Prologue:
Around this time six years ago I was in the hospital welcoming my first born. I still to this day am amazed that I was a vessel that brought forth life into the world, and that life runs around spreading cuteness and havoc in her path. Happiest of birthdays to my minkey, you are one of my greatest motivations. I want to be healthy so I can keep up with you and to show you how to be healthy too.
Onto the post...
After seeing The Biggest Loser's winner before and after photo, I figured it was time to share my own in the blog. So here it is, I lost 68lbs over two and a half years. I went from a size 18 to a size 8. I went from not running at all to a 9 minute mile. I started working out just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. I mixed up some kick boxing, weight lifting, and elliptical cardio, whatever sounded good. I started cooking more of my own meals, drinking less soda way more water, and cut out the sweets.
The last four months I've been following a monthly workout calendar developed by a pilates instructor, which you can find here if you are so inclined. Subscribe to her blog, and she emails you the password for the monthly calendars. I love the challenge of trying things I've never done before and seeing how far I can go. I currently workout about an hour in the morning and then add either biking or running cardio at lunch. In the evening, I've been trying a 90 day plank challenge and a 30 day ab challenge, so far only takes a few minutes to do both, as they progress it will take more time, but for now, I'd say total I'm exercising about an hour and a half a day.
I'd say my daily calorie range is around 1500-1600. I haven't been paying as close attention to how many calories I'm eating because I've been more focused on what kind of meals I am preparing. If I load up my meal with veggies and a normal portion of protein, I'm not worried about calories because I know am eating right, if I'm partaking a meal that isn't super healthy, then I pay closer attention to portion and calories because it is too easy to over do it. Cut your plate in half when you eat out if you're not eating something listed as "lite fare" or if it has the calories posted for you. Even with the calories posted you will often be eating half just to get a more normal portion.
I probably spent between three to six weeks in the beginning being slightly neurotic about logging food and figuring out how to eat through out the day so that I wouldn't feel hungry. Eating, for me, was the huge learning curve. Exercise comes easy, I'm not built for all types, but I am built to move. I enjoy working up a sweat, no joke, its exhilarating and makes me feel alive. My dietary choices are still something that I will have to work on for the rest of my days. I have a kind of all or nothing willpower when it comes to sweets, especially chocolate. I can succeed at abstinence, but if I try and do the moderation thing, like just one piece of chocolate candy it's akin to opening the flood gates and before I know it, the chocolate box is empty. We all have different issues that got us to our before picture, but we can all work towards our after pictures. With some support and some sweat, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
On a final note about before and after pictures, the important thing I'd like to note about mine is this. In both pictures I am happy with myself. In my before picture, I weighed more than I'd like, but I was happily married and had a healthy two year old. I worked at a job I enjoyed and was having a good time with my bible study group. I'm about to participate in a pie eating contest in that picture. In my after picture, I am still happy with myself, I'm still happily married, I have a healthy six year old, I still enjoy my job, and in the after picture I'm wearing my Christmas gift from my husband, new workout clothes. The thing that separates the two pictures is the 2.5 years of daily choosing to stay on a path towards better health, but I celebrated all the in between victories, all the five pounds lost, the ten pounds lost. The first major goal, the 4% of body weight lost in a month, the last weight goal, the first time I did a pull up. Life is worth celebrating, every step of the way, but celebrating doesn't always mean pulling up to the buffet and thwarting all your hard work. I've tried to find other ways besides food to celebrate achievements, new clothes being my most favorite, but whatever moves you is the key.
Epilogue:
I'm no nutritional expert or doctor, but to lose 155 pounds in seven months, sounds unhealthy for most people. If she's happy and healthy, I have nothing but respect for the work she put in. However, for most of us, that is an unrealistic goal. Fortunately, we have more than seven months time to achieve what we are after and it is worth more than you could ever imagine. If you are working towards a stronger and healthier version of you, here's an internet hug from me to you (((HUG)))! You can do it, I believe in you! If you ever want to ask me anything about what I write about, or life in general, or want to share your achievements, please feel free to message me! <3
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