Speaking Of Goals...

JULY 2018

MAY 2017

AUGUST 2018

ALONG THE WAY

First let me make a  disclaimer: I am not a Doctor or Trainer nor do I consider myself a "Fitness Guru;" however, many of my friends, family members, coworkers and followers have asked me questions regarding my lifestyle change.  Although I am not a professional, I am sharing what has  worked for me on my journey.  

I gained quiet a bit of weight during my pregnancy with my oldest son and although my boys are 21 and 15 yrs old; up until November 2016 I carried more weight than I was happy with. During pregnancy with my oldest son I developed hypertension, which was also a part of my family's medical history.   It didn't bother me much because I was considered "healthy" by my Doctors.   My blood pressure always seemed to run high even after I had given birth to him.  My Doctor's and I figured it ran high at appointments due to family history & my fear of Dr. appts. did not make it any better. For many years it was brushed off, and I would leave with my usual clean bill of health once a year.  At the time, I felt that all was well in my world.  

My husband was totally fine with my weight; however, after carrying two large babies, two c-sections,  poor eating habits & a sedentary job, I was bothered most by my midsection where I carried most of my weight.  In May 2016 I began seeing a new PCP & long story short she ended up prescribing medication to help regulate my blood pressure.  You can imagine how I felt leaving that appointment.  I knew I had to make some changes and I did.  As I made changes I saw a decrease in my weight, it was a small decrease but non the less I was shedding pounds.  On November 30th, 2016 I had a Dr. appointment and she was pleased I had shed a few pounds and my blood pressure had improved; needless to say I left my appointment feeling pretty good.  When I got home and reflected on my long day, I thought to myself "you are doing good, BUT in honesty you could be doing more." I felt like "if the small changes I made were yielding results what would happen if I  gave it my full effort?" Let me interject here because I've made reference twice to "being honest with myself."  If we are truthful with ourselves about the things that we do not like & we don't ACTIVELY & CONSISTENTLY  work to change them,  then we can't miraculously EXPECT them to change?  I hear many people complain about things they don't like or their health being affected by their lifestyle; yet they refuse to make committed decisions to change those things.  

I used the minor results that I saw as motivation to make a committed decision to "live a healthier lifestyle and become more fit."  I know that some may disagree, but, no one can motivate you to lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle or to become more fit.  Others can inspire you, but motivation for change comes from within.  As I told you before I do not make New Year resolutions, I did not wait for a new week, a new month, after this, or after that etc, etc. I went to bed that night knowing that if I were blessed to see the next day, then it would be my ongoing goal.  Since then I have lost over 45 pounds.  Believe it or not I have never owned a scale in my adult life & I STILL don't own one. Please don't become obsessed with the scale.  Results are not only measured by a number on the scale.  I literally ONLY weigh myself in Dr. office's (No, not even at the gym, do I weigh myself).

Here are some of the simple things I did & still do that help me to lose and maintain the weight that I've lost: 1. Increase my water intake (I only drink water, tea mostly but not limited to green) and coffee. Initially, I gave up coffee because I cut sugar out of my diet which leads me to 2. Eliminate all forms of sugar (which means you need to read labels for hidden and alternative names used for sugar)  3. Use a food tracking device to track everything that goes into your mouth (& yes I mean everything, you would be surprised at what you caloric intake is -vs- what you think it is)  I used "My Fitness Pal" (there are many others) 4. Use an activity tracker (I use Fit Bit, but there are many others to choose from)  to help set goals. *Side Note*  prior to using Fit Bit I used my cell phone to keep track of my steps & other activities. You don't need any fancy devices.   5. Meal prepping. There are various ways to do this.  It can be done week/daily.  Once you become for familiar with you food calorie allowance this will become much easier based on the food YOU like.  6. Increase Vegetables & Fruit (be careful with fruit as its a sugar source) 7. Replace starchy foods (rice, pasta, potatoes, etc) 8. Weigh/Measure Food to be sure that you are actually eating a serving size.  9.  Educate yourself on what you are trying to do (read, ask questions, research) Social Media is a great resource as well as You Tube when used to help meet your goals.  There are reputable trainers, etc that share valuable information.  10. Get ample amounts of sleep.  11. Eliminate stress as much as possible.  12. Surround yourself with like minded individuals who share the same goals.  This is important.  If you are not serious about what you want, then you probably won't be comfortable with accountability.  Having a support system helps, but do not waste peoples' time if you know that you are not ready to commit.  It becomes a distraction and you will only be kidding yourself.  13.  Speaking of distractions...Eliminate them! (junk food, social media, negativity, people that are not on your journey, television; basically anything that keeps you from working towards your goals....) Only FEED your FOCUS. You have to be prepared to sacrifice your old lifestyle for a new one. 14. Consistency is key.  You get out what you put in.  If you are consistent, you will see results.  15. Your MINDSET plays a huge part in all of this.  Your body will do what you mind tells it that it will do.  So get your HEAD IN THE GAME! 16. Lastly, but not least...Whatever/Whomever your higher power is ask for HELP! Many people overlook this.  Not intentionally, but it never dawns on them to simply ask for help in the areas that you are week in.  Trust me, it works!

You may be saying "it sounds like a lot of work."   It is, BUT It CAN be done!  It can be very time consuming at first; however, nothing changes if nothing changes.  If you are not giving 100% or close to it, do not expect results. As you begin to see results and start meeting your goals you learn what works for your body.  Then it's a habit/lifestyle and become easier because it just "what you do" as opposed to a temporary thing that you are trying (diet).  Looking good is nice but feeling good and being truly healthy is one of our greatest wealth's in life.  We only get one body, so we need to take care of it.  I am a constant work in progress.  I'm not exactly where I want to be fitness wise, but, I am far from where I used to be.  For the past few months I have been limited physically; but I am slowly recovering & getting back into the swing of things.  I am ready to continue on my journey to a better me. I am working on some new goals and a plan on how to reach them.  I am here to help, with tips, recipes, ideas, and resources if you have any questions or comments drop them below.  Any resources that you have feel free to share them & I will do the same.  I have added some of my progress pictures along the way with hopes that it will inspire you to make some lifestyle changes and attain whatever fitness goals that you set for yourself.  If I can do it, You CAN DO IT TOO!