| |
|
FITN2010's Recent Blog Entries
|
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Hi everyone!
I have been kinda MIA lately. Work and school have been taking most of my time for the past month. I haven't even really been on Facebook alot...and for those who know me, know thats saying ALOT for me! LOL
I have still been maintaining my weight though. The good thing about lifestyle changes is that when life happens and you becomes crazy busy, it is easier to maintain the healthy habits that you have instituted in your life, as opposed to those temporary changes that you make for a diet.
Everyone please pray for me or put out positive energy in the universe that I receive this scholarship to UGA and am able to attend school full time and not have to deal with this stress of trying to balance school and work for the rest of my quest of obtaining my PhD!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
When I first began leading a healthier lifestyle and trying to lose weight, I started counting calories. Additionally, the diet program that I was on restricted my liquid intake to water, tea, crystal lite, or diet sodas - all having little or no calories.
I have never been a big water drinker and that is something I still struggle with today, but I had some other really bad habits when it came to the things that I drink. I was a huge soda and juice drinker. But you don't realize how many calories those drinks have per serving (often referred to as empty calories) until you start counting calories. Now that I am not on a diet that restricts my liquid intake, I have realized that I still need to keep a close eye on what I drink.
A glass of juice in the morning, milk with cereal, juice or soda at lunch, and juice and soda --or even worse alcohol-- with dinner, depending on how many servings you have can easily equal a few hundred calories - and you haven't even eaten anything yet!!!!! And please don't go to a restaurant and get one of their slushies ; the large sizes of these are easily close to 1,000 calories!!!
Alcohol, especially when following a low carb diet, can have especially negative effects on weight loss. The way alcohol is broken down in the body interrupts the body's normal metabollic processes. The result is, for several hours after consuming alcohol, the amount of fat your body is able to burn decreases by 73%!!! Check out this article for a more in-depth explanation to this phenomenon. www.bodybuilding.com/fun/md19.htm
So, if I were to tell someone what one major key to the success I've had has been it would be watching not only what I eat but what I drink too!
  
Monday, January 04, 2010
Well, on tomorrow it will be a year to the date that I first started living this new healthy lifestyle. On Monday, January 5, 2009, I weighed in at 253lbs and the doctor was very hesitant about me leaving the office without being on medication with my blood pressure clocking in at 150/100. Shortly after, I found out I had a thyroid problem, but it was easily addressed through a low dosage of medication. I began a diet and exercise program through a bariatric doctor. By the end of January, the weight had begun coming off....
I began eating more healthily, exercising almost daily and trying new kinds of food and exercise that I would have never imagined myself trying. The weight continued to come off...
In February, I had a weight loss question and so I searched google and the answer to my question popped up on a website called Sparkpeople.com. On this website, I found a more user friendly calorie tracker than I had been using, a great exercise tracker, good recipes, new exercises, and wonderful supportive groups and people to help motviate me through my lifestyle change and weightloss. The weight continued to come off...
In April, the Spark Georgia Team had a rally and I decided to attend and help out. I was able to meet people from the website, begin a membership to the gym and meet many new friends that would support me along my new journey. The weight continued to come off.....
Some of us who met at the rally, decided to continue meeting monthly to challenge each other through different exercise activities and motivate each other along the way during our journeys of leading new healthier lifestyles. We hiked mountains, walked trails, climbed 600 stairs, shared tips, shared laughs and began geniune friendships. The group was named Risky Fitness Friends (well Divas at first, lol). The weight continued to come off....
I decided to begin the C25K program so I could start running....me, running....who woulda thunk it, lol. In May, I'd lost 50 pounds and left the 200 pound mark. In August, I left the BMI category of obese and entered the overweight BMI category, after begining at only 1 point away from being severely obese in January. In August, just as motivation, I decided to try on a size 12 jeans and to my delight, I could actually fit in them after being in as large as a size 22 jeans! Additionally, when getting fitted for a bra, my bandsize had decreased from a 44 to a 38. The weight continued to come off....
People comment on my weight loss all the time and actually say that I inspire them - wow, what a feeling and an honor! In total, I lost 61 pounds during 2009. and perhaps most importanly for my health, I now have a consistent normal blood pressure! In the last few months of 2009, I slacked off a little and have been fluctuating in my weight a little, but the weight WILL continue to come off in 2010.
So, my Spark People screen name is Fitn2010 and I think I have accomplished that goal. I am in much better shape than I was and probably since I have been since middle or highschool. I have not reached my weight or size goal yet, but I WILL this year. I have about 30 more pounds to go before I am in a healthy bmi score range. I can still wear my size 12 jeans, so I am only one size away from being in a size 10, so who knows what size I will be once I lose this last 30 pounds.
I am definitely recommitted to losing this weight though. Today, my first "official" day back, I went and braved the 30 degree weather and walked on my trail with a weighted belt and weighted wrist weights. I plan to go back to climbing the stair case at my job or walking 2.5 miles during my lunch break at work. I also plan to finish the C2SK program and run a 5K this year.
I would like to thank my aunt for losing weight and motivating me to do the same. My doctor for the motivation and help that I needed to start. SparkPeople for being such a great resource. My online Sparkpeople friends for their neverending motivation and support, especially the Done Girls because that group was just what I needed as I began my journey. My online and offline Sparkpeople friends, namely the group Risky Fitness Friends, for being just that - friends and the Hot Atlanta Size Healthy Divas. Sharn, Kim, Tanya, Taurus - we've come along way together and we will go even farther in 2010. And last but not least my sweetie, Demitrious - he loved me at 253 pounds but understood that I wanted to lose weight to become more healthy. He even helped to motivate me by agreeing to eat a salad when I lost 50lbs (because he hates salads, lol).
This has been a great year since January 5, 2009 and I know it will only get better. 
Friday, December 11, 2009
Well, its that time of the year and I only have ONE present bought! Thankfully, I don't have too many gifts to get. Its weird, I love to shop....for myself....but I hate shopping for other people....sounds selfish right but I know what I like, however, I am not sure if you will like what I get you.
As I venture out to get my godaughters' and nephews' gifts, I will keep these three healthy living tips in mind:
1.) The food court can be very tempting, and often doesn't have the most healthy choices, so shop after eating at home so the food court temptation can be easier to resist.
2.) I actually got this one off of a morning show - Many of us often reward ourselves after a "hard day of shopping" with one of those cookies, soft pretzels, godiva chocolates or one of the many other edible goodies that the mall has to offer. However, we shouldn't reward ourselves with food, instead go to the spa and get a manicure or a pedicure or buy a nice little gift to yourself - something that you have been wanting or something that caught your eye while you were shopping.
3.) Take along a pedometer - When I first began walking regularly, I would sometimes go walking at the larger malls in the area because it often doesn't "feel" like exercise and you will have ended up walking a couple of miles before you know it. So make it a point to walk a lap around the mall one or two or three or more times and do a little window shopping (before you have too many bags in your hands); it may not be the most strenous exercise but it counts and you will be surprised at that pedometer reading when you get back to the car!
Happy Shopping!!!!!  
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
I had planned on staying in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, instead of going home to see my family members so I wouldn't be tempted to eat so much, but I ended up going anyway.
I didn't do great, but I also didn't do as bad as I could have and as I have done before....I am definitely going home for Christmas, so I am going to be very diligent in sticking with good exercise and eating habits during this time in the interim.
....And it would help if my grandma wouldn't bake another chocolate cake or her sweet potato pies for Christmas! LOL
1
2
3
4
Last Page
|
|
Subscribe for Blog updates from FITN2010:
|
|
Member Comments About This Blog Post:
RSS Feed
