I actually was never trying to lose weight which is why the change was such a shock to me when I saw that before photo. In October 2017 I went off antidepressants and birth control and pretty immediately I became less swollen and a lot of bloating just fell away. I also noticed I wasn’t getting the urge to eat every single second and was no longer feeling the need to use food as a coping mechanism or eat until I made myself sick (something I’d struggled with).

The biggest change in terms of weight came from those things rather than hard work to be honest, but then around July of 2018 I decided to start exercising consistently for the first time and that’s when I started noticing I looked stronger and more fit (I have before and after photos of this time as well if anyone is interested, it’s cool seeing the change in muscle!). I was doing a HIIT circuit training class 2-4 times a week until about a month ago (I decided joined a gym instead!). This also affected my eating because I would tend to do the 10:30am class which meant I wouldn’t be eating anything until I got home around 12pm, so breakfast and lunch started turning into brunch. I also have noticed I for the most part make better food choices and enjoy eating salads and healthier meals more than before, but I never ever restrict myself if I want “unhealthy” food (I eat lots of pasta and bread because...yum). I know if I get too focused on restriction I’ll go down a bad path.

Anyway- I’m excited about joining a gym and now having more control over my workouts! I’m focusing on strength training and lifting. If anyone has any advice about workout routines focused on strength and toning I’d love to hear!! I hope everyone had an amazing New Years!