March 21st

Day 21: Mending March
[Day 49: Fitness February]
(Day 80: No Junk Food January)

Welcome day 80 of a healthier life! If you’ve been wondering what I’m doing to obtain my goals this is a good one to read! I’ve had several questions about my diet and exercise plan that have lead me to successfully lose weight. To date I have lost over forty pounds, with a starting ...weight of 207 and a current weight of 165.6. My BMI has gone down from 33.41 categorized as obese to 26.63 which though still puts me in the overweight category- leaves me only eleven pounds away from a NORMAL BMI for my 5’ 6” and 29 year old self! I’ve lost several inches around my waist dropping almost four pant sizes now.

How did I do it?

We live in an age of smart phones and unlimited data- use it wisely, haha! Download a BMI calculator to see where you stand. There are some that will also guide you as to how to find out what your body fat percentage is. It really sets things into perspective when you see the outcome! Also apps such as Noom or My Fitness Pal are really helpful! You can track everything you eat, every exercise you do as well as set weight loss goals and keep a diary of the pounds you shed! Be mindful when setting weight loss goals. It’s great to have an ultimate goal in mind, but I would set my goal in the app at ten pound increments. It made my chances of success to reach ten pounds lost much greater, and with each ten pounds lost I’d reset my goal for another ten. I’ve done a goal rest FIVE times now, which means I’m on my way to loosing fifty pounds!!

Diet?

I was never, NEVER the healthiest eater!! Being single and having no one else to really cook for, I’d often go through a fast food drive through at least five days a week. My work schedule also had me eating over 2,500 calories worth of greasy fatty fast food sometimes as late as 10 or 11 o’clock at night! Cutting out all the fast food, all the junk food and all the ‘extras’ like sugar, butter and unnecessary fat is a huge step in the right direction. AND I MEAN ALL OF FAST FOOD AND JUNK FOOD!! I haven’t had fast food in 80 days now, nor any chips, Cheetos, Doritos, Cheeze-its! I’m an awfully picky eater so finding healthy foods that I liked was a bit difficult. Egg whites, whole grain brown rice, bread and pasta, jello, freeze dried fruits, fruits, vegetables, grilled meats, oatmeal and broth make up my typical diet today. Remember simple substitutions!! Switch your vegetable/canola oils for extra virgin olive oil. Use Pink Himalayan salt over regular table salt (more minerals!). Use pepper and spices to season over condiments. Change your salad dressings to vinegars (balsamic is awesome!). DON’T BE AFRAID TO LOOK AT THE NUTRITION FACT ON THE BACK OF THE PACKAGE! Try to eat at regular times and before 8 o’clock at night. Don’t eat just because food is around, eat when your body tells you it’s hungry! If possible, eat slowly so that your brain has time to tell you that you’re full! USE suggested serving sizes- it’s difficult at first because we tend to over eat, but portion control is key! Have ‘treats’ every now and then.

Exercise?

I never thought there was enough time in the day. I was constantly running around from work, to family and friend evens to sleep… Always exhausted, never enough hours to complete everything I wanted to. TRUST ME- as an adamant ‘I don’t want to work out’ person, exercise will not only help you lose weight it will improve your overall quality of life! You will sleep better and have more stamina. But wait, that time problem again… Chances are you take at LEAST 20 minutes a day to watch television. Are you sitting on the couch? GET UP!!! Grab yourself some weights or cans of beans and move around! Do sit ups, push-ups, lunges, crunches and work out your arms. Even walk in place or hold some yoga poses. I use this 20-30 minute TV work out on weekdays and on weekends I use my Jillian Michaels shred DVD (she will kick your ass the first few times). It may not be much, but it works for me. I refuse at this time to buy a gym membership. If my butt can’t get off the couch at home and work out than chances are I’m not going to drive to a gym somewhere and pretend I know how to use the machines, haha!

It’s all pretty simple when it boils down; I’m applying what we all earned in health class as kids. Eat healthy, portion control and exercise. I wish I could say it was just some magic pill, or win the lotto for a quick and easy lypo… but I didn’t put all the weight on in one day and it sure won’t all come off overnight. The best part is that I’m still in awe that working on changing my physical appearance has done some much good for my spiritual and inner self. Do it for you and Do it TODAY! The saddest regret in life is the wondering of what could have been. Don’t let that wonder be another part of your day. It first starts off as your desire, which leads to others being inspired- be in inspiration!

The MOST rewarding of this whole journey will be happening in fifty days! Last September when I visited Gettysburg my overweight self felt awkward and uncomfortable. When I planned my trip for this coming May I promised myself I would be healthier before I returned. Oh, and that other little thing happening in May which is me turning 30!! LOL!

Thank you all! Each of you has continued to inspire, motivate and excite me to continue this journey! You’ve kept me honest with myself too! I have forty-five more days left that I will be sharing this journey with you! Here’s to knocking off those last eleven pounds before my finial post!