Today is a new day!

Today is the first day I will share with the world my issues with being overweight and getting married. I will first give you a little history about who I am and why I started this blog in the first place.

My name is Laura and I was born and raised in Michigan. I was a skinny little kid - cute as a button. The summer between my 6th & 7th grade years though, I developed something along the lines of pubescent epilepsy. I suffered from seizures that affected the right side of my face, thought process and vocal cords. I was doped up tons of epileptic drugs that beefed me up to a hefty 225 pounds in 3 months. TWO HUNDRED and TWENTY FIVE pounds. Can you imagine being in the 7th grade weighing over 200 lbs? It was torture. I hated everything about myself. I weighed over 200 until 9th grade. That summer, I starved myself. I got myself down to 150 and for the first time in 2 years, thought something of myself. I got off the drugs my 9th grade year and haven't had a seizure since.

I went to college and slowly started gaining some of that weight back. When I graduated, I weighed just over 200. I met the man of my dreams shortly after I graduated college and slowly started gaining even more weight. I yo-yo'd between 200-250 for the last 6 years of my life.

All of that needs to change now. That man of my dreams proposed to me this Christmas. My immediate thoughts were nothing but happiness. I found the one man I want to be with forever. We'd made it. We were going to get married. But then, I started thinking about all of the pictures and how I would avoid the camera or dress shopping and where I could even go as a size 18 to try on a freaking wedding dress? I started working out. I start most days with a nice 1.5 mile walk with the dog. I come to work and on good days, get to go to the gym at my work on my lunch. There, I either walk/run on the treadmill or use the elliptical for 30 minutes then do about 15-20 minutes of weight training. On REALLY good days, I will go home, get dinner started and get on the elliptical in the basement for another 30 minutes.

Things are going... they are slow. I've lost about 15lbs since Christmas. Okay, okay. That's a lot of weight, but when you're 250 lbs to start, that's not enough. Not for me.

So that's where this blog comes in. I need support. I need people to cheer me on and hold me accountable. Otherwise, I'll just get frustrated and want to eat that chocolate bar or 4 slices of pizza (bacon & mushroom please).

So, if you've stumbled across this blog and can look past my terrible grammar and poor writing style - stick with me. I'm going to share as much as I can... This is my story of being an overweight bride to be that is determined to be the best she can for her soon to be husband and family, but most of all, herself.

PS - today, I ran/walked 2 miles in the gym at lunch and it hurt like a bitch. BUT, I ran the fastest I'd ever run... 9 minute mile!! That's crazy. My freakin legs hurt and I could hardly breathe, but I made myself keep going :) More tomorrow.