Oh man. I can’t believe I’m about to put myself out there like this. I’ve talked about my weight loss journey on my personal facebook account, but now it’s going to be out there for the whole world to see! Gasp! Ok here we go. This might get long…

It was time for a change

Since having children I’ve kinda been all over the place with my weight. It was a slow process of “getting back to normal” after having each child. I didn’t really “bounce back” like some people do when breastfeeding. My pre-prgnancy weight was somewhere around 140lbs, but the lowest I could manage to get the scale down to was always around 144lbs. I thought that this was probably all my body could do at this point and had accepted that this was my new Mom bod.

After a trip to Disney in April 2019, I saw this photo of myself and was grossed out (I swore this photo would NEVER see the light of day!).

Weight had started to creep back on. I was being lazy and not eating as well as I could. I didn’t feel good about myself and ALWAYS felt tired and unmotivated. At the beginning of May 2019, I knew I had to do something. Anything! I followed the weight loss journey of another mom I know and she changed her life with Stronger U Nutrition. Stronger U is a program that focuses on nutrition and macronutrients. If you’ve never heard of macronutrients, here’s a brief explanation: The 3 macronutrients, or macros for short, are carbs, protein and fat. They are the 3 main suppliers of nutrients in your diet. In addition to providing the body with energy, macros serve a lot of other vital functions.

Stronger U Nutrition

I didn’t want to spend the $$ on a program that I wasn’t going to stick with so I tried to “watch what I was eating” on my own and lost 5 pounds within a month’s time. Honestly, I just didn’t know how I was going to continue doing it all on my own with no guidance and little to no exercise.

So at the end of May, I decided to join Stronger U and signed up for 6 months because I wanted to have accountability through December. I didn’t want to sign up and then give up after my brother-in-law’s wedding or after vacation. I’ve done that soooo many times where I’ve tried to lose weight because of a vacation or a special occasion and then once that event was over, I’d go right back to my normal habits. I wanted to break that cycle this time. My friend Morgan’s story was so relatable to mine, that I decided to take a chance. I had had enough and just wanted to NOT feel tired and feel comfortable in a pair of shorts.

I signed up with a goal of losing 10lbs (mostly because I didn’t really know what to put for a goal) and that’s all I thought I’d be capable of.

My first day was June 5th, 2019. The week of my birthday. I was kicking myself for signing up so close to my birthday because let’s be honest, I knew I’d be going out to dinner & having drinks. And then summer vacation was coming up soon after. Ugh. Excuses. Is it ever a good time? Gotta just jump in right?! Oh gosh, was I going to stick with this?? YIKES!!! What have I gotten myself in to?! ????

Weight loss Journey Progress

The decision to join Stronger U was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Life changing. Seriously. I learned SO many things about my eating & drinking habits. I also learned SO many things in order to live healthier, but still get to enjoy life. This is not a “diet”. There are no “meal plans”. There are no restricted foods or food groups. But it does require discipline & lots of your time in the beginning. And then after awhile it just becomes second nature.

After 16 weeks, I was 23 lbs lighter & two sizes smaller.

After 24 weeks, I was 25 lbs lighter and down THREE sizes!! What the what?! Is this for REAL?! I couldn’t believe that by changing the combination in which I eat things and being more aware of what I was putting into my mouth every day could change things so much. I barely exercised! If at all!

Don’t get me wrong, this program is NOT a quick fix and has not been easy by any means. It has taken a ton of dedication, planning, & willpower. But consistency with my eating habits has been key.

I am a true believer!

November 2019, Rick & I were about to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in Aruba (more about that HERE) and I was nervous going into yet another vacation week. This time I wouldn’t have my food scale, wouldn’t be able to weigh myself every day or have any of my tools to keep myself in check. I knew we were going to eat and drink because that’s what we do in Aruba-it’s a part of the experience. To my surprise, after 7 days of not planning or weighing my meals, eating what I wanted when I wanted, treating myself to a dessert or two, and enjoying many cocktails on the beach… I got home not having gained a single pound. NOT A SINGLE POUND!! ? This is how I know I have taken everything I have learned since June and applied it in real life without even trying.

At the end of November, my 6 month session was quickly coming to an end. I still didn’t feeling 100% confident in myself, so I signed myself up for another 12 week session. I felt I still needed a coach to keep me accountable and carry me through the holidays and these god awful winter months!

At the end of my cut, I was down to 125lbs (from 155lbs on May 1st, 2019 – 5lbs on my own, 25lbs with Stronger U) and had gone from a size 12 to a size 6! I FAR surpassed my goal and what I ever thought was imaginable. It’s still hard to believe. Stronger U is a game changer. This program came into my life when I needed it and I only hope to pay it forward to someone else who’s struggling in their weight loss journey and with their relationship with food.

I’m now in maintenance, which means I’m no longer losing weight and I have learned how to effectively maintain this weight for life. Weight will always fluctuate from day to day, so I typically hover anywhere between 125 and 128 lbs.

If my weight loss journey sounds anything like yours, I HIGHLY recommend checking out Stronger U. You could also find some benefit from listening to my friend Morgan speak on her journey HERE. I’d be happy to be a support system for anyone who’s ready to take a chance on themselves! I promise you the $$ spent is well worth it. There is NO price tag for your health and happiness! ??Thanks for reading!

~Alison xoxo