From the time I could remember, I have always been a little chunky. I was always pretty active in sports throughout school so I was never super overweight, but I still had a belly. I was slowly and steadily gaining weight. I picked up unhealthy habits by going out to eat with my friends. It was always Taco Bell Tuesday for my choir friends. So by the time I graduated high school, I was a good 20 pounds over weight.
But it didn’t stop there…
When I started going to college, I found a new freedom. A freedom of having money and being able to go eat wherever and whenever I wanted. I commuted to campus so I would drive between classes and go get a large coke and fries or a full on meal at a fast food joint. I love fast food…hell I still do! It was bad. And I didn’t even realize it. Most of my life I never used a scale, until I had to keep going up in pant sizes. I’ll admit. I kept my denial going. I didn’t FEEL fat. I didn’t even SEE it in the MIRROR! My parents, who I lived with, started to casually bring it up to make me aware. Each time I got more mad. How mean could they be to always bring up my weight or tell me not to eat something!? I HATED them for it.
Jay had even brought it up once. He said he didn’t want to make me mad that he was worried about me. He said he was less attracted to me because of my weight gain. My parents would force me to work out. (I know your thinking how could they do that.) Well they did it. They said I had to come to the park and walk with them or they would drag me there themselves. They had lost weight themselves, over and over again. You could see how angry I was, here were these people who didn’t care for my feelings and weren’t the best inspiration for weight loss since they kept gaining it back.
I told myself I would NEVER go over 200 pounds. Last year I took a trip to Washington, D.C. with my boyfriend to see my brother. I took many pictures of the monuments. The few pictures I had of me I was disgusted of. When did I get like that? I can’t be THAT fat, can I? When I got home, I weighed myself. There it was. A few pounds over 200. What? How? How could I go from this active relatively skinny athlete to this giant whale?!
That was it. On top of that I got a kidney stone. I finally hit my lowest point. I had to do something. The extra 60+ pounds I was carrying began to effect my health. I started getting more into walking and joined a Zumba class at a local church with my mom. 10 pounds melted off fast! I was like, this is so easy! Then I got stuck. I wasn’t losing as fast. I wasn’t watching my diet. Then our instructor decided to quit Zumba. We were upset, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I ended up getting a gallstone and had to have surgery. Why am I still having health problems when I’m trying to be so healthy!? Well this stone had been there for a long time and it just decided to act up now. Well, this was another good push! I started counting my calories and doing better workouts. I still walk, but I also do weight exercises and more intense cardio. I mix in Jillian Micheal’s 30 day shred. I love it, it is a great workout for only 30 minutes.
So here I am a year later. 20 pounds lighter and still going. It took a long time, but I’m better off than I was a year ago! Only like 40 more to go! haha
My tips for weightloss:
Do strength exercises! This increases your resting metabolic rate! So you burn more calories while just sitting there! Also, the days you do it you are slightly tearing the muscle to build more and that burns more calories to repair.
Don’t eat a few hours before bed! Man has this helped me! If you are super hungry eat a few almonds or vegetable and drink a ton of water. If you go to bed full, your body has to burn that food before going into your fat storage.
Drink LOTS of water! It keeps you full, replenished, and looking great! I mean you are made up of 70% water! It also helps flush those toxins that can keep weight on you! A good rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces.
Try to work out at least 4 times a week and mix up what you do! Too much Zumba can make you sick of the songs. Switch it up and go for a walk/jog or a kickboxing class. Make it fun! Once you start enjoying working out you will want to keep doing it! Trust me, I went from being dragged to working out to craving it!
Sun Soul And Wings 