Where to start. I have been on the phentermine for 2 whole weeks now. My beginning weight 2 weeks ago was 271. My current weight is 259.6. Definitely making some great progress! I don't feel like it is coming off quite as quickly and I am putting a lot more work into it. It could be because I do weigh quite a bit less than the last time. Still I am seeing the progress and not feeling discouraged. This is the lightest I have been in about 8 years! I started out in a size 24 and those are beyond loose now. A month or so ago I purchased a couple nice pairs of jean capri's from a yard sale page in a size 22 and a size 20. I put the 22's on this morning and they were falling off. Put the 20's on and they fit perfectly! I can't believe I've already dropped two sizes like that! It feels unbelievably great. I'm also to the point where I am going to have to put my wedding ring away for now since it keeps slipping down to my knuckle.

I have been going to the Y 4-5 times a week. Right now mostly walking and elliptical. When I don't make it to the Y and even on some days that I do, I have been doing a Walk Away the Pounds video from YouTube. I like walking but I am really feeling like switching things up and adding some other things in. Thinking about a group fitness class. Kick boxing looks fun!
Food is the part I struggle with the most. I don't feel like I have a good handle on it at all. I am doing just fine staying away from junk but when it comes to nutrition and a balanced meal I don't know which end is up. I just go buy a lot of produce and hope for the best. I think I could really benefit from visiting with a dietician or a nutritionist. I am going to ask about it at my next appointment. I feel like if I don't get it figured out, sooner or later I am going to hit a very hard plateau and not know what to do to get out of it.

I haven't even looked to see when the last time I posted on here was. A while that's for sure! Last fall I got all the way back down to 266 on my own but then totally gorged myself over the holidays and went all the way back up to 283. I started over at the beginning of the year watching what I ate. I also got my Y membership back but haven't done a thing with it. Diet alone I have managed to get back into the 268-272 range. It fluctuates from day to day depending on what I eat. I finished up breastfeeding a few weeks ago and I am currently on day two of phentermine. I'm feeling very excited to see what my result will be this time. I was already on the low end of my average this morning at 268. My doctor set a 10 lb goal for the next month but I lost 20 lbs the first month I took it before and I want to hit that (or more) again. That would be SO huge for me! I started back at the Y again today and walked the track for 30 minutes and did a mile and a half or so then jumped on the elliptical and hit a mile in just over 15 minutes. Definitely very out of shape and was getting passed by people more than twice my age on the track. I am not supposed to do any super strenuous work out right now since my calorie intake is so low but I love walking and would like to get back up to speed walking and jogging and who knows, maybe one day running! So here I am back at it again. I need to take and post my before pictures but haven't had a chance yet. Soon!

Well here I am almost a year later with a beautiful 2 month old baby girl. Big detour on the weight loss train but slowly getting back to it. I am full time breastfeeding at the moment so not making any huge diet changes right now. The breastfeeding does seem to be helping me get the weight off this time unlike last time. It is a very slow loss but it has been steady. I didn't lose a single pound the entire time I breastfed last time so I am happy with the progress. I started tracking my weight again on August 3rd and since since then I have lost 11.8 lbs. The good news is that I am not starting out at almost 300 lbs this time! I am 269 lbs, which is only 7 lbs from the 262 I was last fall. Some of me wishes I could quit breastfeeding and hit this full tilt but this is probably my last baby and I can't bring myself to give it up just yet. My first big goal is to hit 250 and I am hoping to do that by the beginning of the year. At this time I can't afford a Y membership again so I will be trying to get myself back in the habit of walking. I have already started doing tons of crunches again to shrink my mid section. I need to do something with my fat arms but they are so weak right now I can't even do a push up.

I am not abandoning my weight loss journey but on Nov 7th (the day after my last post) I found out that I am pregnant with our third baby. It wasn't expected at this time but it's a very welcome surprise. So I'm not done but I am on hiatus right now. :) Baby Bartlett #3 is due around July 13, 2014 and I am 9 weeks now. :)

Progress pictures front view

30 lbs lost 11/6/13

20 lbs lost 10/8/13

Progress pictures side view

20 lbs lost 10/8/13

30 lbs lost 11/6/13

30 lbs!

Today I hit 30 lbs lost! 262 lbs. :) I think the last time I was in this weight range was probably about 6m-1 year after we got married and it just ballooned from there. I am SO close to hitting the 250's and I never thought I would see those again. Tomorrow after I find out what Ryan's schedule for the week is I am going to call and schedule a follow up appointment with my doctor and get my last months worth of phentermine. I am really not all that sure how much of my loss is the phentermine and how much of it is really just hard work and determination.

It's been pretty cool out so I have started going back to the Y instead of walking. Tonight I walked the track and it was totally packed out. I power walked it and felt super proud of myself because I was passing and lapping people that were obviously much smaller than I am. I am far from being in perfect shape but I honestly feel like I am in the best shape I have ever been in. It feels really good to be taking care of myself like this. I am determined to hit 250 lbs by the end of the year and anything on top of that would be icing on the cake. So I will have a month and a half to deal with 12 more pounds. I can do that! I really think I might be in the 240's by the end of the year. I'm really hoping to be into the 250's next week when I go for my doctor's appointment too.