1 year later

A couple months ago I finally reached my goal of 135 pounds. I started October 30th of last year and their were many times I wanted to quit because it felt like it was taking forever. When I stopped focusing on the scale and more on how I felt, it got easier. The pilot asked me a very good question the day I told him I weighed 135 -
"Now What?"
To be honest I don't think any one plan will work for everyone. You have to figure out what works for you and what you want to do the rest of your life. For me it was cutting out red meat and pork. I exercise 5 days a week and I still have ice cream and chocolate cupcakes when I want.  I finally found workouts that I truly enjoy, the classes are small, I meet new people, and I enjoy a paid friendship with the instructors.  I eat healthy 95% of the time and have cut down on going out to eat. We still go but are more informed about calorie content and sodium. I weigh myself every other day but only to make sure I stay on track. The key for me was to find a balance. I want to eat healthy, I want to be able to run around with my son and feel good about myself. I think each person finds what that is for them self, as long as your happy thats really what matters. Making time to be healthy and fit is important to me and when I do that I've noticed I'm happier and more confident. I don't beat myself up if I have greasy pizza or ice cream, I enjoy them for the treats they are and move on.
So Now What? Well I keep working out which I enjoy. I keep eating healthy and teach my son healthy habits. And I still go to our favorite ice cream shop Sweet Cow on occasion to enjoy my favorite strawberry ice cream.
Whats your first step?

Blendtastic

I have to admit this is by far the best appliance purchase we have ever made. I bought this online from Costco 2 weeks ago and have used it 60 times. Thats about an average of 4 times a day. Several years ago when we saw a representative trying to sell a Vitamix Blender, I told the pilot that it was just an overpriced blender. Boy was I completely wrong. This blender is a blender on steroids!! We can make soups, smoothies, ice cream, pancakes, syrup, hummus, mocha frapuccinos, almond butter, sauces, spreads, marinades, whole juice, and the list goes on and on. Yesterday for breakfast we had a smoothie with orange, pineapple, carrot, spinach, pineapple juice and ice. My son loved it and he didn't even know he was drinking vegetables. At dinner time we had broccoli cheddar soup that took 90 seconds to make and for dessert we made blueberry soft serve ice cream. What I really love about this blender is I know all the ingredients that are going into my meals. No preservatives, very low in sodium and low in calories, but incredibly delicious.
What changed my mind is one day my friend came over and mentioned it. Since the pilot was home that day we spent an entire day on youtube watching blenderdude. He demonstrates the uses of the Blend tec and Vitamix. He doesn't say which is better he just shows that they make the same things. Its really based on your preference which one you like better. You can also make your own blizzards with the twister jar, we discovered we could make our own s'mores blizzards with vanilla ice cream, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Not the healthiest option but it was AWESOME!!
If you are thinking at all that this is something you'd use, check it out at Costco online. We saved $170 over the retail price. It is definitely the most we've spent on this type of appliance, but it was worth it.