Stopping the Yo-yo Weight Loss: My Journey To Date

So many people have been there. Yo-yo dieting and weight loss. How do you stop the cycle?


For me, I ever only had the extra 5 or 6 pounds to worry about losing through most of my teen years. As a teenager, I was never truly happy with my body. I never felt 'skinny' enough. Looking back now, I of course see the ridiculousness of that. I was focusing on the wrong idea. I never really considered health and fitness. That was for people who really needed to lose weight to be skinny. That was my thought anyway. It never occurred to me that fit was way better than skinny.

At 19 to 22 years old, I was happy with my body. I'd had my oldest daughter and lost all the baby weight in about a year and a half. I was wearing a size 3 most days but never more than a size 5. I didn't exercise, ever. I thought I looked just fine and all was right with my world.

Me at 22, thin but not fit. Oh, yeah, and smoking... ugh.

Then I met my husband. A few months into our relationship I started gaining weight. I of course chalked it up to being in a relationship, being happy, not really keeping a good eye on what I ate, stress, hormones, birth control, and on, and on, and on. Two years and 40 pounds later, I was diagnosed with PCOS. (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) That's when the real fun began.

Me at 24, forty pounds heavier, and recently diagnosed with PCOS.

I immediately tried every diet known to man. I would lose 10 or 11 pounds and then gain it back. No matter what diet I tried. Weight Watchers, Low Carb, South Beach, etc...

11 years and two more kiddos later... I began to think I would never be thin again. I had started running and lost some weight right away but then just maintained. I kept up the running and yo-yo'd some more.

February of 2011

Spring of 2011 came and brought the world of running groups into my life. I started taking running more seriously. I lost a little more weight and then once again plateaued. However, I knew I was healthier and stronger than I had ever felt before. I could run, like for several miles at a time and I liked it! That felt amazing!

June 18th, 2011 

In January of 2012, we embarked on a crazy health and fitness journey that is mostly documented in this blog. I am pretty confident that changing our diets so drastically will get me to where my body wants and needs to be. When I say drastically, I'm not kidding. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary by taking what we now refer to as the 'Eating Tour of Vegas'. We ate several-course meals every night that we were there. Steak, fois gras, sushi, venison, caramel souffle, creme brulee,  along with wine or mojitoes at every meal. I think I gained 15 pounds that week. Yeah, we like food. A lot. But if we can give all of that up, anyone can.

Between juicing, eating mostly organic, avoiding processed foods for the first time in my life, giving up steak and all other meat besides fish, and focusing on getting fit, I think I may finally have that yo-yo cycle beat. We are not 100% raw or 'clean' by any means. I don't know if we'll ever be there. I really love cheese and Greek yogurt and of course, cake. I still indulge from time to time on things that I know are not good for me. Those foods are now the exception though and will never again be the rule. Then there are some things I know I will just never eat again. I'm good with that.

Fred and I in March after our weight loss challenge ended. I lost 24 pounds and he lost a little over 40.

Since January, I am down 31 pounds as of today. I still have more to go. Fred and I have both continued on our health journey knowing that it's for life. He is down more than 50 pounds now. 

For the first time in a long time, I truly believe that I can and will get where I want to be. Which, by the way, is no longer 'skinny'. I want to be healthy, fit, and strong. If I can get there, so can you! 

Peace, Love, Happiness!

~Bekah