HALFWAY!
That's right, I halfway to my goal weight.
I started this whole process weighing 190, with an end goal to be 150.
And I have now lost 20 pounds.
Here's what I've learned so far in this journey:
1.) Routine is my friend.
It used to be impossible to wake up and do a workout, I would frequently just hit snooze and go back to sleep. But after months of making myself get up and do it, my body now wakes up automatically at 5am ready to do whatever workout is on the agenda.
There's a theory that it takes 21 days to create a habit. So I'm hoping not to ever break this habit and have to start again.
2.) Counting calories is vital.
Especially before I learned how many calories my favorite foods had in them. I am on a 1,200 calorie diet, meaning that my food intake and exercise combination needs to equal 1,200 or less at the end of the day. And, following that, I can watch the scale continue to give me smaller and smaller numbers. I use LoseIt to keep track, so I don't have to keep a mental running tab.
3.) Accountable friends give me strength.
My husband is very supportive of my goal and proud of my dedication. He eats whatever meal I make for dinner, even if it means brown rice and a lot more veggies than usual. But that doesn't mean he's about to do a Jillian Michael's ab workout with me, or head to the pool at 6:30 Friday morning to swim laps.
However, I have other friends that share my determination to get in good physical shape. Strong, admirable women that want to come swimming with me, train to run a 5K with me, or just text me to tell me their pride in drinking 3 tumblers of water that day.
4.) A cheat and rest day keep me sane.
Sunday is my day of rest. I don't do an intense workout, I don't wake up at 5:00am, and I allow myself to indulge in the foods I want. The knowledge that Sunday I get to do that, helps keep me strong through the rest of the week. And, since I spend 6 days keeping my meals moderate, even on my cheat day I don't go overboard.
5.) Progress pictures show you everything the scale can't.
I weigh in almost every morning and track my weight faithfully. But the number on the scale can't show me what I can clearly see in pictures.
When I first decided to collage some pictures I was shocked to see the difference in my arms.
I knew my waist had gotten smaller, I could tell when I was getting dressed, but I had no idea that I had lost a couple inches of fat from my arms.
And I was supremely excited to see it!
I still have work to do, and a ways to go, but I am so proud of myself right now, and I no longer cringe when I catch a glimpse in the mirror. I know the next 20 pounds will be tougher to get rid of, but I can't wait to compile the before and after images then!
I started this whole process weighing 190, with an end goal to be 150.
And I have now lost 20 pounds.
WOOOO-HOOOO!
 |
| Left: April 2013 Right: January 2014 |
Here's what I've learned so far in this journey:
1.) Routine is my friend.
It used to be impossible to wake up and do a workout, I would frequently just hit snooze and go back to sleep. But after months of making myself get up and do it, my body now wakes up automatically at 5am ready to do whatever workout is on the agenda.
There's a theory that it takes 21 days to create a habit. So I'm hoping not to ever break this habit and have to start again.
2.) Counting calories is vital.
Especially before I learned how many calories my favorite foods had in them. I am on a 1,200 calorie diet, meaning that my food intake and exercise combination needs to equal 1,200 or less at the end of the day. And, following that, I can watch the scale continue to give me smaller and smaller numbers. I use LoseIt to keep track, so I don't have to keep a mental running tab.
3.) Accountable friends give me strength.
My husband is very supportive of my goal and proud of my dedication. He eats whatever meal I make for dinner, even if it means brown rice and a lot more veggies than usual. But that doesn't mean he's about to do a Jillian Michael's ab workout with me, or head to the pool at 6:30 Friday morning to swim laps.
However, I have other friends that share my determination to get in good physical shape. Strong, admirable women that want to come swimming with me, train to run a 5K with me, or just text me to tell me their pride in drinking 3 tumblers of water that day.
4.) A cheat and rest day keep me sane.
Sunday is my day of rest. I don't do an intense workout, I don't wake up at 5:00am, and I allow myself to indulge in the foods I want. The knowledge that Sunday I get to do that, helps keep me strong through the rest of the week. And, since I spend 6 days keeping my meals moderate, even on my cheat day I don't go overboard.
5.) Progress pictures show you everything the scale can't.
I weigh in almost every morning and track my weight faithfully. But the number on the scale can't show me what I can clearly see in pictures.
When I first decided to collage some pictures I was shocked to see the difference in my arms.
I knew my waist had gotten smaller, I could tell when I was getting dressed, but I had no idea that I had lost a couple inches of fat from my arms.
And I was supremely excited to see it!
I still have work to do, and a ways to go, but I am so proud of myself right now, and I no longer cringe when I catch a glimpse in the mirror. I know the next 20 pounds will be tougher to get rid of, but I can't wait to compile the before and after images then!
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