitude that anything is possible. (And I am thankful for you.)

[Have Myelin?]

You look wonderful!!!

[Bethany]

Molly, you look fantastic!!!