The end of one journey, the start of another.

Wow. This is it.

A little over three months ago, I started this blog with an open mind, a hopeful heart, and a spirit full of determination. Now, here I am, headed back to my junior year of college, almost 14 pounds lighter. But the physical change doesn't even compare to the mental strength I've gained.

Before this summer, I had never worked out on a regular basis. I'd gone into almost every summer since middle school aiming to lose weight, but getting frustrated and giving up again and again. So lately I've been asking myself: What made me stick to it this time? Honestly, I'm not sure. I think something finally just clicked and I realized that I needed to make a change in order to really be happy with myself. And maybe as I've gotten older, my will power has gotten stronger and I've realized that success only comes from hard work. This time, I was prepared to put in the work and not just skate through life hoping something would change.

It took a lot of patience. Some tears. A lot of sweat. But I did it. I took myself from overweight to healthy. And gained so much confidence. Surprisingly, the confidence didn't really come from the numbers on the scale. It came from the knowledge that I had the power to make myself better, and I was doing it! I pushed through the difficult days. I fell and got back up so many times. And, in the end, it was all worth it.

But, of course, this isn't the end of my health journey. It's just the beginning. This summer really laid the foundation for a healthy lifestyle that I hope to continue forever. I now understand how rewarding and amazing it is to be active, eat right, and treat your body with respect. So, here I go. Embarking on Part II of the journey, a.k.a. the rest of my life. I plan on getting super active back at school, keeping up with my workouts, and preparing healthy meals every day. Off I go! Wish me luck :)

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I can't end this blog without giving a huge thank you to everyone who's helped me and supported me along the way!

• Josh - thanks for being my most faithful reader, my rock, and my biggest fan. 
• My parents - thanks for being so supportive and always doing your best to support my healthy lifestyle.
• My friends - thank you for being so inspirational and letting me be a part of your own special health journeys.
•  YOU - yes, you, reader! I was so surprised and honored to get over 4500 views on my page this summer. Thanks for being one of those 4500 clicks! Thanks for reading my rants, raves, and occasionally decent posts. Thanks for reaching out to me via Facebook to offer support, or just silently supporting by reading every once in a while. I loved every second I spent working on this blog, and I sincerely hope you got something out of it :)

If you're really going to miss me and my posts, I've got some good news for ya. I'm going to keep blogging :) Not every day, and not all about fitness, but I promise there will be health updates, in addition to fashion, DIY, and food posts! And of course my occasional diatribes and ramblings, don't you worry ;) Please read, subscribe, and comment, if you'd like. And, most importantly, keep being beautiful you.

CLICK HERE to visit my new, permanent blog! :) 

All the love in the world,
Ellen ♥