It's finally here! 20 pounds gone!

So, this kind of calls for a post! I finally hit my 20 pound milestone! This is such a big deal for me for two reasons- 1) It is really hard to get past that first initial 5 to 8 pound weight loss and it kind of slows down from there.  You're body actually fights you to get that 20 pounds off.  2) I am in the 140's! Which is a big deal to me because that's where I was on our wedding day! Of course I have a long way to go until my UGW.  The good news is that 125 is only 24 more pounds away and I am as motivated as ever!

As far as the BMI scale goes, I have 9 more pounds to lose to be within a healthy weight range which is the most important thing to me!  My risk for obesity related diseases will greatly diminish and most likely disappear.  This is something that a lot of young women today do not think about.  You might think that curvy is in (which it is) but when you go so far as to jeopardize your health, you will not be able to reason away the diseases that come with it.  That is what I am really convicted about.  I went so long thinking that someday the weight would magically melt off (like it did in high school) and telling myself that I was a healthy young woman.  I could have gotten hypertension, or type 2 diabetes, or heart disease, or PCOS which would mean I would not be able to provide my husband or I with children and my parents with grandchildren.  It's real people.  It's not a joke and you can't reason the diseases away.  I want girls my age to know that we are responsible for our bodies and we are in our mid twenties.  The pounds are not going to evaporate from here on out.  Respect your bodies for the long run!

Speaking of run, I ran 3 miles last night without stopping! It was amazingly easy and felt so good when I was done.  I am not so much focusing right now on a particular source of exercise or any program right now, mostly diet.  I do find that I have more energy, all types of exercise are more enjoyable to me, and I can do them as I please.  That's been the dream for me! I don't dread exercise because I pick what I do and I constantly surprise myself by what I can do!  I also found that last night helped to run with my friends, Emily and Micheal, who helped set my pace so that I didn't get tempted to burn myself out early.  I think Michael and I both agreed we could have gone four miles if the sun hadn't started going down!  And Emily is truly an inspiration from her hard work and commitment to becoming healthy! It really is great to have a good support system while losing weight.

To finish my happy post and day, here is a picture of my babe, Nahla! Happy Monday everyone! <3