Winter Weight Loss Challenge RESULTS

The results are in!

I lost.

But did I?

No. I didn't lose, because at the end of the day, I'm 100% healthier than I was 8 weeks ago, and so is my family. This wasn't about the money (okay, maybe an extra $700 in my wallet could've bought a nice new industrial paper cutter) -- it was about getting back on track with eating healthy and being active. 

I have to remind myself that I had a baby less than 7 months ago. The kid doesn't even sit up on his own yet, he's still that young. To expect that I could bounce back to my pre-pregnancy weight right away, was highly unrealistic. Other women can do it.. but not me. I'm 34 and am on baby #3, not to mention, I have bad genes. 

The reality is that I have to WORK for it. Like, really hard. There are no easy outs -- not for me, not for anyone. If you can lose 20% of your body weight in less than 8 weeks, chances are, you're gonna gain it all back in half of that time. 

Slow and steady is how I plan on winning this race. So even though our challenge is over and I didn't come out with the win, I still plan on sticking with it until I get to where I want to be. 

That being said, here are my final results:

Starting weight: 139.6 lbs.
Week #1 weigh in: 133.8 lbs.
Week #2 weigh in: 131.9 lbs.
Week #3 weigh in: 137.0 lbs.
Week #4 weigh in: 134.4 lbs.
Week #5 weigh in: 134.4 lbs.
Week #6 weigh in: 132.6 lbs.
Week #7 weigh in: 130 lbs.
Week #8 weigh in: 127.8 lbs.
FINAL: -11.8 lbs.
Percentage Lost: 8.45%

BEFORE: January 23, 2015

AFTER: March 22, 2015

So there you have it. 8 weeks and 11.8 lbs later, I'm well on my way to my goal weight of 120 lbs. 

The journey is far from being over, but I'm happy to say that I survived this challenge and proved to myself that hard work really does pay off.

And just an FYI, my husband ended up taking home the pot! He went from 199.2 lbs down to 179.8 lbs. with a total weight loss of 19.4 lbs (9.74%). Oh, and did I mention that he looks HOT?! :)

(I'd post his pics, but he'd probably murder me)

I hope this journey helps inspire people (especially new moms) to just go after it. Even if it's just a little bit at a time. Small changes can make a world of difference in the long run!