My Weight Loss Journey: 9 months later...

In the beginning of November, I "went low-carb." Read all about it here.
To make a long story short:

• I started in the first week of November 2012.
• I had 12 cheat days over Christmas break {and was already/still down 8 lbs!}
• I started working out in January 2013
• I remained consistent with my low-carb diet 
• I was down 25ish pounds on my wedding day!!!!! {04.27.13}

Thanks to some great friends and their help/advice with their successful experiences losing weight/living life eating low-carb {shout out to Samantha & Laura!}, I learned a thing or two.

I learned it was possible & did not have to be excruciating!

I learned I could have one cheat day a week & it wouldn't hurt me at all.

I learned I can still have pizza, and ice cream, and chocolate, and cheese, and bacon, and a ton of other yummy things! 

In January, I also learned that somewhere along the way my pancreas decided to {hopefully temporarily} quit working.

A high-fat diet was the only *guess* as to what could have caused it.

I am not so sure anymore.

Just for the record, the medical bill was not worth sticking around for the specialist to come take a guess at the cause.

Lesson learned. 

I consistently ate under 20 carbs a day for six days a week.

When I tell people that, it blows their mind!

Apparently that's not a lot?! 

I now know that everyone's carb tolerance is different.

One person may be able to consumer 60 carbs a day & maintain their weight, another person may be able to eat 80, while some may only be able to eat 40.

Everyone's different & I was recommended to slowly start introducing carbs back into my diet and figuring out what my specific carb tolerance was.

I didn't do that. 

After our wedding day, we went to Jamaica, and ate, and ate, and ate.

And we went home, and didn't really look at what we were eating.

Then we semi- counted our calories, but weren't doing anything specific.

...Okay, Alex counted his and I didn't. :)

Meanwhile, I was working out 3-4 days a week consistently, mostly running on the treadmill {2ish miles a day}.

I am proud to say that I have maintained an approximate 20 lb. weight loss!! 

If you know me, you know I'm a picture freak.

It didn't take me long to find some "before" & "after" pics.

Here's some before pictures...yikes! 

I will say it warms my heart to know that Alex proposed to me at my largest. He must really love me! ;)

And now, my "current" pictures...

{I'm hesitant to call them "after" pictures. Hopefully I will be able to do that after this next go-round!}

the night before our wedding ♥

hottie hubby lost 20ish lbs too with low-carb pre-wedding! proud of him!

Yes, that's a bikini! I hadn't worn one of those in 2+ years!

So I said all that to say this...

I am starting round 2 tomorrow! 

I had so much success during round 1 & I've binged long enough to start feeling blah & seeing the number slowly increase. 

For some reason, I have such motivation this time! 

I am not even worried about missing my daily Mello Yello(s) or not eating fast food.

Now, I will have to grocery shop tomorrow.

And I am dreading that more than going on a diet. 

I'll let ya know how it's going and will be posting on Instagram {@nsmullen} some of the yumminess I make! Follow me! :)

Wish me luck & feel free to comment with some advice or encouragement! :)

♥,

Nicole