Changes are Coming {and Hey, They've Already Happened!}

In advance, I am thanking you for allowing me this indulgence. I don't typically put a ton of pictures of myself up on the blog, and there is good reason for that. First, it's not easy to get photographs of myself, as I typically ride my bike alone. Additionally, I prefer not to have pictures of me taken as I don't want to be reminded of my chubby cheeks or any other rolls that appear on my body.

As some may be aware, I started a five month journey to bettering myself in April (it started slightly earlier than that, but my "official" start on the blog was April 1). Right now, I'm almost through month four, and I have struggled {sometimes more than I'd like to admit}with not having tangible results. Working out several hours a day and eating a controlled calorie diet isn't the difficult part, as that is simply a lifestyle shift, rather than a "diet." But, as anyone who has ever battled to lose weight will attest, it isn't easy.  Feeling like I'm working so hard for nothing is difficult. What is easy, however, is to question what I am doing wrong, or why things aren't happening quicker. I fight nearly daily with these thoughts, but thus far my stubbornness has won out.

As I was browsing through some photos from the beginning of the year, I happened upon a photo I had taken of myself. I don't recall what exactly the photo was for, or why I had taken it, but I immediately thought, "I should take another one now to see if there's any kind of difference." Mind you, I was sweating, and smelly, unmake-up-ed, etc, but I just wanted to see for myself some tiny, small change. To my surprise, I actually noticed a difference. The photos aren't exactly the same, but I think they tell a story that hard work does in fact pay off... even if it isn't necessarily all on the scale or with the tape measure.

While part of me thinks I should have waited to post this until the first of the month check in, I was just so excited to see some kind of change that I had to do it now. Although it's not a huge difference, and I have a very long way to go, I have to admit that I feel so much better than the woman in the photo from earlier this year. Thanks to bicycles and kickboxing, I believe that even if I'm never tiny {which isn't in my DNA, so I won't be}, I can be strong, capable, and fit.

Thanks for letting me share my excitement! :O)