Lori

It doesn’t seem like it was 2 yrs. ago that I first joined Buddy Slim.
I am so grateful for all the support I’ve received here and all the friends that I’ve made.

Crazy how fast time flies.

I’ve gone from a size 3x to a size small / medium

From a 24 to a 6/8

From shopping in plus size stores to regular department stores.

Losing weight has changed my life in more ways than I ever imagined it would or could.

I am a much more confident woman now.  I carry myself differently - taller and with pride.
I speak up for myself  and I am eager to try new things and embrace life.

I swim, I hike, I enjoy finding new ways to have fun while getting exercise.

I love to sweat.  LOL
Yup its true.
That was not the Lori of 2 yrs. ago trust me on that.
Sweat - ewwwwwwwwww
But things change - THANK GOD

The Lori of 2 yrs. ago avoided physical activity at all costs.
She knew every excuse in the book and she used them.

The Lori of 2 yrs. ago dreaded social engagements because of her size.
I hated HAVING to get dressed to go out.
Now I use it as an excuse to buy a cute new outfit and maybe to show off the new me just a little bit.

I am a much  more outgoing person now.  I just love life and I love being around people who also love life.  Life’s fun and we all deserve to enjoy it.  It’s way too short not to.

I no longer worry about what others think of me (for the most part anyway).
I know I’m a good person and that’s all that matters.

I no longer need to please everyone all the time.  That’s HUGE.

This is the new me and the me that is here to stay.

My new confidence has affected all aspects of my life in a positive way.
It’s not something I expected at all.
I wanted to lose weight to fit into nice clothes and now I do.
I wanted to get thinner to be healthier and I am now.
I wanted to be able to go to a restaurant and not worry about having to cram myself into a booth.  No more worry there.
But there are so many things that I didn’t expect to gain from losing weight.

I’ve lost 120 + pounds but I have gained so much more.

This weight loss journey is a tough one, there’s no doubt about that but like I have said before it is all worth it.
Every painstaking step is worth it.

Yup there’s days when I don’t feel like exercising (thank you to my buddies who help push me when I need it).
Yup there are days when the sweets are calling my name LOUDLY.  UGH
I am sure this is always going to be a struggle for me.
But it’s one challenge I am up for.

I hope that my little blog here, my little story about how things have changed for me in 2 short yrs. will help to motivate some of you that are struggling and some of you that might be feeling overwhelmed by how much weight you have to lose.
I started out at 265 pounds.
I am now somewhere around 140-145  (not getting on the scale right now - PMSing and I’ve learned my lesson about that).
It took me just over a year to lose 100 pounds.
I had days where I felt like I could never do it.
Like that was far too much weight to lose.

But I had to just keep chugging along.  Plugging away.  Persevering.
The best advice I can give you is to just take it one day at a time and one pound at a time.
That’s how to get through this and when you slip up you shake it off and you start over and you keep moving forward.

I wish everyone could find success at weight loss.
I know how painful it is to be big, obese, a plus sized woman whatever you want to call it.

I guess my  message is that it can be done.
I am just plain old ordinary Lori and if I can do it so can you.

Much success buddies!
Lots of love
Lori