The Starting Line

Hello again! The time has come to post some before photos and measurements so that progress can be seen and hopefully through visible progress there will come motivation. So here goes nothing.

Here are my full body photos (as of 7/27/2015):

Here are my measurements (as of 7/27/2015):
  

Chest: 48" 

Stomach: 53" 

Waist: 56"

Right Thigh: 34" 

Left Thigh: 34" 

Right Calf: 19" 

Left Calf: 18.5" 

Right Bicep: 17.5" 

Left Bicep: 18"  

Jean Size: 22/24 Women's 

Shirt Size: Women's XXL/3XL, Men's XL

Bra Size: 44DDD 

Weight: 293.2lbs

Posting these numbers and photos here feels makes the journey feel more real, I'm ready and willing to make some healthy changes.

First Offical Weigh In

Well folks my scale and heart monitor came in the mail this morning. The heart monitor goes around my chest and I was happy to find out it fit and can make a reading, more on that later. The scale has been set up, calibrated, and zeroed out. I stepped on and off three times and got the same weight each time. I'm currently 293.2 pounds which is about 5 pounds down from when I last weighed myself at a friends house a month ago. So even though that number is high, I'm positive that I can take it down from there.

In case anyone was wondering I ordered the BalanceFrom High Accuracy MemoryTrack Premium Digital Bathroom Scale with "Smart Step-On" and MemoryTrack Technology, Extra Large Dual Color Backlight Display [NEWEST VERSION]. On Amazon the scale was only $24.95 with free prime shipping, you can click the link to check it out yourself. Over 20 bucks was a little expensive for a scale in my opinion but this one had good reviews compared to the cheaper ones which had reviews about inaccurate weights. So I took the plunge and so far its good,  and like I said the scale read the same weight three times in a row.

For the heart monitor I ordered the  Jarv Premium Bluetooth® 4.0 Smart heart rate monitor for IPhone 4S / IPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6 , 6+ / IPad Mini / new IPod Touch and other Bluetooth devices (iOS only) Black (Soft strap) . Also on Amazon, I got this monitor on sale for $24.99 with free prime shipping, its about 10 dollars more now, but sometimes its part of Amazon's Daily Deals, so just keep your eyes pealed. I had to download an app in order to use the heart monitor and I picked MapMyFitness, it seems okay so far. I'm only using the free version, after I get into the swing of things I'll probably subscribe to the month service so I can use the heart zone training. Currently my resting heart rate is 82bmp and active it hangs around 120bmp or so. According to WebMD I should  aim for 98bmp-127bmp for regular workouts and 157bmp-167bmp for high intensity workouts in order to loose weight. I'm no doctor so please don't quote me on these numbers, I'm simply trying out the theory that getting your heart rate up to a certain level will help with weight loss, only more research and time will tell for sure.

Here's to hoping my bike comes in today!

Welcome

Hello and welcome!

I'm Lauren, also known as the fat girl who always wears her hair in a ponytail. Some people might find it degrading to refer to myself that way, but I'm comfortable with who I am so I'm rolling with it.

This blog is going to be about my weight loss journey and my goal to become the fit girl with a ponytail. Notice I didn't say thin, I personally don't want to be just thin. I wish to become healthier and fit, strong and confident in my own body. And who knows, maybe I'll change up my hair style.

Currently I've started with just a few changes to my lifestyle, I've replaced high carb lunches, such as pasta and mac and cheese with fruit based smoothies. Breakfast has been replaced with toast and cereal bars, a change from my daily McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. For Dinner I try to have more veggies and drink more water over all. I  also replaced my sugar for my coffee with Tuvia That's not to say I don't still McDonalds or pasta or have some sugar in my coffee, but its little changes that I can do to improve my life. I never set out to restrict myself or uphold a crazy diet, I've been there, done that and it doesn't work. A coworker recently lost a lot of weight and she accredits her success to making these simple lifestyle changes. She said to focus on getting healthier, not weight loss and then the weight loss will come. So far I've taken this advice and I feel better, more energy and I think I've lost a little bit of weight, I was able to make my belt tighter. Please note this has been a month long process so far, slowly changing things.

Last week I ordered a scale, heart monitor, and an exercise bike from Amazon, these items are set to arrive tomorrow. I'm excited to take this next step towards health and add exercise to my daily routine. I've never been one for gyms, so I'm hoping this at home approach will be just what I need.

I hope you guys are able to follow along and even join me on this journey. We can all do this, even if the goal is as simple as working towards getting Taco Bell once a week. Personally this is mine most weeks. So do it for yourself and do it for the Taco.