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A Year in Pictures...

I just finished a 38-hour fast. I had never fasted that long before, and I don't plan on making it a habit but, after a 5-day fun and food fest in New Orleans with my family for Christmas, I felt the need to do something drastic to get back on track.

Going a day and a half without food was actually much easier than I thought it would be. Perhaps this is because I've grown accustomed to going 16-18 hours without food daily anyway - of all the things that taking on intermittent fasting, a la Leangains, has taught me is that I can control what I eat and when I eat it.

I was traveling home yesterday and have to admit that the airport was the hardest for me. We had nearly a 2-hour delay in which I watched the folks around me scoff ice cream, cinnamon rolls, po-boys and all manner of chips and pretzels while I was inundated by amazingly delicious smells all around me. Then, when I finally boarded the plane, the man next to me pulled out an industrial size bag of trail mix - one of my favorites, but currently not on my menu. I hunkered down, drank a ton of water, and read.

When I got home and went to bed, I wasn't even hungry. In fact, I wasn't hungry when I woke up either. At hour 36, I stopped for coffee since it was 22 degrees outside, but I didn't like how it tasted with half & half, so I threw it out. I LOVE half & half...what is happening to me?

Is this because of the past month where I've gone somewhat primal and gave up dairy? I don't like the taste of it now - or the way it coats my mouth. Yuck.

Anyway, I digress...for lunch I got a rotisserie chicken - which I barely ate any of because it was ungodly overcooked and dry as the bones within the poor, darkened bird. Instead, I enjoyed a heaping salad with EVOO and Balsamic vinegar and a pint of strawberries.

When I get home and look in the mirror, I'm somewhat dismayed to see that while I have new lines in my legs and the front of my thighs, my pooch of a belly looks BIGGER. UGH! According to a dear friend, this happens when everything else is getting smaller before the belly shrinks. Let's hope the belly is next to go.

So, I took some photos and wasn't really happy - that is until I looked back at the past year's worth of photos I've taken. When I look back from January to this week, I can clearly see my progress. It hasn't been as rapid as I would have liked, nor as drastic - nonetheless it's there. So, for all the rest of you out there who are working toward fat loss and finding it's taking longer than you had hoped, check out the photos below and have faith that, if you stick with your plan, you will see dramatic changes in your body.

Happy New Year everyone and cheers! Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint!

January 15 - When my IF Journey began...















February 15th
















March


















April - bathing suit shopping...and I thought I looked good then...lol



















May























August























Mid-November in Costa Rica























December 27th - After a weekend pig-fest in New Orleans...still looking ok...




























Me in January 2011 vs. January 2012....






























I wasn't diligent in taking pics of my back...but here's Jan v. December. They are mirror images because the one with the sportsbra was taken by someone and the other was taken by me in a mirror a few days ago. The lighting is also totally different in each, so it doesn't look like much has changed.
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Comments

James M said…
That's quite the transformation! I've been feeling a bit down because it seems like my stomach is still the same while everything else is shifting, so I was glad to see your progression. I've been feeling a lot better doing the intermittent fasting and will have to keep it up to get some changes happening.

Oh, and for the record, I thought you looked good in that April pic, too. ;)
December 30, 2011 at 12:54 AM
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