Before & After

Myself, my nephew Ryan & sister Rachelle in November 2004.

My husband & I in Newport Beach in September 2005.

Sometime in 2005.

The week before Paul deployed to Iraq February 2006 compared to December 2009.

December 2009

January 2010

So there are some before & after pictures of all my hard work! I've always struggled with my weight & in 2004 after I was diagnosed with PCOS I started taking fertility meds to try & get pregnant...the only thing I had to show for it was weight gain & being completely miserable. I was at a point where I had gained so much that I didn't care anymore so I didn't eat the way I should have nor did I exercise. I ended up ballooning into 220 lbs by the end of 2004 & pretty much stayed that way until my husband left for his first deployment in February 2006, we still weren't pregnant & I was a wreck! I was determined to lose weight while he was gone because I knew that it would help with my PCOS & I would have better chances getting pregnant if I did. I lost 45 lbs & got back down the the weight I was married at, 175 lbs. I ended up getting pregnant completely naturally the week he got home, literally! I gained 60 lbs during my first pregnancy because it was the first time in my life I didn't feel like I had to watch what I ate...boy was I wrong! After I had Kyler, I worked out & watched what I ate, I had lost 40 lbs by the time Kyler was 8 months old & then found out I was expecting again. I didn't know what to think because I wasn't ready, I was on b/c & still got pregnant...so I knew that God had a plan but I was very confused. It was March 2008 & we were all preparing for our 2nd deployment, my husband was set to leave in July. I went home & cried, not that I didn't want to have another baby but I was so shocked & didn't know what I would do trying to raise a baby on my own & eventually two! Welp...we made it through this last deployment & my husband finally returned home when our daughter was 3 months old & Kyler was 20 months old. We are so much stronger for making it through this last deployment, it's unreal! You'd think being apart for 7 months you'd grow so much alone that it would be really hard to stay close...but for some reason it isn't like that for us, I know it's God! I was determined to not gain as much weight with Alannah like I did with Kyler, & I only gained 35 lbs! So I was 220 lbs when I went in for my c-section, I got a personal trainer after I had her, having 2 c-sections take a serious toll on your stomach muscles! I got down to 185 lbs when my husband had got home February 28, 2009, I thought for sure that I wasn't going to be able to lose weight once he got home, because you get comfortable. I still watched what I ate & worked out more than I ever have before & I wanted to keep on pushing myself passed my "limits" & I did it! My goal was to be 155 lbs by December 31, 2009, which I haven't been since I was a Freshman in High School! I met my goal on December 17, 2009 & couldn't have been more excited or proud of myself for not giving up & even though I gained a few pounds here & there to just keep pushing & start over again tomorrow. I couldn't be more thrilled that I can now say I'M HEALTHY, I'M HAPPY & for the first time in a very long time I FEEL GORGEOUS!!! I hope that I can be an inspiration to others...I won't promise you that it is easy...because it isn't at all, but it's totally worth it. I've had 2 children & feel & look better than I ever have before. I refuse to let PCOS rule my body & I will not ever let myself be defined by PCOS, nor will I use it as a crutch any longer! I have conquered PCOS & my weight loss goals! I know that I do have to watch what I eat for the rest of my life or I will "get fat" again. I don't say "get fat" derogatorily at all but I've been there & I know that's how people saw me for the most part of my life, a "fat girl". I've learned as much as I can about PCOS & have learned how to care properly for myself. Does it suck, sure. But how much better of a life I have now, because I didn't let it run me & I didn't complain about it all the time & I took control of MY LIFE! I now believe anyone really can lose weight if they want it bad enough & are determined to NEVER GIVE UP! My motto this whole last year was "Just keep swimming...just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..." from Finding Nemo & it will be my motto for the rest of my life in every area of my life! My new goals for 2010 are to run a 10k with my husband before he deploys this year & to completely transform my body. I want to be fit & toned...Jillian Michaels here I come! I know I can & will do this!!!